How to Convert an Existing Windows 95/DOS Dual-Boot Configuration to a BootIt BM Multi-OS Configuration

These steps will guide you through converting your existing Windows 95/DOS dual-boot configuration to a BootIt BM Multi-OS configuration.

This article assumes that you have installed BootIt BM, created a menu configuration for Windows 95 and can successfully boot the Windows 95 partition as well as use Windows 95 for Dual Boot. It is also assumed that the partition is not FAT32 (DOS will not run under FAT32).

1. Make sure the last boot was with your Windows 95 configuration and that you booted Windows 95 (not DOS), then restart your computer.
   
   
2. At the BootIt BM Boot Menu, click the Maintenance button.
   
   
3. From the BootIt BM desktop, click the Partition Work button.
   
   
4. Highlight the Windows 95/DOS partition from the list and click on Properties.
   
   
5. Enable Multi-OS on the partition by checking the Multi-OS check box.
   
   
6. Click OK to apply the changes.
   
   
7. From the BootIt BM desktop, click the Resume button.
   
   
8. You should notice a new Window 95 entry added to the boot menu.
   
   
9. Boot from the new Windows 95 item to verify that is is working correctly.
   
   
10. Choose the Shutdown and Restart option from Windows 95.
    
    
11. Boot the Windows 95 item again, but as soon as it says Starting Windows 95 quickly press the F8 key to access the Windows 95 Startup Menu.
    
    
12. Choose the Previous Version of DOS option and press Enter.
    
    
13. DOS boots.
    
    
14. Insert a blank diskette into your floppy drive.
    
    
15. From the C: prompt type in FORMAT A: /S and press Enter.
    
    
16. When you return to the C: prompt, copy the external command SYS to the floppy drive. For example, if your DOS directory was DOS then you would type in COPY C:\DOS\SYS.* A:\ and press Enter.
    
    
17. With your DOS diskette in the floppy drive, type in A: and press Enter.
    
    
18. From the A: prompt, type in SYS C: and press Enter.
    
    
19. Remove the diskette from the floppy drive.
    
    
20. Restart your computer (press Ctrl+Alt+Delete).
    
    
21. BootIt BM detects a new operating system and automatically configures a new boot item for DOS.
    
    
22. From the Boot Menu, choose the Windows 95 Boot Configuration, not the DOS configuration that was just created.
    
    
23. After Windows 95 boots, click Start, then Programs, then MS-DOS Prompt (or click Start, then Run, enter command, and click OK).
    
    
24. Type CD \ and press Enter.
    
    
25. Type ATTRIB -H -S -R *.DOS and press Enter.
    
    
26. Type DIR *.DOS and press Enter.
    
    
27. Verify that only 5 files are listed: IO.DOS (or IBMBIO.DOS), MSDOS.DOS, (or IBMDOS.DOS), COMMAND.DOS, AUTOEXEC.DOS, and CONFIG.DOS. If the 5 files listed are correct, you can delete them by typing DEL *.DOS and pressing Enter.
    
    
28. Type EXIT and press Enter to exit the DOS prompt.
    
    

This concludes the Multi-OS setup. It's true that the W40 files could have been deleted earlier instead of the DOS files later.