Simple Question

[Pat]

I have a Gateway media center computer that came preloaded with Vista. Well
a lot of my software doesnt work with Vista, Im still using DOS programs.
Anyway my old computer has XP on it. Can I stick the hard drive from it into
the new machine and create a dual boot system??

Pat

 

[Gordon]

I have a Gateway media center computer that came preloaded with Vista. Well
a lot of my software doesnt work with Vista,

And did you RESEARCH that, before you bought your new computer?

 

[Richard G. Harper]

No, it isn't quite that easy. Not only is it quite likely your old hard
drive won't work in your new system, Vista won't let you boot from it
anyway.

 

[Arfur Million]

And did you RESEARCH that, before you bought your new computer?

And how does that help ANSWER the OP's question?

 

[Malke]

I have a Gateway media center computer that came preloaded with Vista.
Well a lot of my software doesnt work with Vista, Im still using DOS
programs. Anyway my old computer has XP on it. Can I stick the hard drive
from it into the new machine and create a dual boot system??

It's a simple question but not a simple answer. The problem is that your XP
was installed on completely different hardware. If you move the hard drive
into another computer, at the very least you would need to do a Repair
Install of XP - which doesn't always work, necessitating a full Clean
Install. And it is much tricksier to install XP after Vista because the
normal way to set up dual (or multiple) boots is to install the older
operating system first. There are also issues with XP wiping out Vista's
System Restore points if you don't use a third-party bootloader to hide the
operating systems from each other.

Then there is the issue of whether there are drivers for XP for your new
Gateway. You'd need to go to Gateway's website for your specific model
machine and see if they offer XP drivers. If they don't, you probably can't
install XP because Gateway may use proprietary hardware; most OEMs do.

A much easier and better solution is to use virtual computing and create a
virtual machine running XP, with Vista as the host operating system. Of
course, you need a license for XP and if the old machine had an OEM license
you'd need to buy a new one. Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 is free. VMware
Workstation is not free, but I prefer it. Because the hardware is
virtualized, it doesn't matter whether Gateway has XP drivers.

If you want to try it your way and Gateway does have XP drivers for your
machine, here are links to help:

Dual Booting Windows Vista & Windows XP -
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/dualboot.html

Install Windows XP On A Machine Already Running Windows Vista (MVP John
Barnett) -
http://vistasupport.mvps.org/install_windows_xp_on_machine_running_vista.htm

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm - Repair Install
How-To
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows - What
you will need on-hand

In the end, the simplest solution might be to 1) see if Gateway will give
you downgrade rights to XP and provide a recovery disk for it if that
machine can run XP; or 2) return the Vista machine and purchase one running
the operating system you need. You can still buy computers with XP
preinstalled.

Malke

 

[Pat]

Thanks Malke,

Really helpful answer. Ill do a little more research and see if I can figure
somthing out.

Pat

 

[Gunner]

Pat wrote:

<snip>
A much easier and better solution is to use virtual computing and create a
virtual machine running XP, with Vista as the host operating system. Of
course, you need a license for XP and if the old machine had an OEM
license
you'd need to buy a new one. Microsoft's Virtual PC 2007 is free. VMware
Workstation is not free, but I prefer it. Because the hardware is
virtualized, it doesn't matter whether Gateway has XP drivers.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
Don't Panic!

That also depends on the Vista version. If he tries to install MS Virtual PC
2007 in a Vista Home Premium system, he will get an error message saying
that Virtual PC 2007 will not work with Vista Home Premium.

 

[Thehb]

That also depends on the Vista version. If he tries to install MS Virtual
PC 2007 in a Vista Home Premium system, he will get an error message
saying that Virtual PC 2007 will not work with Vista Home Premium.

FYI...Not true. It is not "supported" by MS but it will install. I had XP
running with no probs at all.

 

[AlexB]

I want to second this. It is amazing. Some people feel they have an
unalienable right to moralize at the expense of the OPs.

Gordon, you've got very, very bad manners.

 

[AlexB]

"How to make XP / Vista dual-boot Independently, Here's a guide using grldr
the almighty"

MSFN:

http://www.msfn.org/board/XP-Vista-dual-boot-Independently-t98982.html

 

[Malke]

That also depends on the Vista version. If he tries to install MS Virtual
PC 2007 in a Vista Home Premium system, he will get an error message
saying that Virtual PC 2007 will not work with Vista Home Premium.

They've lifted that restriction now. So legally, you're fine to run Virtual
PC 2007 on Vista Home. It worked anyway; it was just the EULA. And VMware
never had the restriction.

Malke

 

[Mick Murphy]

You are a walking, talking JOKE!

 

[Gordon]

And how does that help ANSWER the OP's question?

It doesn't, but surely that would have been COMMON SENSE?

 

[Gordon]

I want to second this. It is amazing. Some people feel they have an
unalienable right to moralize at the expense of the OPs.

Gordon, you've got very, very bad manners.

Not at all - just questioning his total lack of COMMON SENSE....

 

[Arfur Million]

It doesn't, but surely that would have been COMMON SENSE?

Some might have thought it common sense for an upgrade (eg XP to Vista) to
be backward compatible, but that's bye the bye. You may have had a point if
the OP had been complaining about, rather than merely stating, the
incompatibility or if you'd actually tried to answer the question. As it
was, you just came over as being rude and unhelpful, which I'm sure wasn't
your intention.

Regards,
Arfur