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

 

[John A]

You may need to run this from within Windows XP instead since it was installed first and will have the boot file. Plus XP is now hidden from Windows 7, so this may be why it's not finding it.

That was the problem! Everything working just as I'd like, now - many thanks for all your help

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome John. I'm happy to hear that you got it the way you wanted now.

 

[arty]

Hello,
I am new to this forum and have been reading this thread with great interest.
I am going to try to dual boot with xp. I have a new pc with win7ex 64bit installed.
I have been through this thread and I think I will give it a go. I am very nervous!!

 

[Brink]

Hello Arty, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Just let us know if you have any questions or run into any problems. We'll be happy to try and help you through it.

 

[arty]

I have windows 7 ultimate 64bit. I am going to try to dual boot with xp but I am wondering if it will matter that my xp is only 32 bit?
If it does matter then I will have to get a 64bit version of xp.

Thanks

 

[SIW2]

Hi Arty,

You will fine to dual boot XP 32 bit and 7 64 bit.

 

[chateaut58]

Dual Boot Problems

Hi there,

I have recently bought a new pc with windows 7 pre-installed. Everything works fine. I then decided to have a dual OS system and followed your excellent tutorial and initiated the installation of XP onto a separate hard drive "D" up until step 6. When this step finishes the pc restarts but instead of booting into XP it gives me the following message -

"Disk error press ctl / alt / del to restart" ............. and thats it - nothing from then on in.

I had to use the Windows 7 DVD to "repair" the OS and then get it back on.

So for some reason I can not create a dual boot from within this OS.

Do you have any idea how to boot into XP using drive "D" so that I can continue the tutorial from Step 7.

Many Thanks

 

[holydevil]

This guide was exactly what I needed. Now if only I could boot both OS's at the same time.

 

[Brink]

Hello Holydevil,

Two computers and two monitors should do the trick, or have one run with Windows Virtual PC as a virtual machine.

 

[Melee54]

Okay!...

This is the easiest tutorial I've found so far. However, I'm encountering a problem during XP installation.

Most likely because I'm not using my CD drive as it is busted. I've made a bootable USB flash drive with a copy of my XP.iso on it. It boots fine, almost identical to the CD.

Here's the problem:

1. My computer doesn't like booting from USB drives unless either
A) In the BIOS, in disk priorities, you move USB-HDD first in line.
B) Target HD is set to first, but it completely blank.

The problem with A is if I move USB-HDD to first in the boot HD priorities list, none of my other hard drives are detected during the XP installation. (I also had this problem installing windows 7 from usb). I don't think the system bothers loading them.

The problem with B is if I keep my target HD as priority 1 in HD boot list, and select my USB-HDD as #1 in the normal boot section, the computer just loads up my windows 7 install as usual. Unless the Target HD is completely blank and set as boot first, the bootable usb drive won't load.

This may sound confusing, but my bios has two "boot" sections.

There's hard drive boot priority, and the normal section where you get to choose which device boots first, second, third, etc.


I must be missing something painfully obvious, as I am sure nobody else has this happen to them. It's not just this time, either. Whenever I want to install another OS, I've got to erase the previous HD completely just so it'll load up during PC boot...

:sarc:


Just in case that explanation didn't make sense, I'll try to explain again....lol..

I can't boot from USB unless I disable my hard drive and move usb-hdd to boot first in bios. Since i have to disable my HD just for the usb to boot, when the step for Windows XP Target Hard Drive comes (the part where it asks what HD you want to install XP on), no hard drives are listed. And this is because I have to disable them in order for the USB to boot.

 

[SIW2]

Did you try using PLOP bootmanager? It has it's own drivers to enable boot from usb.

Easiest is to d/l and install the free Easybcd 2.0. build 76 on windows 7.

http://neosmart.net/forums/showthread.php?t=642


Click External Devices, then Click Install Plop.



Reboot - you will have a boot menu with Windows 7 and Easybcd boot extender.

Select Easybcd Boot extender and Plop will start - select usb and you should boot from the attached usb stick.

You will be fine to install XP after 7.

When completed you will only be able to boot into XP.

Run startup repair from the 7 dvd 3 times - then you can boot into 7 and use Easybcd to add XP to the 7 boot menu.

 

[Melee54]

Did you try using PLOP bootmanager? It has it's own drivers to enable boot from usb.

Easiest is to d/l and install the free Easybcd 2.0. build 76 on windows 7.

Click Eternal Devices, then Click Install Plop.

Reboot - you will have a boot menu with Windows 7 and Easybcd boot extender.

Select Easybcd Boot extender and plop will start - select usb and you should boot from the attached usb stick.

You will be fine to install XP after 7.

When completed you will only be able to boot into XP.

Run startup repair from the 7 dvd 3 times - then you can boot into 7 and use Easybcd to add XP to the 7 boot menu.

No, I didn't try PLOP. Never heard of it till now.

That sounds kind of troublesome... If I were to use that method, after all was said and done, how would my computer boot up?

Would it be like,
1. booting...
2. OS selection
a. Windows 7
b. PLOP
C. (Click plop)
d. Win 7
e. WinXP
?

The thing is, I wouldn't be able to do use my Win7 DVD to repair as my DVD drive is dead.

 

[Melee54]

Forget my previous problem! Something worse has happened. I was able to figure out the problem (forgot to enable the SATA as IDE rather than ACHI). I was able to install XP fine.

I'm on it right now. However, EeasyBCD is NOT working.

"EasyBCD has detected that your BCD boot data and MBR are either not from the latest version of Vista, or do not yet exist".

Clicking yes will try and have it repaired, but the repair fails because it can not detect the drive. So I manually select the the drives, etc. Everything fails.

Restarting doesn't help, as I can't even boot into an OS. I have to get into XP by starting up my usb drive....

:/


EDIT:

I reinstalled the the "vista" boot mgr using VistaBootPro. Now my computer logs straight into Windows 7. I guess I'll eventually figure out how to choose which one I log into...


LAST EDIT!: Was able to make everything work perfectly thanks to EasyBCD and VistaBootPro. I can finally choose either Win7 or WinXP at startup. Thank you so much for the excellent guide.

 

[SIW2]

Glad it's working for you.

Happy dual booting.

 

[nkhlgeorge]

can i install windows XP 32 bit, on a computer running windows 7 ultimate x64?

 

[SIW2]

Yes.

 

[handsome784]

Please help. I have win 7 64 bit installed and am trying to install xp professional. Have done partition as per guide. Reboot with disc in and it wont install. Get blue screen error. I have 2 copies of xp and does it with both. Need help

 

[dorkpixie]

Please Help!!! Win7/XP no boot disc error

I have a serious problem with this dual boot. I attempted to create a WinXP partition onto my pre-installed Win7 computer. I shrank my 7 partition creating about 75GB of space for XP (I have another drive I use for data). After doing that I installed XP on the 75GB partition which XP had no problem seeing.
When XP went to reboot (which is does during install) the computer never came back up in any OS. The last message on the bottom of the POST screen is...."Disk error press ctl + alt + del to restart" It boots no where. I tried changed the boot order, it was already on HD so no good. Looked in BIOS for something....anything and found nothing. Tried hitting F8 natta. So I am at a loss as to what I can do here. I would rather not have to reinstall the Windows 7 since I have that already configured how I want and have all my programs installed. To have to redo both OSes would really suck. Any ideas????????

 

[dorkpixie]

Please Help!!! Win7/XP no boot disc error

I have a serious problem with this dual boot. I attempted to create a WinXP partition onto my pre-installed Windows 7 computer. I shrank my 7 partition creating about 75GB of space for XP (I have another drive I use for data). After doing that I installed XP on the 75GB partition which XP had no problem seeing.
When XP went to reboot (which is does during install) the computer never came back up in any OS. The last message on the bottom of the POST screen is...."Disk error press ctl + alt + del to restart" It boots no where. I tried changed the boot order, it was already on HD so no good. Looked in BIOS for something....anything and found nothing. Tried hitting F8 natta. So I am at a loss as to what I can do here. I would rather not have to reinstall the Windows 7 since I have that already configured how I want and have all my programs installed. To have to redo both OSes would really suck. Any ideas????????

 

[SIW2]

Hi,

Boot the 7 dvd and run startup repair - it will probably take 3 runs.