it either 1,2,3 or 4
There's no hard limit on the number of operating systems you can install. The limit will be dictated by the number of operating systems that support your hardware and the amount of space on your hard drive(s).
Yes. Operating systems can read any hard drive (as long as the drive is not corrupt)
Reformat the hard drive Reformat the hard drive
The hard drive has to be partitioned into at least two drives. Each can be loaded with a separate bootable operating system.
Hard drive encryption can provide extra protection beyond the protection that system passwords gives. In order to encrypt ones hard drive, one can use a free tool like TrueCrypt for Windows operating systems or FileVault for Mac operating systems.
As with all Microsoft Operating systems, they can support a maximium of 23 drive letters. This is excepting A & B for the floppy drives (old DOS support) and C for the first primary hard drive.
2 primary, 1active, i extended, 3 logical
Requires that a special program be loaded into your boot sector. Try System Partitioner. Most operating systems allow you to partition your hard drive; you do not need additional software to partition your hard drive. TIP: Make the sizes markedly different so that it is easier to recognize which drive is which. Once you have partitioned your hard drive you effectively have two hard drives (or more if you want to). You can load one operating system on one drive and the second on the other.
Yes it is, it is built into the computer and stores operating systems, programmes and data.
Drive 'c' is the hard drive that the operating systems (Windows XP/ Vista/ Win 7 etc) is stored.
NTFS
The purpose of a virtual hard drive is to allow multiple operating systems to be on one machine. There are a number of benefits of having a virtual hard drive such as for backup and restore is one of the systems is infected with a virus or the accidental deletion of a specific file.