XP -AND- VISTA ?

[Kris]

Hi, Been running XP Pro since RC1. Would like to play with Vista, w/o
initially committing to it. Can I have an XP partition and a Vista
Partition on the same spindle? on different spindles? such that neither
touches the other? or do I really need a separate box? or a boot-up that
hides the other partition...?

tia!

 

[Steve Easton]

You can install Vista on a different partition on the same drive, or you can install it on a second drive.
Either way it will operate as a dual boot system and you will have the option to select Vista or XP when you
boot the machine.

I have had my machine set up with XP Pro and Vista Ultimate on a separate drives and it works just fine.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that when you boot to XP it will wipe out the restore points for Vista

 

[John Barnes]

Therefore you need your final option -boot-up that hides the other partition
if you care about Vista restore points and shadow copies.

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

Hi, Been running XP Pro since RC1. Would like to play with Vista, w/o
initially committing to it. Can I have an XP partition and a Vista
Partition on the same spindle? on different spindles? such that neither
touches the other? or do I really need a separate box? or a boot-up
that
hides the other partition...?

Yes, you can out them both on different partitions on the same drive, but it
would be better to use different drives. If your BIOS allows you to press a
function key during POST, to select a drive to boot from, it would be a neat
solution.

But there is an issue where XP deletes the Vista's System Restore and Volume
Shadow Copy information when it sees the Vista partition, IIRC.

Because of this, it is best to use a boot manager which can hide certain
partitions/drives when you boot into a certain OS. If you have Acronis Disk
Director Suite, this come with a good boot manager. I only have experience
with that, and the one that came with the old Partition Magic program.
There are others, including freeware ones, but you will have to get advice
on that from somebody else.

ss.

 

[Quaoar]

Therefore you need your final option -boot-up that hides the other
partition if you care about Vista restore points and shadow copies.

Hi, Been running XP Pro since RC1. Would like to play with Vista, w/o
initially committing to it. Can I have an XP partition and a Vista
Partition on the same spindle? on different spindles? such that neither
touches the other? or do I really need a separate box? or a boot-up
that
hides the other partition...?

tia!

I do not understand: my dual boot: XP first, Vista second, installed the
Vista boot manager that selects, normally, Vista as the default OS, with
Other OS as an option. The boot manager default can be changed in
Vista's device manager.

There is no interaction, whatsoever, between the files on either OS when
one is booted. It works like Windows and Linux.

Q

 

[DanS]

Go down to the local PC shop and a play with one of their machines...
I'm sure they would be happy to demo it for you.

That is meaningless. You need to have Vista to use to become used to it, to
see if you even like it.

 

[John Barnes]

Ignorance is bliss.

Therefore you need your final option -boot-up that hides the other
partition if you care about Vista restore points and shadow copies.



I do not understand: my dual boot: XP first, Vista second, installed the
Vista boot manager that selects, normally, Vista as the default OS, with
Other OS as an option. The boot manager default can be changed in Vista's
device manager.

There is no interaction, whatsoever, between the files on either OS when
one is booted. It works like Windows and Linux.

Q

 

[PNutts]

That is meaningless. You need to have Vista to use to become used to it, to

see if you even like it.

As opposed to, say, test driving a new car?

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

Ignorance is bliss.

LOL

ss.

 

[DanS]

As opposed to, say, test driving a new car?

Opposed ? Nope. You should do the same thing when buying a new car as well.
You should rent the same model for the weekend and do as much driving as
you can.

Being out $129 once is a lot better than paying $400/month for 60 months
for a vehicle you end up not liking.

 

[NoStop]

Ignorance is bliss.

Which explains why the Vista Fanboys call Vista the best OS ever.

Cheers.

--
What does Bill Gates use?
http://tinyurl.com/2zxhdl

Proprietary Software: a 20th Century software business model.

Be Afraid ... Be Very Afraid ... of Francis' RELATIVES!

Frank, hard at work on his Vista computer all day:
http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/compost.htm

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi, Been running XP Pro since RC1. Would like to play with Vista, w/o
initially committing to it. Can I have an XP partition and a Vista
Partition on the same spindle? on different spindles? such that neither
touches the other? or do I really need a separate box? or a boot-up that
hides the other partition...?

tia!

WinXP and Vista can easily be dual-booted, provided each is installed
to its own separate partition or physical drive. Normally, the older OS
(WinXP, in this case) must be installed first unless you wish to acquire
and use some 3rd-party partition and boot management utility. (In which
case you have to follow the instructions provided by whatever 3rd party
solution you select.)

However, dual-booting is no longer necessary in most situations. Why
not download a Virtual Machine application, such as Microsoft's
VirtualPC 2007 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp?) or
Innotek's VirtualBox (http://www.virtualbox.org/) and run WinXP and your
legacy applications within a virtual computer? Both are free and work
with Vista. (Caveat: Microsoft does not support the use of VirtualPC
2007 on Vista Home editions, but several people have reported that it
works just fine.) The commercial product VMWare is another alternative.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Kris]

Therefore you need your final option -boot-up that hides the other partition
if you care about Vista restore points and shadow copies.

Thanks to all! John, can you recommend bootup programs that would do that?
(hide the other partition). I am licensed for Acr DD11 but have not looked
at the boot mgr. I have used OSL2000 in the past but I don't think it
hides partitions automatically.

I guess to start this off, I would have to use Paragon PM CD to hide the XP
partition and then install Vista, so Vista wouldn't use any info from XP
during its install. And would think it was C: .

Yes, I could change the spindle boot order, but that's a pita and it
doesn't hide the other partition.

Any other thoughts appreciated! ( I have most of the trolls plonked!!!

 

[Kris]

You can install Vista on a different partition on the same drive, or you can install it on a second drive.
Either way it will operate as a dual boot system and you will have the option to select Vista or XP when you
boot the machine.

I have had my machine set up with XP Pro and Vista Ultimate on a separate drives and it works just fine.

One thing to keep in mind though, is that when you boot to XP it will wipe out the restore points for Vista

restore points for Vista? as in those things that it creates so that you
can go back to a previous restore point? Any similarity to XP's system
restore? With XP, the first thing I do is shut that off and rely on
Acronis TI 11 and make images every so often so that when (not if) I blow
it, I just restore a previous Acr TI image and don't lose too much. I also
get around XP restore not quite working occasionally... Or am I badly off
the path here?
tia!!!

 

[Kris]

WinXP and Vista can easily be dual-booted, provided each is installed
to its own separate partition or physical drive. Normally, the older OS
(WinXP, in this case) must be installed first unless you wish to acquire
and use some 3rd-party partition and boot management utility. (In which
case you have to follow the instructions provided by whatever 3rd party
solution you select.)

However, dual-booting is no longer necessary in most situations. Why
not download a Virtual Machine application, such as Microsoft's
VirtualPC 2007 (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.asp?) or
Innotek's VirtualBox (http://www.virtualbox.org/) and run WinXP and your
legacy applications within a virtual computer? Both are free and work
with Vista. (Caveat: Microsoft does not support the use of VirtualPC
2007 on Vista Home editions, but several people have reported that it
works just fine.) The commercial product VMWare is another alternative.

Interesting idea, Bruce (VM), but my machine is my HDTV and my home
theater, and some things just like to be truly native! I think I need to
look for something that will dual boot and hide the alternate partition. I
am also just realizing that I will not be able to share My Documents, but
give each it's own; also with the Tbird mail files. I wonder if I would
run into any "ownership" issues?

 

[TomV]

Interesting idea, Bruce (VM), but my machine is my HDTV and my home
theater, and some things just like to be truly native! I think I need to
look for something that will dual boot and hide the alternate partition. I
am also just realizing that I will not be able to share My Documents, but
give each it's own; also with the Tbird mail files. I wonder if I would
run into any "ownership" issues?

Here's a couple of guides to get you started with a dual boot configuration:

http://apcmag.com/5023/dual_booting_xp_with_vista

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877_11-6157570.html

 

[On the Bridge!]

yes thats what he means, and if you use acronis you can keep using acronis
and not worry a bit!

 

[John Barnes]

If you prefer to use Acronis to make frequent backups as you do with XP then
you don't have to worry about hiding your drive. Vista makes backups of many
files, known as shadow copies, that can also be restored on the fly. It is
totally a matter of choice.

 

[Tim Slattery]

Hi, Been running XP Pro since RC1. Would like to play with Vista, w/o
initially committing to it.

A very good way to do this is to use a virtual machine. Virtual PC (or
other similar) creates a virtual machine that you can install whatever
OS you want on. To the host machine (XP Pro in this case)it looks like
another application. To the hosted OS (Vista) it looks like an entire
computer.

A VM will be slower than a dual-boot solution, to be sure. It will
also be easier to setup and lower impact. For "playing" with a
different OS, it's the way to go, IMHO.

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

A very good way to do this is to use a virtual machine. Virtual PC (or
other similar) creates a virtual machine that you can install whatever
OS you want on. To the host machine (XP Pro in this case)it looks like
another application. To the hosted OS (Vista) it looks like an entire
computer.

A VM will be slower than a dual-boot solution, to be sure. It will
also be easier to setup and lower impact. For "playing" with a
different OS, it's the way to go, IMHO.

No way to evaluate Aero though.

ss.