To Dual Boot XP & 7, Do i need both to be x64?

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  1. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
       #1

    To Dual Boot XP & 7, Do i need both to be x64?


    I'm on an acer laptop.
    It's got a 64bit processor and came pre-installed with 7 home premium 64.
    I want to dualboot it with XP, my question is shall i get XP 64bit or 32 bit?
    i have 3gb of ram.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 184
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 sp1
       #2

    32 bit
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  3. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    rustberger said:
    32 bit
    Could you please explain why?:)
      My Computer

  4.    #4

    Because 32 bit may stand a chance of installing while 64 bit will be harder if not impossible with obscure drivers.

    If booting 32 bit XP SP3 installer doesn't see the HD partitions you must slipstream the storage controlller drivers into the iSO to burn another CD: SATA Drivers - Slipstream into Windows XP CD

    For this and other reasons it's best to first try virtualizing XP in Win7 using XP Mode, VMWare, Virtual Player or Virtual Box freeware.

    Even better is to install any problem XP programs in Win7 Compatibility Mode
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  5. Posts : 89
    Windows 7 Ultimate
       #5

    I went back to 32 bit Win 7 from 64 bit because the speed difference is negligible (not noticeable) and more programs work with 32 bit.

    Video processing is supposedly one of the things which run significantly faster under 64 bit (it's true in linux) but my converter ran the same speed. You should be able to access all your memory with 32 bit.

    Short answer: 64 bit doesn't add much and it sometimes causes problems.
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  6. Posts : 10
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Thanks for the replies guys, ill definitely go for the 32 bit (besides i already tried it in VMWare ages ago and it worked pretty nice!)
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  7. Posts : 12
    Windows 7 32 & 64 bit , XP
       #7

    Hi EzK

    I use BootIt Bare Metal from TeraByte Unlimited,
    i run different XPs,Windows 7 32 & 64 bit on the same computer
    You can run linuxes & even dos.
    Try it, the man who wrote this is a genius

    icy
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 5,795
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
       #8

    EzK said:
    besides i already tried it in VMWare ages ago and it worked pretty nice!)
    If the rest of your specs are up to par, don't dismiss virtualization. It's much easier and "cleaner" than messing around with multi-booting.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 12
    Windows 7 32 & 64 bit , XP
       #9

    Hi Guys,hi DeaconFrost
    i never use virtualization to run another operation system , for me it is much easier to have different
    partitions to run different operating systems ,they can share the pagefiles , internet cache,history,cookies,
    temp onto a cache disk H:, formatting this disk before booting and all the junk is away,
    they share a disk with programs, drive E:they share 3 datadisks.
    every drive can be activated or hided for each operating system,
    you can do backups or restores of the disks with the operatings systems installed,
    i do not use backup or restore or restore to an earlier point, my registries are allways clean
    without junk an unneeded programs, no need to ununstall programs, just delete them after a new
    irestore by bootit.
    i use it to try out nlited XP & full updated & lited windows 7 , when this work , then i do backups,
    when i install my programs i do a backup,when the os become cluttered or mayby infected, i do
    a restore, and gone the clutter é viruses inthe os, afterward i update the virusscanner before opening
    any programs & scan for viruses.
    Defragging i do only from time to time onto my data disks & very sporadic onto my program disk.
    And above all it works flawlessly.

    Try it , mauby You might change Your opinion, i work like this since years and started with this in
    since the ME OS

    icy

    PS the hiberfil.sys i was not able to move to the Cache HY: does anybody have a clue or a registry path ?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5,795
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1
       #10

    icy00 said:
    Hi Guys,hi DeaconFrost
    i never use virtualization to run another operation system , for me it is much easier to have different
    partitions to run different operating systems ,they can share the pagefiles , internet cache,history,cookies,
    temp onto a cache disk H:, formatting this disk before booting and all the junk is away,
    they share a disk with programs, drive E:they share 3 datadisks.
    every drive can be activated or hided for each operating system,
    you can do backups or restores of the disks with the operatings systems installed,
    i do not use backup or restore or restore to an earlier point, my registries are allways clean
    without junk an unneeded programs, no need to ununstall programs, just delete them after a new
    irestore by bootit.
    i use it to try out nlited XP & full updated & lited windows 7 , when this work , then i do backups,
    when i install my programs i do a backup,when the os become cluttered or mayby infected, i do
    a restore, and gone the clutter é viruses inthe os, afterward i update the virusscanner before opening
    any programs & scan for viruses.
    Defragging i do only from time to time onto my data disks & very sporadic onto my program disk.
    And above all it works flawlessly.

    Try it , mauby You might change Your opinion, i work like this since years and started with this in
    since the ME OS

    icy

    PS the hiberfil.sys i was not able to move to the Cache HY: does anybody have a clue or a registry path ?
    Everything you list that you want to do, is easily accomplished with virtualization. Well, except the sharing of internet cache, etc...but you DEFINITELY don't want to do that. The reason of running multiple OSes is to keep them separate for separate purposes. VMs can share data drives, however, and that can be done easily.

    Why mess with partitions and boot loaders, knowing one slip up can render ALL OSes unbootable? Virtualization involves running a free program, and that's it. No drivers to chase down, and you don't need to reboot to switch OSes.

    As for backups, all you need to do is copy a directory...that's it. A restore of a VM takes a minute or two. That's it.


    You also mention trying out "edited discs". Those programs, like nLite, should be avoided like the plague, but if you must play with them, a VM application is perfect for that...and you don't even need to reboot your computer.

    There's a reason why today's computers come with virtualization features built in to the hardware. Multi-boot systems are a thing of the past.
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