Triple Partition: XP Pro x86, W7 Pro x64, and Ubuntu 10.04

Diadem · 15 Apr 2011

I've installed XP and W7 about three times today and once yesterday. I just can't get them to sync.

What I am attempting to do is create a triple partition on a single Seagate Barracude 750 GB HD by first installing XP Pro x86, then W7 Pro x64, and finally Ubuntu 10.04 LTS.

Previously, I had a W7 and Ubuntu dual partition with XP running on W7's XP Virtual Mode. I had no problem with that configuration except for the fact that I needed to use XP Recovery Console for class and observed that it was impossible with XP running in Virtual Mode (because you cannot access the boot menu in VM).

Now, I have XP, W7, and Ubuntu boot discs. I installed XP on a 120 GB NTFS primary partition, and I was able to boot into it just fine. Next, I put in the W7 and installed that in a 400 GB NTFS primary partition. I was able to boot into W7 just fine, but when I attempted to boot into XP, I got a BSOD (blue screen of death).

NOTE: Based on research, I understood that you cannot (without much difficulty) install XP on a SATA HD. So, before I even installed XP, I went into the BIOS and changed the controller to IDE. It remained in the IDE setting for both the XP and W7 installation.

NOTE: After installing both OS's, I changed the controller to SATA and neither would boot. The XP remained a BSOD, and the W7 would not boot past a certain screen.

See attachment for what EasyBCD revealed for the HD configuration.

I need an excellent tutorial or something to help me get this working. I haven't even been able to get Ubuntu installed this time around because I'm too busy trying to resolve the XP-W7 issue.

Thank you. Please give me any advice you can.

Sardonicus · 15 Apr 2011

If you install XP in the IDE mode and you change to the AHCI mode, you'll get a blue screen when trying to boot from XP. That's because the AHCI driver needed for XP to boot wasn't installed.

You can slipstream the AHCI driver into a new XP user created installation disc. That way you can install XP and Windows 7 using the AHCI mode, I'm not sure about the procedure for Ubuntu. Someone else will weigh in on this, with some tutorials.

Diadem · 15 Apr 2011

I am considering doing the slipstream method. Yet, I found a tutorial that makes absolutely no mention of it. Why doesn't he need it?

Also, would my SATA drivers be those found under the Device Manager? Would those work for XP x86 if they are the drivers found on my W7 x64?

theog · 16 Apr 2011

First check for all the Win XP drivers for your hardware.
http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/support.html
If your Win XP CD, does not support your Sata Controller, you will need to load drivers to uses at F6.
Load Sata Controller drivers with a floppy disk is the best way.
SATA Drivers - Load in Windows XP Setup on Dual Boot
OR
SATA Drivers - Slipstream into Windows XP CD

You can download your F6 Sata Controller drivers from here:
General XP Downgrade Guide for HP Laptops - HP Support Forum

Bare Foot Kid · 16 Apr 2011

Hello Diadem, welcome to Seven Forums!

You may find it very useful to use the Windows 7 installation media to do a complete wipe of the entire Hard Disk Drive to over-write all the 'old' Grub data, then start by installing XP first then Windows 7 then Linux; have a look at this information below; leave the BIOS in IDE mode.

This is just a copy/paste of the whole text, so use what pertains to your situation and be sure to post back with any further questions you may have and to keep us informed.

After you have copied out or made back-ups of the data you need to save to external media, then boot the Windows 7 installation media to use Step One of this tutorial at the first link below to do a wipe (secure erase) to the entire Hard Disk Drive / Solid State Drive.

If you use diskpart to run either the clean all command to completely wipe a HDD / SSD or just the clean command to remove the format configuration data and don't use diskpart to create at least a single partition to do the installation to, letting the Windows installer do the format you will end up with the new Windows 7 System Reserved partition, if you want to make your own decision whether this partition is added, study these two (2) options below.

Then if you do not want to create the new Windows 7 "System Reserved" partition use the outline in Step Two #2 to create, format and mark Active a single 100GB partition to do the installation to.
If you do want to create the "System Reserved" partition use the outline in Step Two #3 to create, format and mark Active the System Reserved partition and then create and format the 100GB partition to do the installation to.

Either way, running the "clean all" then creating and formatting the partition(s) using diskpart will get you the best possible space to do a clean install of Windows 7 to; you can always extend the Windows partition to include the remaining unallocated space on the HDD / SSD or create additional Primary partitions or an Extended partition after the installation completes if you choose.

SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

DISKPART : At PC Startup

Do a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

If you don't want to wipe the entire HDD, you can do a partition-specific wipe of the Windows partition using the Partition Wizard Bootable Disk (PWBD) have a look at Option Three in the tutorial at this link below.

Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD