More on drive partitions

[Chris Schumann <whizkid@dwave.net>]

It's time to re-install NT, so I want to finally configure my system
correctly. Specifically, my 8.4GB hard drive.

I want to be able to boot Linux (obviously), WinNT (for work) and Win95
(for games). Up to (and including now), if I put any FAT16 partition on
the big drive (I also have a 2.1GB), Win95 would not boot. Not even from a
recovery disk. The same for DOS.

This may be because the drive appears as 1017/256/63 to DOS and the 256
head thing might be confusing it. Further, LILO thinks the partition table
is invalid and will not install to any boot sector (MBR or any partition),
so it thinks the partitions are wacky as well.

This may be because the drive appears to linux as 16278/16/63.

What's a guy to do? (besides downgrade to a 6.4GB drive, that is)

Do I have to make tiny partitions under the 528MB (1024/16/63) barrier to
boot?

Should I start by trashing my MBR and let DOS partition what it needs
first?

Any ideas would be helpful.

Notes: 1 - I have a Micronics W6-Li motherboard with Phoenix 4.05 BIOS
that claims to support drives up to 8.4GB. There is a BIOS setting called
"Large Disk Access Mode" that I can set to "DOS" or "Other" and seems to
do nothing: RedHat 6.1 boot floppy reports the drive geometry the same in
any case. 

2 - I'd like to use the 8.4 drive as much as possible, even to boot from,
because it is newer, has a larger cache, and should perform better.

3 - It shouldn't matter, but the main spec's on the system are: Dual
200MHz Pentium Pro CPU's. 96MB RAM. 3dfx Voodoo3 2000 PCI video w/ 16MB
RAM. Lots more wacky peripherals: Onboard SB16PnP Vibra sound, Plextor
SCSI CD-ROM and CD-RW drives, Seagate ATAPI tape backup, Umax SCSI
scanner, Yamaha external MIDI tone generator, 3Com 3c905-TX NIC, 3Com 56k
Voice Sportster modem.

Chris Schumann <whizkid@dwave.net>

"Wait a minute, Joe. If what you're saying is true,
then I still don't care." - Dave Nelson, News Radio