Extended partition

gregrocker said:

We see so many cases of the System boot files being derailed to a primary data partition that it's easier to advise Logical for data partitions to avoid problems during partitioning, installs or repair operations.

Agreed. As long as we don't perpetuate the myth that Logical-volumes-in-extended-partitions are in any way unsuitable for Operating systems,

gregrocker said:

Logicals are for data, not an OS.

so I would like to edit your statement 180° to: Data is for Logicals, not Primaries.

BFK - very useful info on partitioning with diskpart. Partition Wizard is more comfortable for folks who like a friendly UI, and does the same job, also free of charge.

Bare Foot Kid said:

I don't know if you've seen it yet, have a look at this one mate, thanks!
System Reserved : Multi Boot from Logical Partitions

That's more or less how I've been doing it since way before you wrote the tutorial - you must've got the idea from me. (Lol) Seriously, I figured this out thanks to this forum, and about Partition Wizard. Before, I wiped out a lot of systems in multiboots trying to figure out what Windows 7 was doing. Once you realize that it puts boot files on the first active primary partition it can find, you begin to appreciate system reserve and logical volumes - you always know where the boot files will be.

I almost never have to do more than one startup repair to get Windows 7 back after installing XP after 7, so I'm missing out on the 3x fun.

The risky things are moving boot files around between partitions, or resizing or moving partitions - can be done, and then it seems easy, but if you don't have data backups you're mad. Not unsympathetic to the OP, losing data hurts, enough that you get serious about backups.

Bare Foot Kid said:

I'm still trying to sort a way to get XPired to install as C: in such a setup, any ideas?

Really not. If you want XP to be C: you have to install it as the first active primary, and I don't see a way around that.