Is it possible to run a simple OS on another OS with a floppy disc?

Question

I'm definately sure I heard somewhere you can run a simple OS such as Windows 1.0 on another OS such as Windows 98. How do you do this?

Answer 1

It is possible to boot computers from multiple Operating Systems.

Most modern personal computers will allow booting from one of four devices: Hard Disk (commonly used), CD, Floppy and occasionally Network card(rarely used in non-manufacturing environments). Computers will not boot from memory cards to my knowledge. They are a simulated hard drive and could I suppose, if the firmware would support it. I don';t know any that do

If you have a bootable floppy. It will have a bare bones "kernel" OS that you can boot. That said, the kernel will likely allow the computer to run, but will not do much more than accept command line instructions like DIR and DEL or start an application on the disk. You won't have a driver for the hard drive necessarily, nor the mouse, nor the high end video display or perhaps even the CD.

I have booted old Windows 3.1 disks with a game or utility like Norton Disk doctor. But the use is limited because 10 years ago it did not support modern file formats.

I have also booted Linux this way. Again, the disk file structure may not be accessible and the Windows XP applications are not backward compatible nor readable.

You have the option to install multiple OS to disk and dual boot of course.

Some people partition their hard disks to use a common file system so the files can read from multiple Os's, but that can be risky. It is better to make separate OS systems and file system accessible by network share and share files that way.

Answer 2

Yes
You need a suitable boot disc for your temp OS - eg MS DOS etc.
Change your 'Boot Sequence' in the BIOS settings to
a: c: CDROM
insert you floppy disc and switch on.
The computer will now boot from the floppy.
I did this with a very small Linux image to run my PC as a router - Fresco - i think.

It is more popular to try 'run from disc' OS from CDRoms, in this case, change the boot sequence to CDROM, C: A:

Run from disc OSs can be found on many computer magazines.

Some recovery programs are also designed as boot CDroms - eg Symantec Ghost etc. so that the system can be run even when the hard disc is corrupt.

Hope this helps

David

Answer 3

If the disk was formatted on a different OS to the one that you
require to read it you may have big problems unless it is a boot floppy.

Answer 4

Get something like KNOPIX if you want to run a OS from a CD, it wont let you run it on top of an OS however. Or isntall two OS's and use a dual booth configuration.

Answer 5

no you cannot run windows from a floppy however you can run dos from a floppy simple reason is windows is just to big to be run from a floppy plus you need the windows registry file to be installed on a hard disk as windows saves all its pertinent information to it regarding program settings installed files, behaviors, classes, drivers and so on and on.

Answer 6

the only way i will think of that should happen, could be if the unit grew to become into hardware prioritized as a known. replace the settings on the force via shifting the jumpers on the known/slave selector pins. Or, you have got a force with a DIP swap that should require some changing.

Answer 7

Yes

Answer 8

window 1.0?
wow

agreed - use more like a memory card.
oh god, floopy's... those are still around??? I havent had a floppy drive in over 5 years.

Answer 9

Throw away all floppy disks.

And use something better like a memory card.

Answer 10

No. That's too much info to be stored in a floppy disk.