Article ID: 293089
Article Last Modified on 1/31/2007
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
- Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
- Microsoft Windows 98 Standard Edition
- Microsoft Windows XP Professional
This article was previously published under Q293089
SYMPTOMS
After you install Microsoft Windows 98 or Windows 98 Second Edition on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP, you cannot start the computer in Windows 2000.
NOTE: The Windows 2000 online help incorrectly states that the order that you install Windows 98 and Windows 2000 on the same computer does not matter.
CAUSE
This issue occurs because you installed Windows 2000 before you installed Windows 98. If you install Windows 2000 before you install Windows 98, you cannot start the computer in Windows 2000. There is a documentation error in the installation order that describes how to create a dual-boot configuration with Windows 2000 and Windows 98. The following documents incorrectly state that it is possible to install Windows 98 after you install Windows 2000:
- The "Before you dual boot" topic in Windows 2000 Professional Getting Started
- The Setuptxt\Pro2.txt file that is included on the Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM
- The "Deciding whether a computer will contain more than one operating system" topic in Windows 2000 Online Help
If you install Windows 98 after you install Windows 2000, Windows 98 overwrites the Windows 2000 boot sector and the Windows 2000 startup files. A dual-boot configuration with MS-DOS or Windows 95 functions in the same manner.
RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, install Windows 2000 after you install Windows 98 or Windows 98 Second Edition. If you have already installed Windows 98 after you installed Windows 2000, and you cannot start the Windows 2000 boot loader, follow the procedure described in this section to restore the setting.
NOTE: To repair your computer so that it can use the dual-boot functionality, use the Emergency Repair Disk (ERD) that is created during the Windows 2000 installation or use an updated ERD that the administrator created after they made the changes. Make sure that the disk contains the latest configuration information. Even if you do not have an ERD or it is not updated, you can use the original Windows 2000 installation CD-ROM. However, any changes that you have made to your computer may be lost because the CD-ROM restores the default setting.
To restore the boot sector:
- Start Windows 2000 by using the Windows 2000 CD-ROM or Setup boot disks.
- When Windows 2000 Setup starts, press ENTER to start, and then press the R key to repair the existing installation.
- Press R again to initiate the emergency repair process to fix the existing installation of Windows 2000.
- Press F to initiate the process that automatically repairs the computer.
- If you have an ERD, insert the disk when you are prompted, and then when Setup completes repairing your boot sector, restart your computer to finish the process.
If you do not have an ERD, press L. Windows starts to search for the installation and displays any installation that it finds. If the emergency repair process cannot locate the Windows 2000 installation, reinstall Windows 2000.
STATUS
This is a confirmed documentation error in Microsoft Windows 2000 0nline Help.
MORE INFORMATION
If you plan to reinstall an installation of Windows 2000 that resides on a FAT16 or FAT32 volume, Microsoft recommends that you back up important files and data before you start. Perform the backup from the operating system that you can start.
NOTE: If you installed Windows 2000 on a FAT32 volume, you may only be able to access the volume by using Windows 95 OSR2, Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition or Windows 2000.
For additional information about how to remove Windows 2000 from your computer, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
250456 How to Manually Remove Windows 2000 and Restore Windows 95 and Windows 98
Additional query words: docerr
Keywords: kbbug kbdualboot kbreadme kbrepair KB293089
