Windows 7: Want to run XP and Win 7 on same comp w/o Dual Booting

Ghot · 10 Aug 2012

This is what I am attempting...I want some time to learn Win 7's ins and outs...before committing to it. I know how to dual boot...don't want that. If I set up like this image, will I be able to use the F8 boot menu to choose the HDD I wish to boot from...or will I just have to disconnect the XP drives and only connect the Win 7 drive.

I want to keep the MBR's totally separate.

I see THREE possibilities:
1. F8 will work and just not SEE the other Windows install...which is fine.
2. F8 will work and Win 7 will try to take over all three drives.
3. F8 will work, but when booted to the Win 7 HDD, will wreak havoc with the drivers, IF it sees the other install.

Bare Foot Kid · 10 Aug 2012

Hello mate, have a look through the info below.

Information

The easiest way to do away with boot issues between separate Operating Systems (OS) is to use the BIOS one time boot menu to select which OS to boot at system startup, each motherboard has an individual hot-key to tap during system start-up to access this menu.

If you have 2 separate Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and have one OS installed to one HDD and you want to install another OS to the second HDD, disconnect the HDD with the first OS installed on it and leave only the HDD you want to install the second OS to connected.

Install the second OS to the connected HDD and when complete and the system is booting good, power down and reconnect the first HDD with the first OS on it.

This way the OSs will boot independently of each other and there will be no boot conflicts between the 2 separate OSs to have to sort later.

Then set the BIOS to boot the HDD / OS you want as default and if you want to start the other (new) OS you use the BIOS one-time boot menu to select that HDD / OS to start when the PC is started.

Asus - F8
HP/Compaq - Esc
Sony - F2
Acer – F12
Packard Bell
Gateway - F10
eMachnes - F10
Gigabyte – F12
Toshiba - F12
Dell - F12
IBM/Lenovo - the blue Thinkvantage button

Saltgrass · 10 Aug 2012

Don't put the Windows 7 image backups on the same drive. It probably won't even let you.

The advice about disconnecting hard drives is good to avoid confusion, so disconnect all other drives. Windows 7 will put its boot files on the drive shown as primary in the bios, on a Legacy system. If you don't want them going to a place you may not expect, having no other drives makes sure.

Windows 7: Want to run XP and Win 7 on same comp w/o Dual Booting

Want to run XP and Win 7 on same comp w/o Dual Booting problems?