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Why Multiple OSs?

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There are several reasons for running either a dual-boot or multi-OS computer, including:

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You want to run a gaming machine as well as a business machine on the same
computer but don't want to endanger your business installation.
Web designers want to view their work on various operating systems using their
native web browsers.
A piece of legacy hardware, such as a scanner, works on Windows XP, but not in
Windows 7.
IT staff may need to be able to work with older as well as new versions of Windows.
You want to experiment with an operating system like Linux, but need to be able to
use Windows as your main operating system.
Games are the number one reason that many folks continue to run Windows as their
operating system. As games move to Java and other cross-OS technologies, the need for
Windows diminishes, but not for the most intense of these games. What if you could run
your games in a Windows environment?
What if you could run the operating system of your choice in parallel with your current
Windows setup? This page discusses the various options for doing that.

Overview
There are several options discussed on this page. I'd recommend choosing the solution
that requires the least effort on your part (unless you like experimenting and aren't risking
critical data in the process).
Several terms are used (sometimes incorrectly) to describe the option of running more
than a single operating system on one computer. I'm going to use the following two terms:
Dual boot: running more than a single version of the same operating system (i.e.
Windows XP and Windows 7)
Muli-OS: running more than a single operating system (OS) on a computer (i.e.
Windows XP and Linux).
Backup Your Data!
You should backup your data in case something does go wrong during any of the
procedures on this page. It is strongly recommended that you make routine backups
because hardware failures, viruses and other disasters happen not to mention human
error.

Windows 8's Secure Boot Defeats Linux Installations

Users wanting to install Linux onto a preinstalled Windows 8 system will have difficulties
because the new Windows uses UEFI instead of BIOS to enable the Secure Boot
technology because the Linux installer is treated like a virus.
Matthew Garrett has developed a Secure Boot bootloader which will allow you to
install Linux (shim.efi).

While this issue came to my attention because of issues with Linux installs, it could affect
any attempt to create a multi-boot environment.

Experienced Users Only

Running multiple operating systems on one computer requires advanced knowledge of
how computers work, including how the OSs you wish to work with interact with each
other. You'll need to know:
how to partition your drive to accommodate the various OSs;
the requirements of file systems involved;
the ability to work with advanced installations;
how to share data between installations; and
at least a basic understanding of the various components involved in today's
computers.

Potential Compatibility Issues

The fact that you can share the hardware means a savings of the cost of the hardware as
well as the amount of space you can dedicate in your working environment for multiple
computers.
However, there are potentially some compatibility issues, particularly when running
multiple OSs. You'll want to check for the availability of drivers for the operating systems
that you want to run for your particular hardware. This is particularly important for legacy
operating systems (those no longer supported with newer hardware) and with newer
operating systems (which may only offer beta drivers or perhaps none at all for your
hardware).
If you need to share data between the various operating systems, it gets more complex
because you're forced to use the lowest common denominator in terms of what file
systems are used at least on the data partition or drive. Such choices can compromise
your data because older file systems like FAT are not as stable as NTFS and cannot see
larger drives (partitions) without special utilities.

Some Resources Outdated or Assumptions Invalid

Some of the resources on this page are outdated (particularly the links) but are included
because they provide general knowledge and often are useful if you want to run an older
OS. Some of the assumptions may no longer be valid. It is best to view as much about the
knowledge you are seeking as you can find. Between these various articles you will begin
to get a sense of what is right for you and what is accurate for today's hardware and
software.

Aimed at Windows Users

The information on this page is generally aimed at Microsoft Windows users, contains
information and resources for other operating systems. The Multiple Operating Systems in
the OS/2 Resources section is older, but may have information valuable to those wishing
to multi-boot OS/2 or ECS.
If you are unsure of what is being discussed, you should consult someone with the
necessary experience. If you are contemplating more than one operating system, be sure
the person understands both operating systems, particularly if you have existing data
or other software to protect.
If you do install a version of Windows no longer supported by Microsoft or any other
obsolete operating system (without the current service packs and updates) you should be
aware that you're placing your computer at greater risk of security breaches, malware and
viruses if the computer is connected to the Internet. This places all your data at risk if
you're sharing it between various installations.
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Virtual Environments

Before you attempt to install a dual- or multi-boot environment, you might want to try out
one of the software solutions that run alternative software in a separate virtual
environments.
As hardware has improved beyond the actual requirements of the operating systems they
support, it becomes possible to share resources with another separate OS. Remember,
this assumes that you're not running an older computer that barely supports the existing
installation.
There are several options to run Windows programs on other operating systems and vice
versa. Be sure you don't opt for a solution that is too complex or expensive and that your
computer can meet the performance requirements.
Oracle's VirtualBox is strongly recommended for running multiple virtual systems on
Windows.
Windows Virtual PC is Microsoft's solution for running virtual XP on Windows 7
Professional and Windows 7 Ultimate.
Parallels allows Mac users to run Windows applications.
WINE allows users to run Windows applications on Linux, BSD, Solaris and Mac OS
X.
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Dual Boot
Dual Booting Windows
A feature of Windows XP has been the ability for it to allow for an existing legacy Windows
system for coexist with it, particularly if the existing version of Windows is already installed
when you install Windows XP. As you move forward in Windows versions, you move away
from DOS and closer to virtual systems that may not allow older programs to run natively.
Dual booting can give you the option to run an older version of Windows to allow such
programs to run.
Try Compatibility Mode First
Windows 7 has the ability to run in compatibility mode as far back as Windows 95, in 256
colours, 640 x 480 resolution and more. You might want to give this a try before attempting
to create a dual-boot install.
Don't Mix Windows Versions
Installing a second version of Windows in the same partition will mix the contents of the
two versions of Windows, possibly overwriting key files. Use separate partitions (I'd
recommend separate hard drives, if possible) so that the resources are not intermingled.
Windows 7 and Vista Windows 9x (95, 98, 98SE although only Windows 98SE is
practical) has a very different way of handling many files than XP does, including user
folders such as My Documents.
Windows 95 introduced My Documents, but it was located in C:\My Documents.
This file could be moved without creating issues in Windows 98.
Windows XP introduced multi-user installations as a default, moving My Documents
to C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\My Documents and creating
All Users for settings and documents shared between users. You could still move the
My Documents to mimic Windows 95, but you risked creating problems if a second
user was added to the computer.
Windows Vista changed Documents and Settings to the simpler Users and My
Documents was now located in C:\Users\[user name]\My Documents.
Instead of My Documents on the desktop, the User's folder appeared, containing My
Documents as well as moving the My Music, My Pictures, etc. from My Documents
into the User's folder. The All Users became Public.
Other important changes made in Vista (and Windows 7) were to move the location of the
Application Data folders and to reclassify them under Local, LocalLow and Roaming (with

the majority of application using the Roaming to allow sharing between computers as well
as between users).
Sharing With Different Windows Versions
Windows 7 and XP should be run on the NTFS file system, but if you want to be able to
see the information on these partitions from Windows 9x you'll need to use Fat32. There
are great advantages to NTFS, including the ability to handle much larger drives,
automatic compression and improved file features, such as private folders. Unless you
need to see and dynamically alter the information on the Windows 7 or XP partition when
booting to the Windows 9x installation, I'd use NTFS.
If you choose NTFS, Windows 9x will be unable to "see" the Windows 7 or XP drive. You'll
have to share documents with one of several methods, including:
A common drive or partition formatted with the FAT32 file system. This can be either
an internal drive or an external USB drive.
A USB thumb-drive (you'll need to install drivers for Windows 98SE). This works if
you seldom share information.
Obviously, this has limitations if you are going to be continually sharing dynamic
information and it will be impossible to share programs.
Windows 9x Least Flexible
Windows 9x demands the C: primary partitions) and is a predatory operating system
that will try to write data into any drive or partition that it can read (FAT16 in particular). It
will offer to format anything it cannot read (such as NTFS or HPFS) if it can "see" it.
For this reason, I'd suggest using an older PC to run these older versions of Windows. If
your programs need direct DOS hardware access, you can create serious issues in
dual-booting newer versions of Windows. A Virtual Environment install might be a better
solution.
Install Programs on Both Versions of Windows
You will need to install the programs in both versions of Windows, so that the correct
information is written into the Windows Registry for each operating system, even if you are
sharing the program data.

Dual Booting Resources

How to create a multiple-boot system in Windows XP
Multibooting in Windows XP Made Easy
To specify the default operating system for startup
Dual Boot Windows XP Tips! from WinXpFix.com
Multiple operating systems and file system compatibility
Deciding Whether a Computer Will Contain More Than One Operating System
Installing more than one operating system on your computer
Choosing a file system: NTFS, FAT, or FAT32
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The Multi-OS Environment

About IBM OS/2 and ECS
There is multi-OS information more relevant to OS/2 or eCommStation users in the OS/2
Resources Section, although much of the information is quite dated compared to what is
on this page.
OS/2 and eCommStation provides a stable and work-friendly business operating system
which wins over those that take the time to learn its advantages. However, the ability to
play games and support for much hardware and accessories is either unavailable or not as
advanced.

Hardware Options
You can use various hardware devices to enable you to boot to alternative operating
systems. The advantage is that you don't have to worry about one operating system
damaging the information or file systems in another operating system's partition. The
disadvantage is that it is impossible to share data and/or programs because they are
physically separated.
Removable Drive Bays
Since the price of hard drives has come down significantly, you can purchase a removable
drive bay that can be easily swapped for your various OSs. Note that you should be sure
to purchase the same brand and model of drawer if you wish to leave the hard drives in
the bays and ensure that the correct drawer is purchased if you are running ATA66 or
better drives.
Swapping Cables
If your need for changes is infrequent, you might consider simply swapping the cables
inside your computer when you need to switch operating systems. This requires you to
open the computer case and is not an option for laptops, but the only cost is the price of
the additional hard drive(s).
Note that newer computers continue to have power when they are shut down. Be sure to
remove the power cable from the computer and ensure external devices and the monitor
are turned off (a common power bar works great for this).
BIOS Changes
You might try changing the boot sequence in the BIOS to boot to a different drive or to
enable/disable SATA and IDE drive options. This should only be contemplated if you
understand the BIOS and can comfortably experiment with this option.

Software Options
Boot Managers
There are various boot manager program that dynamically will allow you to switch between
various operating systems. These program can see various types of file systems and
usually provide some sort of a boot menu that intervenes in the normal bootup of your
computer so that you can make a choice.
zBoot Manager.
Power Boot is a utility that allows you to install and run multiple operating systems
without the restrictions that others like Boot Manager and CtrAltDel Commander
impose such as the ability to place an OEM version of software that checks for other
operating systems before allowing a new installation (e.g. Windows 9x).
One of the oldest is System Commander from V Communications. System
Commander allows up to 32 Operating Systems in a DOS partition or each in their
own primary or logical partition. You might wish to read the review of System
Commander Deluxe by Walter F. Metcalf.
kBootManager is intended as a supplement or replacement for the OS/2
BootManager.
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Partitioning Your Hard Drive

Backup Before Partitioning
You should backup your data in case something does go wrong during any of the
procedures on this page. It is strongly recommended that you make routine backups
because hardware failures, viruses and other disasters happen, not to mention human
error.

Create One or More Partitions

A single hard drive can be formatted with one or multiple partitions. The first (or Primary)
partition is made active (bootable) and any other partitions are grouped into a Logical
partition.
In Windows, each of these partitions are assigned a drive letter by Windows, if it can see
the file system on that partition, and ignored if it can't. Whether or not a particular file
system can be seen depends upon the version of Windows and if there are operating
systems other than Windows installed.

Partition Utilities
The traditional tool for creating and deleting partitions is FDISK a command-line utility
relic from DOS.
However, you can boot to the Windows XP installation CD on most computers, then create
or delete NTFS or FAT32 partitions. If you delete or format a partition, it will erase all
information on that drive.
Windows 7 Disk Management
Use Windows 7's built-in disk management software (right-click My Computer and left-click
Manage then select Disk Management). You might be unable to see a drive if you are
using several USB drives on multiple systems. Run the Disk Management to create a
different drive letter for each drive.
Partition Magic
One tool that you will find useful in setting up multiple operating systems is Partition Magic
(now owned by Symantec). You can create and modify partitions without destroying the
data although you are advised to backup the data in case something does go wrong
during the process. The newest version works only in Windows.

The image above shows a FAT32 C: partition labelled WIN98 and a Logical partition that
contains two FAT16 partitions (D: and E:). While this image shows an older system with
FAT32 and FAT16 partitions, modern Windows systems are more likely to contain only
NTFS partitions.
Beware of Possible Gottchas

If you are running Partition Magic in Windows, it may offer to "fix" partitions on a multi-OS
system. Because not all operating systems create partitions the same way, this can make
destroy partitions containing other operating systems such as OS/2. If this happens, you'll
not be able to recover the data on those partitions.
MiniTool Partition Wizard
MiniTool Partition Wizard Home Edition is a free partition manager software that supports
32/64 bit Windows Operating System including Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and
Windows 8.
Home users can perform complicated partition operations by using this powerful yet free
partition manager to manage their hard disk. Functions include: Resizing partitions,
Copying partitions, Create partition, Extend Partition, Split Partition, Delete partition,
Format partition, Convert partition, Explore partition, Hide partition, Change drive letter,
Set active partition, Partition Recovery.
MiniTool Partition Wizard Professional Edition is required in a business environment.

GParted Live
Gnome Partition Editor is a Linux solution, but Windows users can use GParted Live by
booting from another device like a USB thumb drive or a CD-ROM. Because it is open
source, it is free to use.

Multi-OS Resources
General Information on Starting Multiple Operating Systems
Multiple Operating System Setup
Das Boot ("Getting the boot") is dated 1995 but has some good basic information
about how various operating systems work and how you can get them to work
together.
Managing Multiple Operating Systems HOWTO is a useful resource for those
wishing to run multiple OSs with Linux.
Virtual Machines: An Alternative to Dual Booting.
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File Systems
There are numerous file systems, many of which are specific to one or more operating
systems. Because they handle information in different ways, they each have advantages
and disadvantages. As file systems age, their limitations increase, much like the limitations
of the operating systems they run on.
For the most part, the differences are transparent to the average user, except during
installation if choices between two or more file systems are offered.

Various PC File Systems

The more common PC file systems are shown in the table below (in order of increasing
superiority):
Various File Systems
File
System:

Description:

Used By:

FAT16

File Allocation Table (16-bit)

DOS, Windows 3x, 95, OS/2, digital

cameras

FAT32

File Allocation Table (32-bit)

Windows 95B, 98, Me and XP

NTFS

New Technology File System

Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7

HPFS

High Performance File System

(16-bit)

OS/2 and early NT4

JFS

Journal File System

OS/2, eCS

Ext2/3

Extended File System

Linux

WinFS

Windows Future Storage

Not used

Other File Systems

Of course, there are many other file systems and the comparisons are interesting. Don't
forget to take into account the age of the file system. Older technology is not going to have
the hind sight available to newer releases.
Microsoft's Overview of FAT, HPFS, and NTFS File Systems
DOS FAT 12/16/32, VFAT
File systems (FAT, FAT8, FAT16, FAT32 and NTFS)
New Technology File System (NTFS) has interesting history, but is somewhat
cluttered by ads at the top.
NTFS compared to FAT and FAT32
NTFS and FAT File Systems Explained

High Performance File System

Overview of the JFS file system.
File systems HOWTO by Martin Hinner documents how to see other file systems
(including HPFS and OS/2 LVM) from various operating systems, including NT4,
DOS and Linux.
The Linux File system.
List of Linux File systems, Clustered File systems.
In many cases, operating systems can use multiple file systems and your choices to use
one over the other might include security concerns, data reliability, speed of access,
backwards compatibility with earlier systems or any number of other reasons.

Can You See Me?

Operating systems generally cannot see the file systems for which they were not
designed (at least not without third-party utilities). For example, Windows 98SE would not
be aware of an NTFS partition, but would see and be able to work with files on either
FAT32 or FAT16 partitions or drives. Generally, Windows can see the file systems for the
versions prior to the version you're using.
Prepare for Multi-OS Installs in Advance
One caveat: You should set up the partitions prior to installing the operating system(s)
since adding or changing the file system can alter the drive lettering as it is viewed by the
various operating systems. Operating systems beyond the C: partition might not be able to
boot or if they boot may be unable to locate programs on other partitions.

File Systems Resources

NTFS v FAT: Which Is Right for You?
Choose the [XP] File System That Suits Your Needs
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Change Log
January 5, 2013
Updated to include information about Windows 8 and to reorganize content on the page.
August 18, 2012
The most recent updates included changes from an assumed base of Windows XP to an
assumed base of Windows 7.
May 27, 2011
This page was created based upon the information found in the OS/2 Resources section
of this site to update it and make it more relevant for Windows users.
Return to top
www.russharvey.bc.ca/resources/multios.html
Updated: January 5, 2013

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