How i installed win-7.

Just thought you might like my findings, I am still going to download the 64bit version of W7 because i need the install key.

I have Windows XP Pro & Windows 7 running on a old Sony VAIO VGN-FS18GP Laptop, 1.7Ghz CPU & 768Mb RAM 80Gb Hard Drive.
Both Win-XP Pro & Win-7 were a "Clean Install. (I don't like Upgrades).
It's called Duel Boot.
If you follow the way i installed Windows 7 you won't lose any data.
There are different ways to get the same results below but I found using Acronis by far the easiest way.
1: in Windows XP Pro goto Disc Management and change your CD\DVD-RW Drive/s to the next letter\s up. (see mine below).
2: Reboot Computer.
3: I used Acronis Disk Director v10 to partition my hard drive as below.
All partitions are Formatted NTFS.
Partition-1 = C:\Win-XP Pro 28.1Gb
Partition-2 = D:\Store Drive 31.1Gb
Partition-1 = E:\Win-7 Ultimate 15.1Gb
DVD-RW = F:\
I would have preferred to have Win-7 on D:\ drive but i already had my store drive there. anyway the Win-7 partition will be removed/deleted after my trial.
4: Then I selected a "Custom Install" from the Windows 7 boot menu and installed it to E:\ Drive.
Win-7 was installed without a install key.

done

When you start your computer you get the usual duel boot screen which you can choose which operation system you want to boot into.
The only problem i had was with sound drivers not working properly but a internet search cured that.
Most Vista drivers will work on Windows 7.
As with everything else computer wise, Backup important stuff first.
I have 2 legal copies of XP Pro & 1 Vista Premium, My main powerful SLI computer is duel booting XP Pro & Vista Premium.
From what i see so far with Windows 7 I will be buying Windows 7 and dumping Vista.. sorry Microsoft.
I think Microsoft has cracked it this time, saying that there is still a lot of showy stuff that us computer geeks would rather do without. ah! well that's life, can't please everybody. at least we can disable all that stuff.