Installing Windows Server "ON TOP" of XP Home

[janefield2002]

Hi, I have a version of XP Home (that I already use actively) running
on C drive, but I do not have a partition, so there is no D driver. Now
I need to test out some software that requires Windows Server (I think
all server flavours are ok) and I want to be able to use this in the
LEAST disruptive way.

Can I simply install it on XP Home?
Would Windows Advanced Server work? .. or would I need Windows Server
2003?
Can I avoid formatting the hard disk and starting from scratch?

Let me know.

Thanks!

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Seeing that hard disks are so cheap these days,
the simplest and cleanest solution would be to
pop in another disk for your tests. Anything else
would cause more work or damage your
existing installation.

 

[Ron Sommer]

What size is your current drive?
You have only one partition, C.

 

[David Candy]

Just install it in a different folder to XP. The last made OS needs to be installed last or used to repair the boot files (any version boots all previous versions), so install 2003 if you can choose.

This will cause minor problems (extra dialogs etc) as they fight over who owns some installed programs.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Installing two different versions of Windows on the same
partition is not recommended and is likely to cause problems
with some applications, because they share the same
application directory (\Program Files). The OP wishes
to leave his existing WinXP installation intact. With this
method he won't.


"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
Just install it in a different folder to XP. The last made OS needs to be
installed last or used to repair the boot files (any version boots all
previous versions), so install 2003 if you can choose.

This will cause minor problems (extra dialogs etc) as they fight over who
owns some installed programs.

 

[David Candy]

It doesn't matter. The problems are minor. I always do it this way. To remove. Select the directory and press delete. This person most likely is doing exam or testbed. It's fine and smart thing to do in this scenario. Easy to install and easy to remove. If you can do without wordpad (from memory the main source of extra dialogs) you can't tell. Apps don't tend to get installed on server.

 

[janefield2002]

What size is your current drive?
You have only one partition, C.

40GB - any thoughts

 

[Ron Sommer]

How much free space do you have?
You need 20% free space on C:.
I would resize C: and leave enough unpartitioned space to create another
partition.
If your hard drive is almost full, then you need to get another drive.

BootIt Next Generation ( http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/ ) is shareware,
not freeware, but it comes with a 30-day free trial, and you can do what
you want within that time.

Download, to its own folder, extract from the zip, run the bootitng to
make a boot floppy.

Boot the floppy, Cancel Install, entering maintenance, then click on
Partition work.

http://www.heffy.com/image.htm
Right click on Creating new Partitions, Save As, and save to your hard
drive.
This demonstrates the use of Bootit NG to redo a partition size and add 2
partitions.
You only need to add one partition, just skip adding the 5000 MB partition.

 

[Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE]

40GB - any thoughts

Buy a new hard drive. They're cheap.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE
Please respond in Newsgroup only. Do not send email
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Protect your PC
http://www.microsoft.com./athome/security/protect/default.aspx
http://defendingyourmachine.blogspot.com/

 

[janefield2002]

This feedback was very helpful. Another issue popped up - I do not have
windows server 2003, but windows 2000 server. When i put it i n my cd
drive it says "your current version (windows xp home) is newer than the
version you are trying to install" ... so it is not possible. If I
create a partition, would I still have this problem?

Thanks!

 

[David Candy]

You get the message because you are trying to upgrade existing windows. Install in a new directory.

 

[Ron Sommer]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;283433

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/r1035582417

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/administration/management/mltiboot.asp

 

[janefield2002]

Thanks, Ron. I downloaded Bootit. Problem is, my laptop does not come
with a floppy disk!! (But there is a CD burner). That should be ok?

 

[janefield2002]

Thanks, Ron. I downloaded Bootit. Problem is, my laptop does not come
with a floppy disk!! (But there is a CD burner). That should be ok?

 

[janefield2002]

Thanks, Ron. I downloaded Bootit. Problem is, my laptop does not come
with a floppy disk!! (But there is a CD burner). That should be ok?

 

[janefield2002]

Thanks, David. But I still do not understand. What do you mean by
install in a new directory? When I click setup.exe, it says setup is
disabled because it is an older verion of windows (I am installing win
2000 server on top of an EXISTING version of XP home). I cant even get
to the setup program, so I do not even reach the point of "specifying"
a new directory. Please help. Thanks

 

[Ron Sommer]

The XP burner software will not burn a bootable CD.
After unzipping the bootitng.zip file, the bootitng folder will have
bootitng.iso.
Download this utility from bootitng so you can burn the iso file.
http://www.bootitng.com/downloads/makedisk.zip

 

[David Candy]

Boot from CD and it will ask where to install it.