Need to test installs on different operating systems? Need a new operating system fast? Infected by virus?...Read this - it may help.
Novice users should not attempt this. You will
need to know what you are doing.
A question that often comes up, in the discussion forum is "It worked on
my computer, but when I install on my friends it has faults and wont run, what
can I do ?". There are many things that may have gone wrong in the writing
of the application, and I dont intend addressing all these. Let's assume the
code is correct and the P&D wizard was used to build a package. How to test
it ? If you had half a dozen computers with different operating systems on each,
freshly installed with no other applications installed, you could install your
app on each machine for testing.
Great, who has half a dozen computers at home - not me ! This is what I do, I
dont say it's the best way, or the only way - it's just the method I employ.
Dont try this at home kids, unless you're backed up, know what you're doing and
promise not to blame me if it all turns to....
Requirements:
Enough spare time to install a few operating systems. Patience. Bravery.
A computer with 2 hard drives - one for storage of files, the other for
operating systems with four primary partitions.
Partitions
1. Main development OS - I recommend Windows 2000 Pro.
2 to 4 - Test OS's - depending on your needs - say 95,98,XP
Setting Up.
Back up files you cant afford to lose.
On your 'Master' hard drive - format, and create four partitions.
Keep in mind: Win 95,98 - partitions need only to be a few hundred Mb.
XP - ideally at least 1.5 Gb. I suggest these partitions be Fat32, but thats
up to you.
Set up your development OS
Set the next partition to 'Active', boot to that OS.
Set up your first test OS.
Repeat the process until all partitions have an OS installed.
Assuming all is well, set your development OS 'Active' and start coding. To
test a package, copy the setup files to your 'Slave' or storage hard drive, set
one of your test OS's 'Active' and boot to it.
Install your application, test for bugs. Repeat the process with the OS's you
wish to test on.
Issues:
OK, we've tested an installation on a
partition - now that OS is no longer 'virgin', future testing may be
compromised. For NT based OS's the only fix is to re-install - if you feel it is
required. For all versions of Win95/98 however there is a solution. These
operating systems can be zipped up for later use but you will need a partition
utility - FDisk is not sufficient for our needs - (I recommend 'Partition
Magic')
Zipping Operating Systems
Assumes Zip program installed - WinZip for example.
Boot to a Win 95 or Win98 partition.
Use this zip application to create a zip file of your entire C drive, saving
this zip file to your storage partition. You should make this zip as soon as you
have installed the OS - remember, you only have to do this once.
Unzipping an Operating System
Using your partition utility - not FDisk, set 'Active' a Win95 or Win98
partition(NOT the partition you wish to unzip to), AND set the partition you
wish to unzip to 'Visible'(Normally only the 'Active' primary partition is
visible in My Computer, but we need to see the partition in order to unzip to
it, this is why FDisk is not used - FDisk cant set a 'non-Active' primary
partition visible). While we're in the partition utility, format this drive
you're going to unzip to. Boot to the 'Active' partition. In My Computer, there
will appear another drive. It is important not to do too much while both these
primary partitions are visible - there's two primary partitions here and drive
letters have changed, keep activity to a minimum ! If you browse to this new
drive you will see it is empty - we just formatted it. From your storage
partition, unzip your previously zipped OS to this empty drive. Browse to 'C:\'
drive - this will set the 'CurDir' to 'C:\'.
From the run menu, type "sys e:" or which ever drive letter you
need to unzip to. This command copies system files required by your new OS to
that drive.(Sometimes this is unneccesary - but just to be safe).
Set this drive 'Active' and boot to it. You now have a complete OS setup in
under 5 minutes ! All settings, drivers, any applications installed are all
there - the lot.
Example zips I have on my storage drive:
Win98SE with VB6
Win98SE with VB6-SP4
Win98SE with VB6-SP5
Win95B - minimum setup
Win95D - minimum setup
Win98 - minimum setup
Win98SE - minimum setup
Naturally there are many combinations of drives/partitions you could use,
this is just an example.
There are applications that promise more than four primary partitions(32 or
more). I dont recommend such partition applications, I have found such systems
to be unstable. Four operating systems seems to work, I haven't had a glitch in
four years.
Once you've done this once or twice and seen how easy it is, you will never
bother with the tedious task of setting up Win95/98 again. Simply unzip a
previously zipped OS. Helps greatly if infected by virus etc.
or have just destroyed your OS through overuse or incompetence !
Below : Updated 8th May
Before commenting
First, before commenting please read this
article in order to understand exactly what it achieves, how it goes about it,
and it's limitations. I say this in the hope of avoiding some unrelated comments
due to misunderstanding the concept I am putting forward.
Target usage:
Stand-alone PC, with no expensive software
needed for implementation.
What it can do:
Set up an entire operating system on an empty
hard drive in under 5 minutes.
Run multiple OS's on a stand-alone PC without multi-booting. Provide excellent protection/recovery ability
from both virus and hacker. Provide a method of storing many OS's using a
minimum of storage space.
Advantages:
Cheap, simple, flexible, fast, reliable.
Leaves you in total control of your partitions, not some automated process. Very
little time spent in DOS. Results in REAL OS's - not virtual OS's with the
consequent performance losses.
Disadvantages:
Wont backup NT based OS's.
Required:
Some REAL LIFE experience with hard drives and
partitioning. If your knowledge is based on what the books say, please keep an
open mind and think for yourself.
To the doubters:
The system described WORKS, and has been
tested over many years, in many different situations. I am not some kid, I've
been around the block more than a few times.
Warnings:
Compaq users, sorry, not for you. It may work,
but I've heard horror stories.
Please feel free to comment/ask questions.
Below : Updated 9th May
There are a lot of comments on this
submission. here is a summary of comments so far, but please read them in full
as they answer in more detail some of the questions you may have regarding how
to implement the methods I have alluded to in this submission.
Get friends to test apps -
only addresses part of this submissions concept
Use Backup instead of zipping - doesn't
achieve desired results
Be careful how you install multi-boot
systems - this submission has nothing to
do with multi-booting
Zip files are unreliable -
no they're not
Use Norton
Ghost - this submission requires NO
expensive software, and Norton Ghost has a reputation for not working on
everyone's machine, and only addresses part of what this submission can do.
Use 2 computers -
this is for folks with only one computer
Use VMware or other 'Virtual OS' software
- this submission requires NO expensive software, and is
designed for slow and fast machines alike. And like Norton Ghost only addresses
part of what this submission can do.
(9(9 Vote))