x64/x86 vista's on the same harddrive, but both being "C" drive ?

[markm75]

Curious if anyone has found a way to dual boot Vista.. two instances of it..
in my case, one x64, one x86...

Catch here, is that i'd want them to both be "C" drives...

Secondarily.. i have two physical drives with the OS's on em now.. i have
acronis images.. i'd want to find a way to put these two.. onto another big
harddrive if this can be done?

Thanks in advance

 

[andy]

Curious if anyone has found a way to dual boot Vista.. two instances of it..
in my case, one x64, one x86...

Catch here, is that i'd want them to both be "C" drives.

Install each one by booting from the DVD; they will both have C: as
drive letters.
...

 

[markm75]

Install each one by booting from the DVD; they will both have C: as
drive letters.
...

Doesnt vista DVD detect existing instances though.. it always says.. it will
rename the old windows folder to windows.old etc?

Also.. i already have both images fully installed on two seperate
harddrives.. i'd want to dump those files to a single partition somehow (or
two drive letters on the same partition)?

 

[philo]

Doesnt vista DVD detect existing instances though.. it always says.. it will
rename the old windows folder to windows.old etc?

Also.. i already have both images fully installed on two seperate
harddrives.. i'd want to dump those files to a single partition somehow (or
two drive letters on the same partition)?

NO...
I highly advise *never* installing any two different OS's on the same
partition.

If your present HD has only one partition...you need to shrink it and create
another for your 2nd installation.

If you try to install both on the same partition it will be guaranteed
trouble...I assure you!

 

[markm75]

If your present HD has only one partition...you need to shrink it and create
another for your 2nd installation.

If you try to install both on the same partition it will be guaranteed
trouble...I assure you!

I mis typed when i said same partition.. i meant same physical harddrive..

I think i have found the solution to do this (?):

I already have both OS's installed on seperate physical drives..

So i'll take my 500gb drive.. split it into 2 partitions.. then restore the
first Vista (whichever one) to the first partition, establishing the MBR..
then ill restore the second vista to the second partion.. once this is done..
ill boot up to the first partition Vista.. use a boot manager config util ..
edit it.. add the second entry pointing to the second drive letter on the
same physical drive..

Then.. if i'm guessing correctly.. i can boot into either OS (same
harddrive) and have them show up as c:\windows in each case, but be on
seperate partitions on the same disk.

 

[philo]

I mis typed when i said same partition.. i meant same physical harddrive..

I think i have found the solution to do this (?):

I already have both OS's installed on seperate physical drives..

So i'll take my 500gb drive.. split it into 2 partitions.. then restore the
first Vista (whichever one) to the first partition, establishing the MBR..
then ill restore the second vista to the second partion.. once this is done..
ill boot up to the first partition Vista.. use a boot manager config util ...
edit it.. add the second entry pointing to the second drive letter on the
same physical drive..

Then.. if i'm guessing correctly.. i can boot into either OS (same
harddrive) and have them show up as c:\windows in each case, but be on
seperate partitions on the same disk.

As long as both installations are on seperate partitions...it will work.

HOWEVER for both installations to be on a C: drive you will need a boot
manager that has the ability
to create a hidden partition.
I don't know if the Vista boot loader can do that...my *guess* is that you'd
need a 3rd party utility if it can be done at all

 

[Neerav]

u cannot have two 'active' operating systems on the same drive. so only
option left is to have two drives with the letter c: which i think is also
not possible

Neerav