In message , Me
writes:
[]
Is this officially OK?

I had thought of this but wondered if. somewhere in the code
of an AV program running under XP, it might do something to
the files, in the process of fixing a virus, that might work
under XP but not under 98 and crash a 98 system?

Good point, which I hadn't thought of. You'd probably, to be safe, need
to run the AV in "ask but don't automatically fix" mode - though several
of them seem reluctant to operate in such a mode, thinking they know
best.

Is it necessary to use a dual boot system? Could this be
done equally done connected to an XP system via an ethernet
or USB connection?

Well, not all files might be accessible to such a remote system, but
even if they are, I'd say the main reason for not doing so is the time:
a full scan takes long enough as it is, without having to squirt all the
files over such a connection. But if it does work and you're willing to
leave (two machines) on overnight, fair enough.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

When I am working on a problem I never think about beauty. I only think about
how to solve the problem. But when I have finished, if the solution is not
beautiful, I know it is wrong.
-R. Buckminster Fuller, engineer, designer, and architect (1895-1983)