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

 

[DrDetroit101]

Yea... hitting F12 at the right moment and booting to the XP HD may be easy for me. But its not simple and clear cut like it needs to be for my wife and parents.

I would like for there to be an option to select from like they are used to. Can we make this happen?

 

[gregrocker]

Then post back a screenshot of your full Disk Mgmt drive map from XP with both drives plugged in, as well as EasyBCD 2.0 listings. Use Snipping tool in Start Menu, attach using Paper Clip in Reply box.

Was XP HD plugged in when you installed Win7 on the other HD? It should have configured a Dual Boot unless probs exist which may be revealed by the screenshot.

 

[DrDetroit101]

OMG... My brilliant nieghbor who claimed to have done this 1000x times said to right click my windows7 drive and say make active then reboot.

Now my system wont boot into windows7. It says missing boot file and to hit cnrtl alt del to restart...

Why did i listen to him !! ugh

 

[gregrocker]

Since you've now marked Win7 partition Active, power down to unplug the XP HD then boot to the Win7 DVD or Repair CD to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times on Win7: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105541-startup-repair-run-3-separate-times.html

Once Win7 starts on its own, power down to plug back in XP HD then boot either via the BIOS, or install EasyBCD 2.0 to Win7 to Add XP which is easier to accomplish.

 

[DrDetroit101]

here is a screenshot of my disk mngt window
as of now, the pc will boot to win 7 but easybcd still dont add the dual boot option
havnt tried the 3 repair

 

[gregrocker]

Since the repair was run with XP drive still plugged in, it's removed the System Active boot files from XP to Win7.

See if you can now remove XP listing from EasyBCD Edit Boot Menu tab, then Add it back.

If not, unplug Win7 HD, set XP HD as first to boot in BIOS setup, run an XP Repair Install: Repair Windows XP - How To Perform a Repair Installation of Windows XP - Part 1 of 2

After XP is repaired and System Active itself again, power down to plug back in Win7 and boot either via BIOS.

 

[DrDetroit101]

Since the repair was run with XP drive still plugged in, it's removed the System Active boot files from XP to Win7.

See if you can now remove XP listing from EasyBCD Edit Boot Menu tab, then Add it back.

If not, unplug Win7 HD, set XP HD as first to boot in BIOS setup, run an XP Repair Install: Repair Windows XP - How To Perform a Repair Installation of Windows XP - Part 1 of 2

After XP is repaired and System Active itself again, power down to plug back in Win7 and boot either via BIOS.

good god. 19 step xp repair is needed? with a special xp disk with special drivers becuase i have a sata HD !?

making the win7 partition active and unpluggin the xp drive then the win7 3 repair wont work anymore like you mentioned before?

and when i went into eaxybcd edit boot menu tab, xp wasnt there. when i add it and write it, its gone after the restart.

 

[gregrocker]

You have already repaired Win7 to make it System Active. It boots correctly. It can't be repaired any more than that.

The issue now is XP, which has lost its System Active status when Win7 was repaired while XP HD was plugged in.

This is OK if XP will now boot via the BIOS one-time Boot Menu Key, or EasyBCD 2.0 will Add XP and then Save it until it restarts to a Dual Boot menu.

If not then all I can suggest is to Repair XP which will allow it to boot via BIOS.

 

[DrDetroit101]

I will perform the XP repair this weekend and post the results. Thank you so much for your help.

Steve

 

[Puddin Man]

gregrocker if you're still there ...

here is screenshot of my 2 500gb HD's.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/2649/25612521.jpg

On disk 0 are the 2 part's from install of Win7-64 Home Prem. OEM.
On disk 1 are the 2 part's from Partition Wiz backup of disk 0 + ntfs stuff from an old system.

I need dual-boot Win7 and XP.

I should start by consolidating the Win7 into a single partition?

Any guidance, suggestions, etc would be appreciated. This looks like a nasty little mess.

Thx,
P

 

[gregrocker]

What is the necessity of having a copy of DISK0 partitions on DISK1? If you need to backup an image of Win7 from DISK0 I would use Win7 backup imaging to save it to an external HD or a single partition on the right end of DISK1 which you create NTFS Primary for that purpose: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

Then I would unplug DISK0, set DISK1 as first HD to boot in BIOS setup, boot the XP install CD, see if it will detect DISK1, delete the first two partitions, create a New partition there and Full Format before installing XP as desired.

If XP installer won't see DISK1 to install, it is because it doesn't have the SATA controller necessary. You can insert it at F6 prompt during initial driver-loading phase if you have a floppy drive. If not, you'll have to slipstream the SATA controller into XP installer using this method: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/72185-sata-drivers-slipstream-into-windows-xp-cd.html?ltr=S

Once XP installs and starts up, power down to plug back in HD0. Set the preferred HD as first HD to boot in BIOS setup, then boot the other HD as needed using the one-time BIOS Boot menu key.

I know you have another thread going somewhere here now, but I can't remember if you were asked if you've considered running XP virtually using Virtual Box, Virtual Player, etc. Or have you tried to install XP programs which are balking in Win7 using http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/316-compatibility-mode.html?

 

[Puddin Man]

What is the necessity of having a copy of DISK0 partitions on DISK1? If you need to backup an image of Win7 from DISK0 I would use Win7 backup imaging to save it to an external HD or a single partition on the right end of DISK1 which you create NTFS Primary for that purpose: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

No necessity, just preference.

Then I would unplug DISK0, set DISK1 as first HD to boot in BIOS setup, boot the XP install CD, see if it will detect DISK1, delete the first two partitions, create a New partition there and Full Format before installing XP as desired.

If XP installer won't see DISK1 to install, it is because it doesn't have the SATA controller necessary. You can insert it at F6 prompt during initial driver-loading phase if you have a floppy drive. If not, you'll have to slipstream the SATA controller into XP installer using this method: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/72185-sata-drivers-slipstream-into-windows-xp-cd.html?ltr=S

I'm not running AHCI and doubt I'll need to load SATA drivers, but I've slipstreamed with nlite before ...

Once XP installs and starts up, power down to plug back in HD0. Set the preferred HD as first HD to boot in BIOS setup, then boot the other HD as needed using the one-time BIOS Boot menu key.

I'm used to juggling HD's, etc, so thats no problem, but ...

Wherever possible, I'm totally committed to using non-MS methods. If I can get the job done with, say, Partition Wizard, that is the way I need to go. the 104 pages in this tutorial thread serves as partial evidence why I'm avoiding MS stuff.

It would've helped a bunch if this tutorial had dealt with the 100mb 2nd partition up front. :-(

I'm still uncertain about the "one-time BIOS Boot menu key", 'tho you'll likely admit that it is an unnecessary hack. My Asus P7H55D-M board has:

Delete - BIOS Setup
Tab - Display BIOS Post Msg
F8 - Boot Menu
Alt F2 - EZ Flash 2

In any event, I'd think that a boot-manager is better suited for choosing an OS.

I know you have another thread going somewhere here now, but I can't remember if you were asked if you've considered running XP virtually using Virtual Box, Virtual Player, etc. Or have you tried to install XP programs which are balking in Win7 using http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/316-compatibility-mode.html?

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/129096-special-win7-multi-boot-config-problem.html

the next to last entry has some answers.

Thanks,
P

 

[gregrocker]

The F8 Boot menu key is the one-time BIOS Boot menu key I was obviously referring to, not some hack.

 

[Puddin Man]

The F8 Boot menu key is the one-time BIOS Boot menu key I was obviously referring to, not some hack.

Forsooth, you are correct, it doesn't look like a hack.

But the Asus boot-up screen goes by sooooo fast (on mine, anyway), it's super-easy to miss. And EasyBCD will allow me to set the wait time. Etc, etc.

P

 

[gregrocker]

Then use EasyBCD 2.0 to add the other OS using the steps in this tutorial, since booting via the BIOS isn't optimal for you.

 

[arielxarg]

great guide dude !!

 

[Zinic]

Hmm, it sounds like XP shouldn't recognize your SATA HDD, but it does with mine. Something wrong?

 

[Brink]

Hello Zinic,

I guess that you may have had the SATA drivers included in the XP installation already??

 

[Zinic]

Hello Zinic,

I guess that you may have had the SATA drivers included in the XP installation already??

Yes, that must be right.

I am having a different problem now. After I install XP, when my computer restarts, it boots to the CD w/o my command (you have to press any key to boot from CD). I tried making it boot to my HDD, but it still boot from the CD. So I took the CD out and tried again, but this time I came up with an error, saying it was missing a file.

I have never got passed the installation. I have installed many times, but still can't get the OS to work after it boots.

 

[Brink]

Zinic,

If XP was finished installing when this happens at the restart point, then you might see if using the suggestion in the yellow TIP box under step 6 in METHOD TWO may be able to help with this.