I know there has been extensive tuts written on OS's, Iv browsed through some of them, but I write this so I can get answers that are situation specific.

I have 2 harddrives - (1) 9.5gb and (2) 200gb - (1) has Windows XP's system and utils etc. (2) is partitioned into 3 parts. - ( d: ) 100gb for windows file and folder storage, ( g: ) 50gb unformatted, wanted to hold a *nix OS and ( h: ) 50gb unformatted, wanted to hold MAC OS.

(I have had a recent problem that would have caused me to lose all my files and data if not for backing it all up, and since I have decided to learn as much about different OS's as possible).

At the moment Im DLing Linux slackware installation CD's and they're DLing to a folder in ( d: ).

I'm assuming that once I start to install slackware it will ask me what partition to put it on. Is this correct??
Also, I was reading about slackware and it said that it needed to be installed on a FAT32 formatted partition. I went to Admin. Tools --> Computer Management --> Disk Management and when I right click on one of the unformatted partitions and click format it only gives me the option for NTFS formatting.

My knowledge is internet and software based, and I have only a 'survival and minor maintenence' knowledge of OS's and hardware.
I'm really not sure how to go about meeting my desired end result and I was hoping that given the above situation if someone could step-by-step me through this so I don't muck anything up.

Pre-thanks to all respondents...................