Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

Brink, to briefly follow up on one of your answers--
I followed Method Two of this tutorial. Is it the normal result for the
newly installed Win XP to be on drive F: instead of C:? And is it normal for
both 7 and XP to be able to see and read each other's files? The impression
I had was that the two were somehow 'insulated' from each other.
That being said, everything on the XP side works--in particular the
circuit design/simulation/layout suite OrCAD works better and faster than
it ever did on my old computer. You just change all fully-rooted path names
to start with F: instead of C:. Like other posters I notice that XP and 7
have different ideas of which drive letter belongs to what disk but it
doesn't matter, everything seems to work.
Your tutorial is excellent, thanks for the help.

Hoping someone can help me out because almost every step presents something no one covers and I've been searching for solutions for each issue for days now.

I have Windows 7 installed first and am trying to set up a dual boot to XP.

The first issue is in partitioning. In the disk management wizard I am able to shrink to create a space for XP. The issue is mine isn't automatically a primary partition like every tutorial screenshot I've seen across the web. It's a simple volume. The result of this I think is my second issue. When I boot from the XP CD it doesn't see that partition I set up and I think it's due to the fact that It's a simple volume and OS's need primary partitions?
The only way I could get it to recognize space is if I leave the space unallocated so that I might be able to format it from the XP boot process. The issue I run into there is twofold. First it automatically assigns C: to the empty space which may or may not cause issues. Second is then I try and use that space it says that
"However, this disk does not contain a Windows XP-compatible partition.

To continue installing Windows XP, return to the partition selection screen and create a Windows XP-compatible partition on the disk above. If there is no free space on the disk, delete an existing partition, and then create a new one."

I try deleting that one and creating a new one and it gives the same issue.

You can have a maximum of four Primary Partitions.

If you already have 3 Primary partitions, you can create a fourth using free Partition Wizard bootable CD: Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD (Option 1).

If you have four primary partitions already, you can use PW CD to convert a Primary data partition to Logical. You need primary for your OS and System Reserved partitions, and Recovery partiiton or other factory OEM partition if it is marked Active.

If you'd like further advice on how to manage your partitions, please post back a screenshot of your full Disk Mgmt drive map, using Snipping Tool in Start Menu.

You may still need to insert your SATA controller driver at F6 prompt (if you have floppy drive) or by slipstreaming into CD, if XP can't see the partition but it seems like it might once partitioning is sorted: SATA Drivers - Load in Windows XP Setup on Dual Boot

I only have two primary partitions at the moment. Disk Management shows my others as simple volumes.

It looks like you allowed it to convert your HD to Dynamic disk, which is problematic and needs to be converted back.

Your Recovery and boot partitions remained Basic so that Win7 can boot and you can run Factory Recovery. So make your Recovery Disks now from the Recovery Partition if you haven't already. Then back up your data externally.

Now Convert Dynamic to Basic using free Partiiton Wizard version 4.2 which still has the free option on it's Disk tab: partition wizard 4.2 free.zip - Windows Live#

Once you apply the conversion post back another screenshot for further steps, or go ahead to rightclick>Convert data partition to Logical, OK, then if necessary rightclick XP target partition to Convert to Primary, OK, then Apply.

Have your Win7 DVD or Repair CD standing by as you may need to boot it to Repair the System MBR as the System flag is mysteriously missing from 100mb boot partition. Check if you still have the Repair console on the F8 Advanced boot options menu:
Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times
Repair CD - System Repair Disk
Advanced Boot Options

Appreciate the advice. Unfortunately with it being a multi-user work machine it's not an option at this time for me to re-format or backup settings/configurations. I'm gonna do what I need on a separate machine in the meantime. Thanks for the help though.

The HD has been mistakenly converted to Dynamic and should be converted back to Basic. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...(v=vs.85).aspx

When attempting to create the new Partition, a warning box that disk would be converted to Dynamic was likely ignored. Your OEM had protected its boot and Recovery partitions from conversion.

The link provided is for the only method which will do this non-destructively.

We have not had any reports that it has failed, however backing up your data and making the Recovery Disks is always a wise precaution.

I tried to install Window xp on my Comaq cq 60. as soon as i booted from the CD and initial copying of the setup files my system shut down. I had to use recovery CD to restore it. Even built recovery did not work because system kept shutting down every time I started.

Any thoughts. I am trying to Install xp because i need to install qnd work on HP ALM. which is not compatible with windows 7

Did you shrink HD space to install XP, but leave the creation and format of the partition to XP CD?

If it didn't get any further than loading files then it may be a bad CD burn - is this a known-good CD that has recently installed successfully?

It's likely the SATA or AHCI drivers will need to be inserted at the F6 prompt during loading phase (if you reach it and providing you have floppy drive) or slipstreamed into the install ISO: SATA Drivers - Slipstream into Windows XP CD