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How to install both OS/2 Warp 4 and Win XP Pro on T42p

OS/2 on ThinkPads
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ralf-dieter
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Location: Herrenberg, Germany

How to install both OS/2 Warp 4 and Win XP Pro on T42p

#1 Post by ralf-dieter » Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:11 am

Hi,

I am planning to install a T42p with both WinXP Pro and OS/2 (maybe e-ComStation instead later on) - if possible using the OS/2 boot manager to select the OS of choice.

I am wondering whether someone give me some hints about:
1) how should I partition my 60 GB harddisk (in regard of the sizes and ordering of the OS partitions)?

2) where to place the boot manager - e.g. before of after the Win XP partition?
I have something in mind that the boot manager needs to be somewhere near the beginning of the harddisk (first x GB).

3) I learned from another post that there is a OS/2 driver supporting large HDs / partitions - danis506.add.
Is this driver part of the OS/2 Warp 4 install - or do I need to get this from elsewhere?

4) which order of installation I should apply? OS/2 first or WinXP first?
(I first think of using the recovery CD to put the TP back to an initial state.)


I currently have a really old TP with OS/2 and Win NT installed - there I already struggled a bit with similar questions (years ago), but I fear with Win NT it has been easier?

Hints and any pointers are very welcome.

Best regards,
Ralf

Robbyrobot
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Re: How to install both OS/2 Warp 4 and Win XP Pro on T42p

#2 Post by Robbyrobot » Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:00 am

Let's take this in order...

1) I personally would make three partitions: one of perhaps 50GB for the WinXP and associated programs/data, one of perhaps 1GB for the OS/2 system partition, and the rest for OS/2 programs and data. Partition C: for WinXP, D: for OS/2 and E: for OS/2 data and programs.

2) I personally would not use the OS/2 boot manager, as it's not necessary and you can achieve the same thing with the WinXP boot.ini. Also, the OS/2 boot manager requires an extra partition. I found this inconvenient and wasteful in the past.

3) The danis506.add is not part of the OS/2 installation, and you'd have to get it from http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/, which is a good source anyway. But OS/2 (system and programs) are nowhere near as large as the Windows variety, so you can use a much smaller partition.

4) I would install WinXP on C: first, then the OS/2 system on D: If you reverse the order, the WinXP installation will overwrite the MBR and you'll have to use sysinstx to fix it (and of course, WinXP won't boot from D:). All bets are off if you use the recovery CDs - no idea what they do, and I personally wouldn't risk it. If I remember correctly, you'll probably have to use the sysinstx program to make your partition D: bootable anyway - but I can't guarantee for my memory on this.

Putting the OS/2 system on a separate partition has the advantage that you can change it (for example to eCS) without having to re-install or modify any of your programs.

By the way, definitely use HPFS as the file system for OS/2 - that will make the OS/2 partitions inaccessible for the WinXP system, but the HPFS system is much more stable and resistant to damage than FAT.

ralf-dieter
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:43 am
Location: Herrenberg, Germany

Re: How to install both OS/2 Warp 4 and Win XP Pro on T42p

#3 Post by ralf-dieter » Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:19 am

Hi Robbyrobot,

thank you for your hints.

In regard of the WinXP partition I am thinking of the same approach as for the OS/2 part: to separate the os from programs and data - so that I can reduce the os partition itself.
And to establish one (data) partition which both can access (=> FAT formatted, I guess) for a data exchange.

OS/2 boot manager: I see your point - however is the Win boot.ini configurable to define the default loaded OS? I know to configure the time to display - but the other?
Very in the past I read about the option to create two C (primary) partitions - one for Win, one for OS2, to hide each from the other.
An old - not preferred - approach?
And I guess this does not work when using the win boot.ini - right?


In regard of the recovery CD: I tried it - with the result that the old C Partition (with old Win XP) got replaced with the basic installation - without the other partitions got touched.
So a usable result - initially: I anyhow needed to cleanup (or destroy) this installation.

HPFS: no doubt to use this for any OS/2 only partition

Best regards
Ralf

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