Linux and Windows 98 + 2000

I've just downloaded Linux Madrake 9 but before I install it I just wanted to check a couple of things.

• I have a dual boot already with Windows 98 and 2000 I assume it's alright to install Mandrake along side them both?
• When I installed Mandrake 8.2 before and then defragged in Windows Madrake became unbootable. I've just read that you can install the bootloader either on the MBR or another part of the HDD, and that if you don't install it on the MBR it is less likely that Windows will wipe the boot loader. Is that true, and if so how do I do it?

I'm not sure about mandrake, but with RedHat I did it. It was an interesting process that I don't remeber every command line paramater for, but you back up your MBR as it is now. Install linux, back that up into a different file. then copy that onto your windows partition. Then you get out your 2k emergency disk and recover your mbr. After all that you can edit the boot.ini and make an option that points to the file you made of the linux mbr. If you dig through the HOWTO's there should be an article on it.. maybe it was a MINI-HOWTO.. Good luck :)

Alright I'll give it a go tomorrow probably, thanks for the advice.