Custom Install Win7 on XP Pro/Vista HP dual boot

Hi everybody!
I have just discovered that I cannot do an Upgrade from Vista HP to Win 7 Pro and that I will have to do a Custom or clean install. That will be OK and doesn't cause any problems.

I have XP on one HDD and Vista on another with dual boot. However I want to replace Vista HP with Win 7 Pro 32 bit, ( I intend to go 64 bit later on).

What I would like to know is, will Win 7 replace Vista on the boot sequence (MBR?), so that on booting the PC I have the option of selecting either XP or Win 7, or will I be presented with a boot menu of XP, Vista and Win7, albeit that Vista is no longer installed? If the latter, will this cause any problems in selecting the OS that I want to launch i.e the MBR looking for a now non existing Vista and would there be a way to remove reference to Vista?

Thanks

Win7 being the most recent OS will correctly configure the boot menu when it is run last as you are doing.

I suggest you boot into the Win7 installer, choose Custom install and use Advanced tools to Delete the Vista partition, create a new one there, and format then install.

This is the cleanest possible install, and even from boot it will see the previous qualifying OS's to allow installer to accept the Upgrade key and activate later when online.

Gregroker

Thanks very much for that advice, I will give it a try now.

Am I right to assume that a clean install will not create a Windows.old file to restore my setting, programs, files etc? Presumably I can restore these from my backups.

rgds

DavidSP

Yes, by booting from the installer you gain the ability to format (cleaner) but lose the windows.old folder.

If you def want the windows.old folder then run the install from Vista, choosing Custom for clean install or doing an in-place Upgrade which reinstalls your programs/files/settings.