Windows 7: Dual Boot

Bobcoop103 · 19 Mar 2010

I would like the best advice on how to install both Win 7 & XP Pro on the same hard drive, I have a 500 Gig drive that will have to be reformatted and I also have the upgrade DVD for Win 7 and the installation CD for XP Pro. What is the best way to go about this?

Thanks, Bob

zigzag3143 · 19 Mar 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Bobcoop103

I would like the best advice on how to install both Win 7 & XP Pro on the same hard drive, I have a 500 Gig drive that will have to be reformatted and I also have the upgrade DVD for Win 7 and the installation CD for XP Pro. What is the best way to go about this?

Thanks, Bob

Bob

This is pretty easy. Make 2 partitions for the OS'es. Install XP first. Then install win 7 it will automatically create the boot menu for you. Its that easy.

Ken

iseeuu · 19 Mar 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by Bobcoop103

I would like the best advice on how to install both Win 7 & XP Pro on the same hard drive, I have a 500 Gig drive that will have to be reformatted and I also have the upgrade DVD for Win 7 and the installation CD for XP Pro. What is the best way to go about this?

Thanks, Bob

Bob;

Please look through the links at the bottom of my post here for some reading to give you some ideas.

Also, here is a fun project I did awhile back: http://www.sevenforums.com/installat...dual-boot.html

Cheers!
Robert

bassfisher6522 · 19 Mar 2010

Question: When you have a dual boot system and you turn on your system, how do you choose which OS to load? How do you switch between each OS, or do you have to reboot every time to get into a different OS?

Bare Foot Kid · 19 Mar 2010

Hello Bobcoop103.

Be sure to install XP first, on the second partition of the HDD and put Windows 7 on the first partition of the HDD, your life will be a whole lot easier later.

Bare Foot Kid · 19 Mar 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by bassfisher6522

Question: When you have a dual boot system and you turn on your system, how do you choose which OS to load? How do you switch between each OS, or do you have to reboot every time to get into a different OS?

Hello Bass.

When the machine first boots this is the first option, the boot meny.

iseeuu · 19 Mar 2010

Quote: Originally Posted by bassfisher6522

Question: When you have a dual boot system and you turn on your system, how do you choose which OS to load? How do you switch between each OS, or do you have to reboot every time to get into a different OS?

If you install your OSs on separate partitions, yes you must reboot to switch between them. The XP boot manager, NTLDR, will not recognize the newer OSs, however the Windows 7 bootmgr will include a menu entry for XP.

If you use Sun's VirtualBox, your XP is installed and used as if it were one of your programs.

Cheers!

bassfisher6522 · 19 Mar 2010

That seems like a big pain in the butt and the run around for dual booting every time you need to use a different OS. There's no other way to go from one OS to another with out rebooting. I was thinking about going to Ubuntu for a dual boot system but seems such a pain to do so. It would be really cool if there was a GUI that could switch between each OS with just a couple clicks of the mouse.

seekermeister · 19 Mar 2010

The closest that you could come to what you want is to run one OS from the other in a Virtual Machine. I have not done that, because I like having the access to multiple real OSs.

Bare Foot Kid · 19 Mar 2010

As far as virtual machines go, Sun VB is very easy to setup and run, it's also good to experiment on because you won't mess up your actual OS.

Windows 7: Dual Boot

Dual Boot problems?