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Hi fuel_f2f,
I will give you some info (but briefly).
To dual-boot, it will be easy if your WinXP is not installed yet - just a bit more involved if you have a HD with WinXP already on it.
You will need a DOS (Win98) bootdisk with DOS commands, or at least FDISK and FORMAT, and DELPART is handy (for NTFS partitions) too.
I suggest the 20GB as master on the primary controller, and the more modern larger HD as master on the secondary controller - or do you have SATA?
It's always good to leave the secondary controller for your DVD burner (or maybe you have SATA DVD burner, LoL :^)
Anyway, you must make a system partition C:\ and it must be FAT.
The largest possible partition = 2GB (FAT16) is what you want; this will contain your multi-boot menu (and boot.ini and NTLDR, for starting WinXP).
If you make the 2GB partition, format it (with system), make DOS directory, copy all files from bootdisk, and copy and config autoexec.bat and config.sys, your PC will start and boot to C:\ prompt (just like 1992). DOS mode!
If you then have ~18GB free and unpartitioned, and another big empty HD for WinXP, things are easy :^)
Install WinXP; you will get multi-boot menu automatically, offering you Microsoft Windows (which is really the DOS mode) or WinXP.
You can then install Linux on the 18GB - and because of the DOS mode it will be easy to do any Linux partitioning required.
Linux will add itself to the multi-boot menu these days I believe...
Before, you needed to install your DOS, then your Linux, THEN your Windows, and multi-boot menu would be written automatically. This is still a good 'safe' installation order for n00bies ;^)
The chief skill in multi-booting is learning your boot.ini file - learning to point it at existing Windows installations on other hardisks that used to be C:\ but have been moved and are not C:\ any longer, for example.
I would slave my burner to the 20GB on the primary controller if I were you (if you are without SATA) - that way Windows and the burner would be on separate controllers and could read & write to each other best.
That's all for now (could write much more!)
Come back with any specific questions... if I can answer them,
Regards
ABit AB9 Pro
Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 @ 2.4GHz
2GB OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum XTC R2
ATI Radeon X1900XT 512MB
Enermax Liberty 620W
320GB/16MB WD, 150GB/16MB Raptor
Plextor PX-755SA DVD (SATA)
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