Current
Version
2.13

zBoot Manager Installation Wizard

Situation:

I just get a new hard disk(40G), and I want to install Windows ME and Linux to it. Also I need a data partition shared between two systems.

Installation steps:

1. Create a DOS startup floppy disk. If you have one DOS startup floppy disk, skip this step.
   
   You can use the starting floppy disk of Windows 98/Me etc. If you hard disk is bigger than 8G, you should not use the DOS 6.0 or older version since they can't support the big disk. One easy way to do this is to make a start-up disk from Windows, Control Panel-->Add/Remove Program--> Make startup disk.  You can also download a Windows 98 boot disk here.  Insert a floppy disk to A: and run it , it will automatically create a bootable floppy disk.
   
   

2. Copy ZBOOT.EXE to your startup floppy disk, and restart your computer with that Disk. And then run zBoot Manager: A:\>zBoot <ENTER>. At this time, it will check your hard disk, and read your current partition information. When you see the Main Menu, use Disk tools->Backup current MBR function to save your current MBR to a file. Obviously, you'd better save it to your floppy disk.
   
   

3. From Main Menu, select "step 1 setup partition list". You can now see your current partition list, if it is a new hard disk, it may have only one partition. Now we need create some partitions so just delete it if there has one. Then use <TAB> switch to the window below. Press <ENTER> to create a partition, you'd better create linux partitions at the beginning of your hard disk  So from the beginning of your hard disk, create several  partitions like this: 
   
   1. Linux native, about 3G, for booting linux,
   2. Linux swap, about 1G, for linux,
   3. Windows FAT-32 LBA, about 10G for booting Windows ME,
   4. Windows FAT-32 LBA, about 20G for shared data partition.
   
   They should been listed in the windows above. After you create all partitions, simply press <ESC> to return to Main Menu.
   
   

4. Form Main Menu, select "Step 2 setup boot menu". There are three windows here, you can use <TAB> to switch among them. In the first window, if you can find a menu item "operating system 1", press <R> key to rename it to "Windows ME".  Or you just press <INS> to add a new system, input system name: "Windows ME".  In this example, you should have two items: Windows ME and Linux in the first window. Use cursor keys to highlight the "Windows ME" and use <TAB> to switch to the window below. if there are some partitions in it, just press <DEL> to delete them. Now  press <INS> to add 2 partitions for Windows ME, and set the first one bootable with <SPACE> key:
   
   3. Windows FAT-32 LBA, about 10G for booting Windows ME, (will be C: of Windows ME)
   4. Windows FAT-32 LBA, about 20G, shared data partition.( will be D: of Windows ME)
   
   For Linux, add 3 to it and set the first one bootable:
   
   1. Linux native, about 3G, for booting linux,
   2. Linux swap, about 1G, for linux,
   4. Windows FAT-32 LBA, about 20G, shared data partition.
   
    Press <ESC> to return to Main Menu
   
   

5. Form Main Menu, select "Step 3 Install zBoot Manager to hard disk" to actually install it. Then remove your floppy disk and restart your computer. You will see a boot menu with two menu items. One is "Windows ME", the other one is "Linux". Now select one of them, when it will display "OS loading Error!", restart your computer with CD-ROM or Floppy disk to install the system you need. After you install some operating systems, the boot menu will disappear, you just need to run zBoot again and use "step 3 Install zBoot manger to hard disk" again. With the same way to install another operating system. NOTE: when you install Linux, make sure that the LILO is installed to the first sector of your linux partition, not to the master boot record, or it will destroy zBoot manager.
   
   

6. Now you have already two operating systems in your hard disk. Enjoy it!!!