Dual boot Vista now, want XP also?

[Bob]

I have Vista as the OS now but want to install XP also. I have Vista on
C: and will put XP on H: is there a tutorial on how to do this or
anything else I could use to get this accomplished. Thank You for any help.

Bob

 

[Nepatsfan]

I have Vista as the OS now but want to install XP also. I have Vista on C: and
will put XP on H: is there a tutorial on how to do this or anything else I
could use to get this accomplished. Thank You for any help.

Bob

Take a look at these articles for more info.

Courtesy of John Barnett, MS-MVP
Install Windows XP On A Machine Already Running Windows Vista
http://vistasupport.mvps.org/install_windows_xp_on_machine_running_vista.htm

How to dual boot Vista and XP (with Vista installed first) -- the step-by-step
guide
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_vista_and_xp_with_vista_installed_first__the_stepbystep_guide.htm

Install Windows XP in a Dual Boot with Pre-installed Windows Vista
http://www.pronetworks.org/forum/about88231.html

If you're looking for more help on this subject, you might want to post your
question to the microsoft.public.windows.vista.general newsgroup.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Nonny]

I have Vista as the OS now but want to install XP also. I have Vista on
C: and will put XP on H: is there a tutorial on how to do this or
anything else I could use to get this accomplished. Thank You for any help.

Are C and H partitions on the same disk, or is H on a different disk?

If H is on a different disk, and if you can choose which disk to boot
from in your computer's BIOS there is no need to setup a dual boot.

You merely boot to H, install XP there, and when you want to run
Vista, you reset the boot order during a restart.

 

[Bob I]

Take your pick from the links here
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=dual+boot+Vista+and+XP

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Are C and H partitions on the same disk, or is H on a different disk?

If H is on a different disk, and if you can choose which disk to boot
from in your computer's BIOS there is no need to setup a dual boot.

You merely boot to H, install XP there, and when you want to run
Vista, you reset the boot order during a restart.

Although if he has the two operating system on two different drives,
what you suggest is true, and there's no *need* to set up a dual-boot
system, most people would still find it easier to do so.

It's considerably easier to be automatically given a boot menu and
choose which operating system you want, than to have to go into the
BIOS setup program to change it each time.

 

[Dave Cohen]

Take your pick from the links here
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=dual+boot+Vista+and+XP

Another option is to invest (a very modest investment at that) in
bootitng from www.terabyteunlimited.com. I have no connection with them
but have been using the product for years. It manages partitioning,
imaging and support for multi-os, with an excellent ng for any questions.
This takes all the hassle out of the process and dependency on what os's
you have installed.
I have heard that there can be a problem finding suitable drivers if the
machine came with vista installed but can't comment further, it's
probably something you will have to determine by trying it.
Dave Cohen

 

[Nonny]

Although if he has the two operating system on two different drives,
what you suggest is true, and there's no *need* to set up a dual-boot
system, most people would still find it easier to do so.

It's considerably easier to be automatically given a boot menu and
choose which operating system you want, than to have to go into the
BIOS setup program to change it each time.

But if you decide to get rid of one of the two, you have to deal with
editing the boot.ini or some other file. PLUS there is a problem (or
so I was told) about Vista (or XP) losing its restore points when the
other OS was booted.

Workarounds were quite the topic for several days over that problem
when I asked about dual-booting a month or so ago.

I like my solution better. It's not a problem to switch the boot
order. Hardly more difficult than choosing from a menu at bootup.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have Vista as the OS now but want to install XP also. I have Vista on
C: and will put XP on H: is there a tutorial on how to do this or
anything else I could use to get this accomplished. Thank You for any help.

Bob

Normally, the older OS must be installed first unless you wish to
acquire and use some 3rd-party partition and boot management utility.
(In which case you have to follow the instructions provided by whatever
3rd party solution you select.) However, this KB Article (not for the
faint of heart or technically-challenged) explains how to repair the
Vista boot process after installing WinXP:

Windows Vista no longer starts after you install an earlier version of
the Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529

Before proceeding:

First and foremost, if the specific computer model in question was
designed specifically for Vista, there may well be no WinXP-specific
device drivers available to make the computer's diverse components work
properly. If this proves to be the case , installing WinXP in a virtual
machine would be your best option, anyway. Consult the computer's
manufacturer about the availability of device drivers. Secondly, adding
another OS might void any and all support agreements and, sometimes,
even the warranty. Again, consult the computer's manufacturer for
specifics.

Dual-booting is no longer necessary in a great many situations. Why
not download a Virtual Machine application, such as Microsoft's
VirtualPC 2007 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp?) or
Innotek's VirtualBox (http://www.virtualbox.org/) and run Win2K and your
legacy applications within a virtual computer. Both are free and work
with Vista.

NOTE: Microsoft does not support the use of VirtualPC 2007 on Vista
Home editions, but several people have reported that it works. Your
results may vary.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Although if he has the two operating system on two different drives,
what you suggest is true, and there's no *need* to set up a dual-boot
system, most people would still find it easier to do so.

It's considerably easier to be automatically given a boot menu and
choose which operating system you want, than to have to go into the
BIOS setup program to change it each time.

That's true, it's a little faster. But "each time" means each time that
you *change* which OS boots. If you boot the same OS 90% of the
time, it actually reduces the amount of time used on deciding and booting
because there's no choice to indicate after the 1st time in a series of the
same OS bootup, and there's no default waiting time if you habitually go
for the default OS. Additionally, installation is much easier for XP since
you don't have to download and install and know how to use and then to
properly command EasyBCD or VistaBootPro or Vista's command line
inputs to add the XP installtion to Vista's BCD file. IOW, dual-booting
by using the BIOS for OSes on separate drives is more fool-proof - both
in setting it up and in taking it down.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Nonny]

That's true, it's a little faster. But "each time" means each time that
you *change* which OS boots. If you boot the same OS 90% of the
time, it actually reduces the amount of time used on deciding and booting
because there's no choice to indicate after the 1st time in a series of the
same OS bootup, and there's no default waiting time if you habitually go
for the default OS. Additionally, installation is much easier for XP since
you don't have to download and install and know how to use and then to
properly command EasyBCD or VistaBootPro or Vista's command line
inputs to add the XP installtion to Vista's BCD file. IOW, dual-booting
by using the BIOS for OSes on separate drives is more fool-proof - both
in setting it up and in taking it down.

It's especially nice when the two drives are in mobile racks 8-D

 

[Timothy Daniels]

Another option is to invest (a very modest investment at that) in bootitng
from www.terabyteunlimited.com. I have no connection
with them but have been using the product for years. It manages
partitioning, imaging and support for multi-os, with an excellent ng
for any questions. This takes all the hassle out of the process and
dependency on what os's you have installed.

Terabyte Unlimited's BootIT-NG is one of the best commercial
mult-booting utilities, and it's one of the few which can accommodate
Vista's new partitioning scheme*. But what to some people could be
one of the most valuable features is the ability to hide unused partitions
from the running OS. This allows Vista and XP/2K not to conflict in
their Restore Point files. For some people, this is a non-issue because
they backup their files onto archival media periodically and frequently,
but for some it could be important.

*Vista offsets its Primary partitions by 2,048 sectors (1MB) starting
from the beginning of the hard disk, and its logica drives 2,048
sectors from the start of the Extended partition. From reading
McTavish's website, this can cause grief when mixing partitioning utilities,
especially in the case of adding and deleting logical drives (i.e. logical
partitions) from and Extended partition. (See: "Vista's New Partitioning
Rules" at http://www.multibooters.co.uk/partitions.html . Also read:
"The partition that hosts Windows Vista may disappear if you use
Windows XP to create a partition on a computer that has both
Windows XP and Windows Vista installed" at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931854 .)

*TimDaniels*

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

That's true, it's a little faster. But "each time" means each time that
you *change* which OS boots. If you boot the same OS 90% of the
time, it actually reduces the amount of time used on deciding and booting
because there's no choice to indicate after the 1st time in a series of the
same OS bootup, and there's no default waiting time if you habitually go
for the default OS. Additionally, installation is much easier for XP since
you don't have to download and install and know how to use and then to
properly command EasyBCD or VistaBootPro or Vista's command line
inputs to add the XP installtion to Vista's BCD file. IOW, dual-booting
by using the BIOS for OSes on separate drives is more fool-proof - both
in setting it up and in taking it down.

*TimDaniels*

It's also the EASIEST way to screw up a dual-boot installation,
especially for novices.

I always advise against using a non-Microsoft-supported means of
dual-booting their OSes. This advice includes NOT using third-party
boot managers.

The BEST, and SAFEST way to dual-boot between XP and Vista is to do
what Microsoft advises: Install XP first, then install Vista. In that
way, a boot-menu will be automatically created, and there will be no
need to use EasyBCD or VistaBootPro.

If one backs up his personal data and downloaded program installers to
an external drive, there is little trouble involved in re-installing
their dual-boot the PROPER way.


Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original newsgroup and thread.
========================================================

 

[Pablo]

It's also the EASIEST way to screw up a dual-boot installation,
especially for novices.

I always advise against using a non-Microsoft-supported means of
dual-booting their OSes. This advice includes NOT using third-party
boot managers.

The BEST, and SAFEST way to dual-boot between XP and Vista is to do
what Microsoft advises: Install XP first, then install Vista. In that
way, a boot-menu will be automatically created, and there will be no
need to use EasyBCD or VistaBootPro.

If one backs up his personal data and downloaded program installers to
an external drive, there is little trouble involved in re-installing
their dual-boot the PROPER way.


Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original newsgroup and thread.
========================================================

That is not always possible with Vista preinstalled. I've used VistaBootPro
myself. It's safe and simple.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

It's also the EASIEST way to screw up a dual-boot installation,
especially for novices.

I always advise against using a non-Microsoft-supported means of
dual-booting their OSes. This advice includes NOT using third-party
boot managers.

The BEST, and SAFEST way to dual-boot between XP and Vista
is to do what Microsoft advises: Install XP first, then install Vista. In
that way, a boot-menu will be automatically created, and there will
be no need to use EasyBCD or VistaBootPro.

If one backs up his personal data and downloaded program installers
to an external drive, there is little trouble involved in re-installing their
dual-boot the PROPER way.


Donald L McDaniel

To the contrary, using the BIOS to switch the boot hard drive
does not involve setting up any boot manager software at all, and
neither does it involve taking down (resetting) any boot manager
software when one wants to revert to single-boot. It has nothing
to do with Microsoft or any 3rd-party software, and by using a
standard feature of the BIOS, it is entirely "proper".

*TimDaniels*