install an XP partition on a win2k system?

[Guest]

I want migrate *slowly* from win2k pro to XP Home. I expect XP to take
awhile to set up, and wanted to continue using the existing win2k
partition, until the XP is working well. So...I want to install XP on a
separte partiton (same disk) and create a dual boot system. When XP is
finally running well, I want to remove the win2k partition, and have an
XP only machine.

Is this possible? Is it easy?

 

[R. McCarty]

Yes & Yes - the only downside to the process is that XP will use a
non-C:\ letter. If and when you decide to remove 2000, your XP
won't have the traditional C: designation. What you are seeking is
called Dual-Boot(ing). At XP install time, you direct the installation
to the secondary partition. XP will modify Boot.Ini so you can do
a selective start of whichever OS you want to use.

 

[Guest]

thanks for the quick reply. It sounds almost too easy. I've been
reading a few posts about all the problems with this configuration.
Maybe I misunderstood.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

There are no problems with dual booting Win2K and WinXP, lots of people do
it. As long as you have free space available on the drive, simply create a
partition with disk manager (no need to format), and then boot the machine
with the WinXP disk. Run setup and choose the new partition as the
installation target. Setup will create the dual boot manager with ntldr and
boot.ini.

The downsides to this type of setup are when you decide to remove Win2K
altogether. First, as was mentioned, your WinXP install will not be the
traditional C:\, and this you will not be able to change. Also, you will
have to either keep a small remaining C:\ drive as that will still be the
active partition containing the boot files (ntldr, boot.ini, ntdetect.com),
or run the WinXP Recovery Console and rewrite the bootstrap (fixboot D.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Guest]

I was hoping that when it came time to get rid of win2k, I could save
the XP partition as an image, clear C: of win2k (reformat), and install
the XP image onto C:. It's not quite that simple, I guess, but could
this be done without too much trouble?.

 

[R. McCarty]

If you have imaging capability, then just image 2000. Format the
partition and install XP & then Image it. More cumbersome than
a dual-boot but won't end up with the non-C:\ letter designation.
That is unless you must have both OS'es concurrently available.

 

[Anna]

I want migrate *slowly* from win2k pro to XP Home. I expect XP to take
awhile to set up, and wanted to continue using the existing win2k
partition, until the XP is working well. So...I want to install XP on a
separte partiton (same disk) and create a dual boot system. When XP is
finally running well, I want to remove the win2k partition, and have an
XP only machine.

Is this possible? Is it easy?

dspame:
While you can create a multi-boot configuration along the lines described by
R. McCarty and Rick Rogers, let me give you another option to consider...

First of all I'm assuming you're working with a desktop PC. If you're not,
read no further.

Assuming your desktop computer has a vacant 5 1/4" bay that's available,
install a removable HD in that bay. By equipping your computer with a
removable HD you can install a copy of XP on that drive and easily boot to
either of your operating systems. The enormous advantage of this hardware
configuration is that you can easily boot to either HD and the OS on the
removable HD is effectively isolated from the OS on the internal HD when the
removable HD is disconnected. But if for any reason you want both drives
connected during bootup, you can easily achieve that configuration as well
by simply connecting the removable HD. Keep in mind that these
connects/disconnects of the removable HD are accomplished through a simple
turn of the key (see below). It's an ideal system for computing with
different operating systems.

The removable HD is contained in a so-called "mobile rack". These mobile
rack devices are two-piece affairs - the rack itself which is affixed to the
case bay and the inner tray or caddy in which the HD resides. The removable
tray simply slides in & out of the rack. These mobile racks come in
all-aluminum models or a combination of
aluminum-plastic ranging in price from about $15 to $50. Mobile racks come
in various versions, depending upon whether the hard drive to be housed is
an IDE/ATA, SATA, or SCSI device. A Google search for "removable hard drive
mobile racks" will result in a wealth of information on these products and
their vendors.

The installation of these devices is simplicity itself - no more difficult
than installing a CD-ROM. After the rack is affixed to the case, you just
plop the hard drive into the removable tray (caddy), make two simple
connections (power & data cable), and slide the tray into the mobile rack.
Again, please note that the removable hard drive mobile racks we are
discussing are designed to be installed in desktop computers and not laptop
or notebook computers. The size, weight, and design considerations of
laptops/notebooks do not allow for this hardware configuration.

These mobile racks are nearly always equipped with a ON-OFF keylock, so a
simple turn of the key, in effect, activates the HD. For added security you
can push or pull the removable tray in or out using the tray's handle and
thus electrically/physically connect or disconnect the HD from the system.
No more difficult than opening or closing a small desk drawer.

Assuming, as in your case, you would be working with one internal HD and one
removable HD (and I'm further assuming the drives are PATA ones), you would
connect your internally-installed HD as Secondary Master and the removable
HD as Primary Master so that

Another significant advantage of using removable HDs is that now you can
have an *unlimited* (unlimited!) number of HDs at your disposal by simply
using additional removable trays to house the drives. And this hardware
configuration lends itself to creating & maintaining an effective backup
system through the use of having additional removable trays that can contain
additional HDs for backup purposes, if so desired.

We've worked with these removable hard drive affairs for more than five
years now and we find this hardware arrangement a most desirable
configuration for many desktop PC users. Actually, we prefer to equip
desktop computers which we build or service with *two* removable hard drives
for the added flexibility you gain from that arrangement. We've encountered
no negative performance issues using these devices in comparison with
internally-installed HDs and find the basic flexibility and peace of mind
you achieve with this configuration an enormous advantage over
internally-installed hard drives.
Anna

 

[Anna]

ADDENDUM TO MY PREVIOUS POST...
I left off a necessary phrase. See below for the addition (in uppercase)...
Anna

dspame:
While you can create a multi-boot configuration along the lines described
by R. McCarty and Rick Rogers, let me give you another option to
consider...

First of all I'm assuming you're working with a desktop PC. If you're not,
read no further.

Assuming your desktop computer has a vacant 5 1/4" bay that's available,
install a removable HD in that bay. By equipping your computer with a
removable HD you can install a copy of XP on that drive and easily boot to
either of your operating systems. The enormous advantage of this hardware
configuration is that you can easily boot to either HD and the OS on the
removable HD is effectively isolated from the OS on the internal HD when
the removable HD is disconnected. But if for any reason you want both
drives connected during bootup, you can easily achieve that configuration
as well by simply connecting the removable HD. Keep in mind that these
connects/disconnects of the removable HD are accomplished through a simple
turn of the key (see below). It's an ideal system for computing with
different operating systems.

The removable HD is contained in a so-called "mobile rack". These mobile
rack devices are two-piece affairs - the rack itself which is affixed to
the case bay and the inner tray or caddy in which the HD resides. The
removable tray simply slides in & out of the rack. These mobile racks come
in all-aluminum models or a combination of aluminum-plastic ranging in
price from about $15 to $50. Mobile racks come in various versions,
depending upon whether the hard drive to be housed is an IDE/ATA, SATA, or
SCSI device. A Google search for "removable hard drive mobile racks" will
result in a wealth of information on these products and their vendors.

The installation of these devices is simplicity itself - no more difficult
than installing a CD-ROM. After the rack is affixed to the case, you just
plop the hard drive into the removable tray (caddy), make two simple
connections (power & data cable), and slide the tray into the mobile rack.
Again, please note that the removable hard drive mobile racks we are
discussing are designed to be installed in desktop computers and not
laptop or notebook computers. The size, weight, and design considerations
of laptops/notebooks do not allow for this hardware configuration.

These mobile racks are nearly always equipped with a ON-OFF keylock, so a
simple turn of the key, in effect, activates the HD. For added security
you can push or pull the removable tray in or out using the tray's handle
and thus electrically/physically connect or disconnect the HD from the
system. No more difficult than opening or closing a small desk drawer.

Assuming, as in your case, you would be working with one internal HD and
one removable HD (and I'm further assuming the drives are PATA ones), you
would connect your internally-installed HD as Secondary Master and the
removable

HD as Primary Master so that YOU COULD DIRECTLY BOOT TO YOUR INTERNAL HD
WHEN THE REMOVABLE HD IS DISCONNECTED (KEYLOCK "OFF") AND BOOT TO THE OS ON
THE REMOVABLE HD WHEN THAT DRIVE IS CONNECTED (KEYLOCK "ON").

 

[Guest]

I'd like to be able to boot both, till the XP is ready. When ready, I
was hoping to image the XP, empty C: of win2k, put XP on C:, and boot
XP on C: as if it were originally installed there (after tweaking
boot.ini, and the XP boot programs).

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Nope, won't work. There are way too many pointers in the registry and system
files to make that sort of migration. The only way for it to be on C: is to
be installed there to begin with.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Good suggestion.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Andy]

I want migrate *slowly* from win2k pro to XP Home. I expect XP to take
awhile to set up, and wanted to continue using the existing win2k
partition, until the XP is working well. So...I want to install XP on a
separte partiton (same disk) and create a dual boot system. When XP is
finally running well, I want to remove the win2k partition, and have an
XP only machine.

Is this possible? Is it easy?

1. Use Windows 2000 Disk Management to create another primary
partition, and make it active.
2. Install XP in the new active primary partition, which setup should
designate as C.
3. Use Windows XP Disk Managment to make the old (Win2K) primary
partition active.
4. Boot Windows 2000; copy Window XP versions of ntdetect.com and
ntldr to Windows 2000 partition; add the XP partition information to
boot.ini.