Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

How to Setup a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP​

   Information

This will show you how to install Windows 7 and XP to dual boot with when you already have either Windows 7 or XP installed first.

   Note

With a dual boot installaton, you will have two operating systems (OS) installed. When you start the computer, you will have the choice to choose which OS you would like to start up to. This method is the easiest way of doing a dual boot with these two operating systems.

   Tip

When dual booting with another OS (ex: Vista or XP), you may not always have that OS partition show up in Computer with a driver letter in Windows 7. If this happens, then you will just need to add a drive letter to the OS (ex: Vista or XP) partition in Windows 7 Disk Management for it to show up in Computer with a driver letter.

   Warning

To stop XP from deleting your Windows 7 System Restore Points everytime XP is started, then see System Restore Points - Stop XP Dual Boot Delete to hide Windows 7 from XP.

Windows 7 Minimum Hardware Requirements


NOTE: For more information on this, see: Windows 7 system requirements

• 1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor
• 1 GB RAM for 32-bit Windows 7 OR 2 GB RAM for 64-bit Windows 7
• 16 GB available disk space 32-bit Windows 7 OR 20 GB for 64-bit Windows 7
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (in order to enable Aero theme)
• DVD-R/W Drive
• Internet or phone access to activate Windows 7.

Windows XP Minimum Hardware Requirements

NOTE: For more information on this, see: System requirements for Windows XP operating systems

• PC with 300 megahertz (MHz) or higher processor clock speed recommended; 233-MHz minimum required;* Intel Pentium/Celeron family, AMD K6/Athlon/Duron family, or compatible processor recommended
• 128 megabytes (MB) of RAM or higher recommended (64 MB minimum supported; may limit performance and some features)
• 1.5 gigabyte (GB) of available hard disk space.*
• Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher resolution video adapter and monitor
• CD-ROM or DVD drive
• Keyboard and Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device

EXAMPLE: Windows Boot Manager
NOTE: This is the boot screen where you select what operating system that you would like to start. By default, you have 30 seconds to choose another operating system before the default operating system will start automatically.

OPTION ONE

When XP is Installed First

NOTE: If you have a RAID setup, you will need to have the Windows 7 RAID drivers on a USB flash drive available to select and load while installing Windows 7.
1. Do step 2 or 3 below for where you wanted to install Windows 7 at.

2. To Create a New Partition from the XP Hard Disk Drive
A) With your Windows 7 installation disc boot into the Command Prompt from the System Recovery Options screen.
NOTE: Make sure that the CD/DVD drive is selected first in the boot order in the BIOS.

B) In the command prompt, select and shrink the XP volume by how many MB (1024 MB = 1 GB) you want to have for this Windows 7 partition. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You would do steps 2 to 9 in METHOD TWO at that link. Windows 7 will need a minimum of 16 GB (16384 MB).

C) Click on the X at the top right corner to close the command prompt. (See screenshot above)

D) Click on the X at the top right corner to close System Recovery Options. (See screenshot below)

E) Go to step 4.
3. To Use a Separate Hard Disk Drive than the XP Drive
A) Boot from your Windows 7 installation disc.
NOTE: Make sure that the CD/DVD drive is selected first in the boot order in the BIOS.
4. Click on the Install now button. (See screenshot below)

5. When you get to this point, select the partition (step 2) or hard drive to install Windows 7 on. (See screenshot below)

6. Finish installing Windows 7.
NOTE: You would start at step 9 in that link to finish installing Windows 7.

7. When finished, restart the computer to have the option to boot from XP (Earlier Verision of Windows) or Windows 7. (See screenshot below)

   Note

If you are only booting into Windows 7 and do not have XP listed in the Windows Boot Manager, then you can install only EasyBCD (step 8 Option Two below) to add XP (or Windows 7) while started in Windows 7 the same way to the boot list.

OPTION TWO

When Windows 7 is Installed First

   Warning

• If you have a RAID setup, you will need to have the XP RAID drivers for your specific motherboard on a Floppy disc available to select and load at the F6 prompt while installing XP.
• If you have a SATA drive, then you will need to do either one of these options to load the SATA drivers for XP for your specific motherboard.
  • How to Slipstream SATA drivers into Windows XP setup CD with Dual Boot of Windows 7 or Vista
  • How to Load SATA Drivers in Windows XP Setup on your Dual Boot PC with Vista or Windows 7 for how to load your SATA drivers from a Floppy disc at the F6 prompt while installing XP.

1. To Create a New Partition from the Windows 7 Hard Disk Drive
NOTE: If you want to install XP on a separate internal hard drive instead, then skip this step and go to step 2.
A) In Windows 7, select and shrink the Windows 7 volume in Disk Management by how many MB (1024 MB = 1 GB) you want to have for this XP partition. (See screenshots below)
NOTE: You would do all of Method One at that link.





2. Insert your XP installation disc, then restart the computer and press any key to boot from it when prompted. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Make sure that the CD/DVD drive is selected first in the boot order in the BIOS.

3. From XP Setup, Press Enter. (See screenshot below)

   Warning

• If you have a RAID setup, you will need to have the XP RAID drivers for your specific motherboard on a Floppy disc available to select and load at the F6 prompt while installing XP.
• If you have a SATA drive, then you will need to do either one of these options to load the SATA drivers for XP for your specific motherboard.
  • How to Slipstream SATA drivers into Windows XP setup CD with Dual Boot of Windows 7 or Vista
  • How to Load SATA Drivers in Windows XP Setup on your Dual Boot PC with Vista or Windows 7 for how to load your SATA drivers from a Floppy disc at the F6 prompt while installing XP.

4. Press F8. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: On some multimedia keyboards, you may need to press the F-Lock or Function key before pressing F8.

5. Select the partition (step 1) or hard drive that you want to install XP on using the arrow keys and press Enter.

6. Finish installing XP.

   Tip

If you get Error loading Operating System after XP restarts:

• Using your Windows 7 installation disc, boot to the command prompt at startup.
• Type in these comands below, and press enter after each one.
  • bootrec /FixMbr
  • bootrec /FixBoot
  • bootrec /RebuildBcd
• Exit the command prompt and restart the computer.
• At this point, Windows 7 should boot up the same way before trying to install XP.
• Continue to step 8 below and run EasyBCD from Windows 7 instead.

7. In XP, download and install .Net Framework 2.0 (32-bit) version or .Net Framework 2.0 (64-bit) version first, and EasyBCD (free version) for your 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x86) XP.
NOTE: In XP, Net Framework is required to be installed to run EasyBCD. After you click on Register (at bottom of link) for the free EasyBCD, registration is not required to download it.

8. Run EasyBCD (free version).
NOTE: This is required to repair the Windows 7 boot file and add XP to the Windows Boot Manager list.

9. On the left side of EasyBCD, click on the Add New Entry button. (See screenshot below)
A) In the top section under Operating Systems, click on the Windows tab. (See screenshot below)
B) To the right of Type, select Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3 from the drop down menu. (See screenshot below)
:warn:WARNING: Be sure to leave the Automatically detect correct drive box checked.

C) To the right of Name, you can leave the default Microsoft Windows XP as the name to be displayed in the Windows Boot Manager, or you can type whatever name you would like to have instead. (See screenshot below)
D) Click on the Add Entry button. (See screenshot below)

10. On the left side of EasyBCD, click on the BCD Deployment button, select (dot) the Install the Windows Vista/7 bootloader to the MBR option, and click on the Write MBR button. (See screenshot below)

11. Close EasyBCD.

12. Restart the computer to have the option to boot from Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 7. (See screenshot below)

   Tip

If Windows 7 will not start up when selected, then use your Windows 7 installation DVD to do a Startup Repair.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Setup a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Vista
• How to Setup a Dual Boot Installation with Windows Vista and XP
• How to Do a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Dual Boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu
• How to Correctly Setup a Dual Boot with Windows 7 and LinuxMint13
• How to Change Time to Display Operating Systems at Boot in Windows 7
• How to Change the Listed OS Arrangement Order in Windows Boot Manager Screen
• How to Change the Default Operating System to Start in Windows 7
• How to Delete an Operating System Listed in Windows Boot Manager
• How to Change the OS Name in Windows Boot Manager
• How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7
• How to Install Windows 7 FAST without a DVD or USB Device
• Install Windows 7 Without Using Any External Device
• How to Setup Windows 7 to Boot from a VHD (Virtual Hard Disk)
• How to Create a Windows 7 VHD at Boot to Start with from Boot
• How to Do a Custom Installation of Windows 7
• How to Load SATA Drivers in Windows XP Setup on your Dual Boot PC with Vista or Windows 7
• How to Slipstream SATA drivers into Windows XP setup CD with Dual Boot of Windows 7 or Vista
• How to Load SATA Driver Using Shift+F10 to Open Command Prompt
• How to Recover a Partition Used by an Older OS in a Dual Boot
• How to Properly Delete a OS in a Dual Boot
• How to Stop System Restore Points from being Deleted in Vista and Windows 7 when Dual Booting with XP

 

[Libman]

no partition

I'm having a strange problem with intalling xp as dual boot on asus n76vm.
-had windows 7 pro-created new partition-installed xp-made mistake(i think) with easy bcd-had no xp or windows 7 anymore

-reinstalled windows 7 (now home premium edition) using recovery dvd
-made new partition and installed xp
At the point where i need to choose on wich partition i want to install xp i can only see 1 partition:
C: partition 1 (unknown) 715405mb(715404 free)

Windows 7 works fine and in disk management i have:200mb efi systempartition ;20GB NTFS primaryZ partition for XP ; OS windows 7 C partition 652GB ; 25gb oem partition

What can i do?

 

[gregrocker]

Post back a screenshot of Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image - Windows 7 Help Forums.

If you used Recovery Disks to reinstall Win7 then you have the factory preinstall which is the worst possible install of Win7 one can have. I would reinstall doing the vastly superior Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7.

In that case you can install XP first, booting the XP CD to delete all partitions, create and format two partitions while full formatting only the second partition to install XP upon.

Then do the Win7 clean reinstall to the first partition and it will configure the Dual Boot menu.

 

[theog]

I'm having a strange problem with intalling xp as dual boot on asus n76vm.
-had windows 7 pro-created new partition-installed xp-made mistake(i think) with easy bcd-had no xp or windows 7 anymore

-reinstalled windows 7 (now home premium edition) using recovery dvd
-made new partition and installed xp
At the point where i need to choose on wich partition i want to install xp i can only see 1 partition:
C: partition 1 (unknown) 715405mb(715404 free)

Windows 7 works fine and in disk management i have:200mb efi systempartition ;20GB NTFS primaryZ partition for XP ; OS windows 7 C partition 652GB ; 25gb oem partition

What can i do?

As your Windows 7 is installed in UEFI mode, Have you looked at using XP Mode, Virtual Player, VMWare, Virtual Box.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8247-windows-xp-mode-install-setup.html?ltr=W

 

[Libman]

ok, thanks very much for the quick response.
I will try to make a clean install like u sugested and will keep you informed.
(by the way,sorry for the poor english)

 

[Libman]

I have a furniture drawing program ,i need for work,that only runs on xp. I tried to install it in xp mode, but the program key was not working in this mode. My last resort is dual boot . I just hope that the reason the program key is not recognized has something to do with the fact i have only usb 3 ports (no usb 2)

 

[Libman]

Do i need to slip stream the satadrivers on the xp disk before i boot from it to erase partitions an follow your other instructions,or do i put the satacontroler to IDE in the bios ?

 

[Brink]

Hello Libman, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Since you have Windows 7 Home Premium instead of "Ultimate", you will not be able to install XP Mode.

Instead, you could just install your XP as usual, but in a virtual machine with say VMware Player instead inside your Windows 7.

 

[Libman]

Hello Brinck,
First i will try to follow gregrocker his sugestion and try to dual boot.

 

[gregrocker]

If XP already installed once on the PC then you shouldn't need to slipstream the SATA drivers. You'll have to try again to see if it installs in AHCI or IDE mode. Use an XP with SP3 installer to get the best advantage.

 

[Libman]

xp booted in IDE mode (not in AHCI) and is installed on 2nd partition and seems to work fine.
Win 7 booted to the point where i need to choose the partition. I get the error(this is a translation) "can not install windows to this disc. the selected disc has an MBR-partition label. On EFI systems you can only instal windows on GPT discs"
Trying to format partition one gives the following error code Error: 0x8004242d

 

[Brink]

Libman,

You would be better off installing Windows 7 without UEFI instead since you plan on dual booting with XP.

 

[gregrocker]

Libman -

It sounds like you're still in UEFI mode which will need to be changed in BIOS setup to Legacy BIOS or Compatibility Support Module (CSM) before you can install Win7 to an MBR disk.

You should not need to delete all partitions or wipe the HD since the Win7 installer is telling you with its error that the disk is already MBR.

Let us know how this goes. I'm not sure exactly why XP was able to install in UEFI mode. Maybe someone else knows for sure.

 

[Libman]

oK,
I looked at the bios and saw there was an extra new boot option :UEFI slimtype DVD... that wasn't there when i installed xp.
I disabled it, and now Windows 7 is installing on partition 1
So for the moment everything is going well

 

[Libman]

I HAVE XP AND WINDOWS 7 IN DUAL BOOT !!!
Everything seems ok at first view.
For the moment I have just 1 issue i still need to solve. The license key(for home premium) on the back of my laptop was not accepted.
Maybe this is the reason: -downloaded Windows 7 Professional x64 SP1 U (media refresh) since there was no home premium in my language
-ran the eicfg removal tool to unlock al versions
-during boot selected home premium edition
Is it possible this still needs a key for a professional xp ?
If this should be the case, maybe my key will work if I install the english version(Windows 7 Home Premium x64 SP1 U (media refresh)

 

[gregrocker]

What language was the original factory preinstall? You may need to reinstall that language to get it to work.

However most likely is the reason 90% of activations fails on factory OEM when you are sure you've installed the correct version: a character was inputted wrongly. An 8 does look like a B. Use a magnifying glass if necessary and triple check before inputting.

I'm not sure what you mean by needing a Professional XP key if you're installing Win7. Factory OEM should activate without regard to XP.

Please post back a screenshot of Disk Management - Post a Screen Capture Image so we can check it over for you.

 

[Libman]

gregrocker,
- I meant a professional windows 7 key -my mistake!
- I triple checked the key when installing, i just triple checked again with a flash ligt and guess what...... ...IT'S ACTIVATED

Just want to say You GUYS ARE AMAZING, your answers with links and explanations on how to do things are flawless. After hours and days and days of reading and trying unclear suggestions from other forums it's a relief to find a forum where they know what they are talking about
Thank you very much for the help !!

 

[agudon2k1]

May anybody help me find a SATA drivers that I could slipstream for my Windows XP?
I have Windows 7 installed first and to run my Windows 7, my SATA mode must be in ACHI and if I want to install or run Windows XP, I must set my SATA mode to IDE or else it will blue screen on setup or at boot. Also in vice versa my Windows 7 will blue screen on boot when SATA mode is one IDE.
I cannot install the dual boot of Windows XP from Windows 7 because this method is to much time consuming and sometimes I forget to switch the SATA mode which will cause a blue screen on boot.
Also I am installing this on my Laptop Acer Aspire 4250.
Motherboard: Acer HMA41_BZ
BIOS: InsydeH20 Setup Utility CCB.03.60.41 V1.06 Rev. 3.5
CPU: AMD E-300 APU with Radeon HD Graphics 1.3GHz
RAM: 4GB
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6310
If there is no SATA drivers for my laptop and the only way to dual boot is to SATA mode switch, then it's all right.

 

[gregrocker]

What XP SATA drivers are on your mobo driver CD? I don't find any online doing a quick search.

Find out what your chipset is and search for XP AHCI drivers for it.

What I would do is reinstall Win7 in IDE mode leaving XP as it is.

Follow these steps to get a perfect Clean Reinstall.

 

[agudon2k1]

Sorry for the late reply greg, I was busy backing up my files.
Sadly my laptop does not support Windows XP, even though I looked at the official website and my motherboard dvd drivers provided by Acer, there is no Windows XP drivers. Although I can override the drivers compatibility to work for Windows XP such as the touch pad, lan, graphics and sound drivers, the only driver that doesn't work on Windows XP is the wireless lan driver.
Also my chipset is AMD A40/A50 Series FCH and sadly there are no drivers for it. I found some drivers and download them, but they are all just graphic driver installers.

But thank you very much for the reply. I will be right back after the installations of both Windows 7 and Windows XP.

 

[ShadowMario3]

Sorry for the late reply greg, I was busy backing up my files.
Sadly my laptop does not support Windows XP, even though I looked at the official website and my motherboard dvd drivers provided by Acer, there is no Windows XP drivers. Although I can override the drivers compatibility to work for Windows XP such as the touch pad, lan, graphics and sound drivers, the only driver that doesn't work on Windows XP is the wireless lan driver.
Also my chipset is AMD A40/A50 Series FCH and sadly there are no drivers for it. I found some drivers and download them, but they are all just graphic driver installers.

But thank you very much for the reply. I will be right back after the installations of both Windows 7 and Windows XP.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is an Acer thing. When I dualbooted Windows 7 (original installation) and XP on my Acer Aspire 5732Z, I couldn't find any working Wireless driver for XP. Of course, when I set up the same installation for my HP ProBook 4540s (7 preinstalled and XP installed as dual boot), HP provides the wireless lan drivers for XP, which work.