Partitioning Question

[Marcus]

Hello,

I'm planning to install Vista as a dual boot with my current version of XP.
I am going to make a 40GB partition on my second hard drive, my question is
when I set up my partition should I make it a Boot partition or can I keep
it as an extended partition.

My Main hard drive has 2 partitions C: and D:, if I partition my second hard
drive and I mark the partition for my Vista install as a boot partition does
that mean it will get the letter D: if I make it a boot partition or will it
just take the next drive letter (I know on Windows 98 this was the case)

So ideally this is want I want to do.

Hard drive 1 120Gb
-------------------------
C: For Win XP and all files
D: Back up Drive

Hard Drive 2 80GB
------------------------
E: Back up drive 40GB
F: Windows Vista install 40GB (What shall I set for this partition Boot or
extended)

Thanks

Marcus

 

[Richard Urban]

A primary partition on a second drive will take drive letter D:

Now, if you hide the Windows XP partition "before" you install Vista - and
IF you use a good 3rd party boot manager program which is capable of hiding
the system you are NOT booting into - each system will show up as drive C:
when you boot into the respective operating system.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Rock]

Hello,

I'm planning to install Vista as a dual boot with my current version of
XP. I am going to make a 40GB partition on my second hard drive, my
question is when I set up my partition should I make it a Boot partition
or can I keep it as an extended partition.

My Main hard drive has 2 partitions C: and D:, if I partition my second
hard drive and I mark the partition for my Vista install as a boot
partition does that mean it will get the letter D: if I make it a boot
partition or will it just take the next drive letter (I know on Windows 98
this was the case)

So ideally this is want I want to do.

Hard drive 1 120Gb
-------------------------
C: For Win XP and all files
D: Back up Drive

Hard Drive 2 80GB

It will require a full version of Vista to set up the dual boot.

 

[Mike]

A primary partition on a second drive will take drive letter D:

Now, if you hide the Windows XP partition "before" you install Vista - and
IF you use a good 3rd party boot manager program which is capable of
hiding the system you are NOT booting into - each system will show up as
drive C: when you boot into the respective operating system.

You don't need to bother with "hiding" partitions. Whatever partition you
install Vista to will be C when Vista is booted. I have Vista installed on
the 2nd logical drive of an Extended partition on the 2nd physical drive.
It is drive C when Vista is booted, drive D when XP is booted.

Mike

 

[Richard Urban]

Why would you want a possible infection etc. to contaminate Windows XP on an
unhidden partition.

A 3rd party boot manager allows you to hide the system partition that you
are NOT booted into. Anything that happens to one partition leaves the other
unscathed.

There "are" benefits to boot managers manufactured by others.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Chris]

It will require a full version of Vista to set up the dual boot.

I did a dual boot without a full version. I had already set up a dual
boot XP first, with an older XP upgrade I got for an old computer, and
the current computer's OEM XP.

 

[Rock]

I did a dual boot without a full version. I had already set up a dual
boot XP first, with an older XP upgrade I got for an old computer, and the
current computer's OEM XP.

What I meant was if you have only one XP license, a full version is needed.
You had two.