Example: DOS, Windows 98 SE, Windows XP and Windows 7 on one hard drive, besides multiple Linux instances.

Would the second primary partition, that would be allocated for Windows 98, have to be made hidden before XP and Win7 were installed? Or is there another way around it?

I'm taking the old Multiboot with GRUB Mini HOWTO into account.

The procedure I'm considering is hiding the respective partitions with Grub1 before chainloading onto the install floppies for Windows 98 and Windows XP. Windows 7, that I am aware of, does not have a floppy image available to then load up the DVD, nor can you chainload an optical disc from Grub after (un)hiding the partitions.

Now that I come to think of it, is (un)hiding persistence from one hardware boot to the next?

saikee, I've been reading up on more than 10 threads you've started over the years trying to figure this last part out. Thanks for all the valuable contribution you've given to anyone trying to untangle the multi-boot mess, you are indeed a guru on this topic.