Restoring Windows NT Dual Boot After Installing Windows 95 (136547)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.5
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 3.51
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q136547

SUMMARY

This article describes how to restore Windows NT dual booting after you install Windows 95. The article is divided into two sections:
  • Installing Windows 95 on a Windows NT and MS-DOS Dual Boot Computer
  • Troubleshooting Windows NT and Windows 95 Dual Boot

MORE INFORMATION

Installing Windows 95 on a Windows NT and MS-DOS Dual Boot Computer

Windows NT and Windows 95 can reside on the same computer. If you dual boot between Windows NT 3.5x or 4.0 and MS-DOS 6.2x, the following method is recommended before you install Windows 95:
  1. If you do not have an Emergency Repair Disk for your Windows NT installation, create one using the RDISK utility (RDISK.EXE) in the %SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32 directory.
  2. Shut down Windows NT and restart your computer. Select MS-DOS from the boot loader menu.
  3. Install Windows 95. Make sure you install Windows 95 to a separate directory and not the Windows NT %SystemRoot% directory.
After you successfully install Windows 95 and restart the computer, the Windows NT Flex Boot Loader screen appears, allowing you to choose between MS-DOS and Windows NT. If you choose MS-DOS, Windows 95 starts. You may change the MS-DOS entry of the Boot Loader menu to Windows 95 by modifying the Windows NT BOOT.INI file.

For additional information about modifying the Windows NT Boot.ini file, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: 99743
TITLE : Purpose of the BOOT.INI File


Troubleshooting Windows NT and Windows 95 Dual Boot

If the Windows NT Flex Boot Loader does not appear at the end of the procedure above, do the following:
  1. Insert the Windows NT Setup Boot Disk into drive A and restart your computer.
  2. Insert Setup Disk 2 when prompted.
  3. When the Setup options appear, press R for Repair.

    Four options appear and all four are selected by default.
  4. Clear the selection of all options except Inspect Boot Sector by pressing ENTER to select or clear the options. Be sure that Inspect Boot Sector is the only option that has an X in front of it.
  5. Select Continue and press ENTER.
  6. If you want Setup to detect mass storage devices in your computer again, press ENTER. If you want to skip the mass storage device detection, press S.
  7. Insert Setup Disk 3 when prompted.
  8. If you have the Emergency Repair Disk, press ENTER, insert the disk, and press ENTER again. If you do not have the Emergency Repair Disk, press ESC to allow Setup to locate Windows NT 3.5x or 4.0 and the Repair information.
  9. Remove the disk from drive A and press ENTER to restart your computer.

    The Windows NT Flex Boot Loader appears and the dual boot ability is restored.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/6/2003
Keywords:KB136547
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