Dual boot?

[bertieboy]

I'm looking to buy a new desktop. They nearly all come with Vista
pre-installed but I want to dual boot with XPHome and Vista Premium.
I've heard that I would need to remove Vista first before I can instal
XP. Is that because I need to create a partition to take XPHome?
What is the best way to achieve this?
Thanks.

 

[bertieboy]

I'm looking to buy a new desktop. They nearly all come with Vista
pre-installed but I want to dual boot with XPHome and Vista Premium.
I've heard that I would need to remove Vista first before I can instal
XP. Is that because I need to create a partition to take XPHome?
What is the best way to achieve this?
Thanks.

In other words, if I need separate partitions for Vista and XP to dual
boot, what size would you recommend to run Vista Premium on a 320gb SATA
II?

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi,

You will want to read this first.
Dual Booting Windows Vista & Windows XP:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/dualboot.html

Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org

 

[bertieboy]

Hello Bert. This is a whole new can of worms! All I want to do is to
have Vista on a new system so that I can get familiar with it and wait
for my software to become Vista compatible but continue to use XPHome in
the meantime! I'm reasonably competent around computers/software but
with a whole new OS this looks like too much trouble. Suppliers won't
sell me a machine unless it has an OS on it so when I said just send it
with a blank formatted disk I will put XP on it and migrate to Vista at
a later date, but no, they can't do that. How about if I buy the system
with Vista pre-installed then remove it and install a spare copy of
XPHome on it? I will still have the Vista DVD if I want to use it.
I wonder if Microsoft gave any thought to people wanting to do what I'm
trying to do, it seems eminently reasonable to want to dual boot
especially as not all software firms have caught up yet with Vista
compatible products.
Anyway, I'm very grateful to you for pointing this out to me, luckily I
haven't placed the order yet.
Thanks again Bert.

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi,

Another option would be to get a new system with Vista installed and use
Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 to run XP within Vista. It's free.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/virtualpc/default.mspx

Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org

 

[bertieboy]

In message <[email protected]>, Bert Kinney

Hello Bert. Too late! I placed the order for a new desktop yesterday,
but with XP Pro not Vista as I needed to use Edius Pro which (aiui)
doesn't work with Vista. I notice the virtual PC wouldn't allow me to
use Vista Premium with XP Pro anyway, is that right? If so I still can't
try out Vista Premium which is the one I would go for.
But thanks for the insight, I wasn't aware of this. Desktop suppliers
don't seem to have that sort of knowledge when I told them what I was
trying to do, in fact, they weren't really interested, here is the
desktop what OS do you want, take it or leave it!
Regards.

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hello Bert. Too late! I placed the order for a new desktop yesterday,
but with XP Pro not Vista as I needed to use Edius Pro which (aiui)
doesn't work with Vista. I notice the virtual PC wouldn't allow me to
use Vista Premium with XP Pro anyway, is that right?

I don't understand your question. Can you point me to where you found this info?

On older slower systems with little RAM install would most likely not run
Vista in a Virtual PC (VPC), but a new system with Vista installed would run
XP installed in VPC.

If so I still can't
try out Vista Premium which is the one I would go for.
But thanks for the insight, I wasn't aware of this. Desktop suppliers
don't seem to have that sort of knowledge when I told them what I was
trying to do, in fact, they weren't really interested, here is the
desktop what OS do you want, take it or leave it!
Regards.

Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org

 

[bertieboy]

I don't understand your question. Can you point me to where you found
this info?

Hello Bert. I made a mistake there. I was originally going to run Vista
and XP home as a dual boot system, but then decided after reading your
links on how to overcome the problems caused by this that I would forget
Vista and go for XP Pro instead. What I should have said was that XPHome
isn't on the list of supported OS's for use on Virtual PC 2007.
Hope that makes more sense now, my apologies. I might try to alter the
order for my new system from XP Pro back to Vista and use the virtual
PC.
Thank you Bert.

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hello Bert. I made a mistake there. I was originally going to run Vista
and XP home as a dual boot system, but then decided after reading your
links on how to overcome the problems caused by this that I would forget
Vista and go for XP Pro instead. What I should have said was that XPHome
isn't on the list of supported OS's for use on Virtual PC 2007.
Hope that makes more sense now, my apologies. I might try to alter the
order for my new system from XP Pro back to Vista and use the virtual PC.
Thank you Bert.

VPC 2007 will install onto XP Home, it's just not a supported install.

http://snipurl.com/1mbtm
<snip>
when installing VPC 2007,XP Home users get a message that VPC 2007 is not
supported on their host OS.
However, VPC 2007 will then install and will run without issues. The
message just means that the user cannot count on help from MS with problems
they might run into. The same thing happens when Vista Home Basic and Vista
Home Premium users install VPC 2007 on their machines. VPC will run just
fine for them too but they cannot call up Product Support Services for help
if they run into problems.
<snip>

Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org

 

[bertieboy]

VPC 2007 will install onto XP Home, it's just not a supported install.

http://snipurl.com/1mbtm
<snip>
when installing VPC 2007,XP Home users get a message that VPC 2007 is
not supported on their host OS.
However, VPC 2007 will then install and will run without issues. The
message just means that the user cannot count on help from MS with problems
they might run into. The same thing happens when Vista Home Basic and Vista
Home Premium users install VPC 2007 on their machines. VPC will run just
fine for them too but they cannot call up Product Support Services for help
if they run into problems.
<snip>

OK. Its all becoming clearer by the minute! Thanks very much for the
guidance and links on this topic. I confess I had never heard of VPC
2007 until you stepped in and pointed me towards it. I now need to
decide how to move forward.
Much appreciated Bert.
Regards

 

[bertieboy]

OK. Its all becoming clearer by the minute! Thanks very much for the
guidance and links on this topic. I confess I had never heard of VPC
2007 until you stepped in and pointed me towards it. I now need to
decide how to move forward.
Much appreciated Bert.
Regards

Back again! Just a couple more queries please if I may?
I'm getting a Vista ready PC. If I get Vista Premium pre-installed then
run Virtual PC 2007 and instal XPHome onto that (OK, no support) I then
instal the programs I have that are not Vista ready onto XP and Vista
ready progs onto Vista, is that right? I'm having trouble understanding
how this concept works, for example, when I instal XPH, what happens to
all the registry entries, installed programs etc? Are they, if you like
in a 'bubble', separate from Vista?
Does VPC2007 'mount' the XP installation as it is presumably separated
from Vista? I suppose I could try it on my current laptop and instal
Win 98SE on top of XPHome?
I'm really looking for an article that tells me the 'nuts & bolts' of
how this is done, rather that the theory.
Thanks again for your trouble.

 

[Bert Kinney]

Back again! Just a couple more queries please if I may?
I'm getting a Vista ready PC. If I get Vista Premium pre-installed then
run Virtual PC 2007

That should be install VPC 2007 to Vista.

and instal XPHome onto that (OK, no support) I then
instal the programs I have that are not Vista ready onto XP and Vista
ready progs onto Vista, is that right?

Yes. Think of XP and Vista as two different systems. To install applications
into XPH, boot XPH in the virtual environment. You will see what I mean
after booting.

I'm having trouble understanding
how this concept works, for example, when I instal XPH, what happens to
all the registry entries, installed programs etc? Are they, if you like
in a 'bubble', separate from Vista?

When installing XPH into a virtual environment you will be creating a
virtual hard drive. When you boot to XPH you will see the BIOS post go by
just like you were starting up Vista.

Does VPC2007 'mount' the XP installation as it is presumably separated
from Vista?

Yes, the XPH installation will be to it's own virtual hard drive.

I suppose I could try it on my current laptop and instal
Win 98SE on top of XPHome?

Sure, go ahead.

I'm really looking for an article that tells me the 'nuts & bolts' of
how this is done, rather that the theory.

On the following page click on "See the demo".

There are also MS VPC newsgroups available.

Thanks again for your trouble.

You're welcome.

Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org

 

[bertieboy]

snip

That should be install VPC 2007 to Vista.
OK.

Yes. Think of XP and Vista as two different systems. To install
applications into XPH, boot XPH in the virtual environment. You will
see what I mean after booting.
OK.

When installing XPH into a virtual environment you will be creating a
virtual hard drive. When you boot to XPH you will see the BIOS post go
by just like you were starting up Vista.
OK.

Yes, the XPH installation will be to it's own virtual hard drive.
OK.

Sure, go ahead.

snip
Well, I'm between a rock and a hard place right now. I installed VPC2007
and started to create a Win98SE installation. I tried this twice and
both times my laptop crashed (BSOD), which is why I'm buying a new Vista
ready system! The laptop crashes due to overheating causing memory
failures. However, I did see the screens which asked which boot option I
wanted but it crashed just as the 98 instal was starting. I do see what
you mean about the whole concept though and I feel more confident about
it all. I shall wait until I get my XP Pro installed system in a few
days time.
Will I be able to instal Vista into VPC 2007 or will I need to remove XP
Pro and instal Vista, then put XP Pro into VPC? Does it matter which way
round I do it?
I still need to buy Vista (when I can afford it!) so I'm now looking
ahead a couple of months.
Again, my thanks to you.
Regards.

 

[Bert Kinney]

snip
Well, I'm between a rock and a hard place right now. I installed VPC2007
and started to create a Win98SE installation. I tried this twice and
both times my laptop crashed (BSOD), which is why I'm buying a new Vista
ready system! The laptop crashes due to overheating causing memory
failures. However, I did see the screens which asked which boot option I
wanted but it crashed just as the 98 instal was starting. I do see what
you mean about the whole concept though and I feel more confident about
it all. I shall wait until I get my XP Pro installed system in a few
days time.
Will I be able to instal Vista into VPC 2007 or will I need to remove XP
Pro and instal Vista, then put XP Pro into VPC? Does it matter which way
round I do it?

VPC will install on XP Pro and if the system has sufficient disk space and
RAM, Vista should run in VPC.
Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 Product Information:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pr...alpc/overview.mspx?wt_svl=20323a&mg_id=20323b

I still need to buy Vista (when I can afford it!) so I'm now looking
ahead a couple of months.

Install 98 to get use to it.

Again, my thanks to you.

You're very welcome.

Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org