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Dual booting Vista and Xp

Discussion in 'Tech Support' started by DarthBill, Sep 17, 2009.

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  1. DarthBill

    DarthBill The Chosen One DLP Supporter

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    Sep 17, 2009 #1
    Hi.

    I'm trying to set up my computer to support both Vista and Xp. I've googled it and the most I can figure is that I have to set up my hardrive with another partition and load Xp onto that. I can't, however, find any instruction at all on how to do that.

    I would appreciate any help in the area.
     
  2. Rahkesh Asmodaeus

    Rahkesh Asmodaeus THUNDAH Bawd Admin DLP Supporter

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    Sep 17, 2009 #2
    The OS install DVD will have a partition manager on it. For Windows, it will give you a list of all the HDD's and all the partitions of those HDD's and let you decide on which partition/HDD you want to install the OS on.

    Just pick a separate partition for each OS and it should be fine. When you boot up the computer you’ll receive an option as to what OS you would like to start up.

    But why Vista? Windows 7 should be coming out soon, and you can still download the RC for free, I think.
     
  3. World

    World Oberstgruppenführer DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    Sep 17, 2009 #3
    You can do this in Windows (disk management is the program I think) or use a different software like Paragorn Partition Manager.

    If you only have one HDD you'll have no choice but to do it directly before the installation. Windows gives you the opportunity to format and partition your harddrives. Here is a microsoft article on how to do that.

    €dit: Yeah, I would agree that you should choose Win7. Why do you want both Vista and XP?
     
  4. DarthBill

    DarthBill The Chosen One DLP Supporter

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    Sep 18, 2009 #4
    My computer already has Vista on it. I'm trying to ad Xp so that I can play a few games that I have that aren't Vista compatible. I don't want to have to reinstall everything else, though.

    Thanks for the help.
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2009
  5. Midknight

    Midknight Middy is SPAI! DLP Supporter Retired Staff

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    Sep 18, 2009 #5
    Isnt it, if you install vista first, then install XP onto another partition, Vista gives you an option to dual boot?
     
  6. DarthBill

    DarthBill The Chosen One DLP Supporter

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    Sep 18, 2009 #6
    Yeah, I got it to work. My problem was setting up another partition.

    I finally managed it, though.
     
  7. Trojan Knight

    Trojan Knight Third Year

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    Sep 18, 2009 #7
    Yeah, that's precise. Had it been XP and you wanted to install Vista you would have been probably forced to do the annoying task of converting your Partition into NTFS (if the partition had been FAT 32). That's what the Installer asked me to do. You've to install XP without replacing Vista or in any other partition and Vista automatically gives you dual boot option as Midknight pointed out.
     
  8. Oz

    Oz For Zombie. Moderator DLP Supporter

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    Sep 23, 2009 #8
    If you install XP after Vista, you're going to need to recover your Vista boot files, rewrite the Vista Bootloader to the mbr and then add an XP entry to the Bootloader. Vista's partition manager should be fine, but if you have an Ubuntu live CD or summat, I'd personally use that.
     
  9. reggin

    reggin Filthy Half-Breed DLP Supporter

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    Sep 25, 2009 #9
    Vista OR XP? Pick one or the other. Preferably XP. It's better than Vista.