Dualboot of Window NT 3.51 and 4.0 Fails After Service Pack Installation (149180)


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
This article was previously published under Q149180

SYMPTOMS

After you install a service pack on a Windows NT 3.5 or 3.51 computer that also has Windows NT 4.0 installed, attempting to start Windows NT 4.0 may result in a failure to load the operating system. The failure may trigger a momentary error message and cause the system to restart immediately.

CAUSE

The Ntldr file for Windows NT 3.5x is incompatible with Windows NT 4.0. The installation of the service pack may replace the Ntldr file placed on the boot drive with a version included with the service pack.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this condition, manually replace the NTLDR file on the boot drive with the file of same name from the Windows NT 4.0 distribution set. This version is compatible with both operating systems. If the boot partition is NTFS, you may need to obtain access to the partition through the Windows NT 3.5x installation in order to replace the file.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:5/7/2003
Keywords:kbnetwork KB149180
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