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

 

[chuckr]

hey guys 1st post & great forum you all have built. Right, now some more problems for ya's lol, Just finished the duel boot install & all went well (spot on tutorial), small trouble is my drive letters, got a 250g drive partitioned, win7 on first part & xp on 2nd, when i look in both OS windows explorers i get Win7=C: & XP=D: pain in the butt when installing on xp (gotta change the install letter), anyway to have it so both OS see themselves as C: ?

Welcome, Dad...

Just curious:

1. You installed w7 first, then XP second ?

2. When you "Boot XP" from the Boot Manager menu, do you see D: or C: in the XP Explorer ?

Thanks...

 

[Dad]

thanks for the quick reply guys ,

1 yes win7 first then xp
2 i see both: my xp partition under D: & win7 is under C: no matter what os i am using.
I just dont want to have to change software installs to D: when im in XP.

PS: i tried to disable the drive letter for win7( C: ) in XP but it errors saying it cant disable/change a system/boot drive letter
PPS:
i have disabled the drive letter for the xp partition in win7 so i dont see it, although im a bit worried (havnt rebooted yet) it wont boot back to xp now that ive done that ?

 

[SIW2]

It doesn't matter - I deliberately set my system up so my first partition (Vista) is always seeen as C, and my second partition (7) is always seen as D - no matter which o/s I boot into, all the drive letters are consistent.

When I am booted into 7 ( D) - I find virtually all software installers automatically point to D.

 

[SIW2]

I have the same issue, i had 7 on my one pc, just added XP and all i get is error loading operating system. did a fixmbr on the xp drive but still the same thing? any help please?

Hi David,

You need to reinstate the 7 boot management system, and add an entry for XP to that.

Easiest way is to run 7 startup repair from the dvd 3 times.

Boot into 7 - install easybcd on 7.

http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1

Click add/remove entry.

In the drop down flap , select "Windows NT/2K/XP/2K3".

Type the name you want - select the active partition for Drive letter.

Click Add Entry.

 

[Dad]

It doesn't matter - I deliberately set my system up so my first partition (Vista) is always seeen as C, and my second partition (7) is always seen as D - no matter which o/s I boot into, all the drive letters are consistent.

When I am booted into 7 ( D) - I find virtually all software installers automatically point to D.

Ahh No probs thanks, thats mainly what i was concerned about.
Is there a way to get both OS showing up as C: in each respective boot up ? if not i'll just have to get used to it. just that i would like to know in case of probs.


PS: if i disable my XP ( D ) Letter in win7 disk management, will i still be able to boot into XP?

 

[SIW2]

You may have all sorts of trouble if you change the letter for the System partition.

As XP is ( presumably) a boot partition - not the system partition - you may be okay to do that - but you can't make it C as that is already used.

No point , really.

 

[Dad]

You may have all sorts of trouble if you change the letter for the System partition.

As XP is ( presumably) a boot partition - not the system partition - you may be okay to do that - but you can't make it C as that is already used.

No point , really.

Ok SIW2 thanks very much for your help, much appreciated

 

[davidjohn610]

Thanks

SIW2,

Thanks for the info, however I already lost patience with it late last night and tried using a boot disc I have "Mr. O's Boot" . I tried a few utilities and no luck, for some reason before xp finished installing it rebooted. thus causing it not to find a valid boot location. I messed with it then just wiped it and threw XP on to be sure the board drivers i rounded up worked. Now that it is on I am going to use the pc for what I needed xp for, then install 7 back on then "hopefully" get that xp partition working. I have done this many times before and really got stumped. I tried the XP disc on another PC and it did the same thing, with around 14 mins left in the "Setting up XP" screen it reboots. That disc went in the trash soon there after. Your info will def help out a bunch when it comes time to do this again, is it possible to do it efficiently with XP on first. It seems like every one does it with 7 on initially?

Dave

I have the same issue, i had 7 on my one pc, just added XP and all i get is error loading operating system. did a fixmbr on the xp drive but still the same thing? any help please?

Hi David,

You need to reinstate the 7 boot management system, and add an entry for XP to that.

Easiest way is to run 7 startup repair from the dvd 3 times.

Boot into 7 - install easybcd on 7.

Download EasyBCD 1.7.2 - NeoSmart Technologies

Click add/remove entry.

In the drop down flap , select "Windows NT/2K/XP/2K3".

Type the name you want - select the active partition for Drive letter.

Click Add Entry.

View attachment 29956

 

[SIW2]

Hi,


Yes,you can do it the other way round.

If you install 7 after XP - it will normally add XP into the boot menu automatically.

If not - for example, if you change the Active partition - you can again install Easybcd on 7 and have it add the XP entry to bcd for you.

 

[loadingtext]

Good guide.

I have Windows 7 installed. I want to dual boot with Windows XP. I already have the separate partition in place for Windows XP. Here is my problem.

Everytime I restart Windows and put in the Windows XP CD. It goes to the standard blue setup screen, then checks the files. But then it does not load to the Windows XP menu to install Windows XP, but rather, it goes to the blue screen.

Any help on this issue would be good.

Pretty sure that you have to boot from the XP CD, and install from there.

See if that does the trick for you...

Be aware that when you finish XP installation,

you'll probably lose your w7 Bootmgr screen...

I did. Same problem. I can't seem to slipstream the SATA driver on my window XP CD.

By the way, would a 64 bit system work with a 32 bit OS?

 

[SIW2]

If you mean can you install a 32 bit o/s on a 64 bit capable pc - then yes.

 

[Perrybucsdad]

So how would you do a second install of W7 if your first install it 32bit, and now you want to dual boot to 64bit? Do you follow method two, but do the 64bit install?

 

[Brink]

Hello Perry,

To dual boot with only two Windows 7 OS's, you can use the same instructions in the tutorial below instead. Just substitute Vista for the other Windows 7.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/5166-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-vista.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[frenchcr]

1 x XP, 1 x ubuntu, 1 x storage and adding a 4th drive

Hey Brink, nice work!

I have an added dimension.

I have 2 drives, one with xp and the other with ubuntu..
...a 3rd drive which is 1Tb which stores files for work, music etc.

Ive got a Windows 7 Ultimate retail disk gratis of microsoft and want to add a new 4th drive to install it on.

At the moment when i boot up, i get grub and can choose between xp and ubuntu...i want to be able to choose from these two AND windows 7.

How do i go about this? ... i.e. i dont want to harm any of the 3 older drives, theyve got tons of valuable stuff on them.

As a starter for ten, I unplugged the ubuntu drive and the storage drive leaving just xp drive wired up and switched on the pc. It booted into xp as if it was the only OS.

So I thought if i install and activate the new drive (4th drive) in xp and assign it a letter like W, then reboot into the W7 disk using your method, then this will give me a functioning dual boot...am i right???? ...then i just reconnect the storage drive and enable it in W7.

If im right then that just leaves me to reinstall and configure grub from a live CD so that grub has all 3 OSs.

Can you verify my line of thinking or advise otherwise. Thanks.

 

[time sheep]

As far as i know, you can just pull in the new drive and install 7 on it.
You will get the GRUB loader overwritten with the Windows Vista/7 bootloader.
Only problem is that XP will appear as "Older version of Windows".
So, if you want to have 7, and keep the GRUB bootloader., follow this ^^
Reinstall Ubuntu Grub Bootloader After Windows Wipes it Out :: the How-To Geek

 

[frenchcr]

turns out i got a black screen after the xp loader yesterday.

luckily i hadnt installed w7 yet. so i unplugged the xp drive and ubuntu drive and installed w7 on new drive #4.

Luckily i can see the xp drive from my computer in w7 so have copied all my files over. the third drive with all the stored files was visible too so no problems there.

Ill follow your guide to reinstall grub, thanks.

It means ive lost the xp boot but at least i can see all its files in w7 and can copy them over.

 

[Arrow123]

Can someone please help me out? I had xp and 7 working properly with the option of which OS to start with, but then i deleted xp and decided to reinstall it again after a while. After I did, I found out that you cant install an older version with 7 because it will not give you the option of which OS to start with and it will go with xp automatically. So then i deleted 7 and reinstalled it, but still I'm not getting the option and it's going straight to the newly installed 7.

 

[SIW2]

Easiest to install the free Easybcd on 7.

Add an entry for XP - the XP entry must point at the partition containing the XP boot files - not necessarily the same as the partition XP is installed on.

Go to folder options - show Hidden Files - look for ntldr, ntdetect.com and boot.ini - they should be on the Active partition - that is where you point the XP entry with Easybcd.

Hope it helps

 

[Arrow123]

I'm really needing a step-by-step. Im on 7 right now which is C: and xp is on E:. In easyBCD i go into add/remove entries. In type put Windows NT/2k/xp/2k3 once i do that the drive cannot be changed anymore so i press add entry and it gives me an error NTDLR not found. What did i do wrong?

 

[SIW2]

You need to select the drive before you select Windows NT/2k/xp/2k3.

it needs to be the drive those 3 files are located on - they should be on the Active partition.


Look in Disk Management to see which partition is marked System, Active.