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

 

[Brink]

Thanks Brink!

You're welcome.

 

[nashra555]

Install XP to its partition so that it boots and runs correctly.

Then repair Win7 by marking it's 100mb System Reserved partition Active to run Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times.

Now install EasyBCD to Win7 to add XP on the Add OS Entry tab, accept offered boot files, let it autocomplete, reboot to OS menu.

Thank you gregrocker,

Let me try this one and I will come back.

 

[primevyl]

for some reason i thought this would be much simpler...ha

 

[vahelduvool]

Hello!
I did the multi boot like the guide said. Its working fine but there is some thing about the 100MB drive. I want to disable it in XP, because one my working programs that I want to install is installing there. I changed the install location but no chage. It will use like C to primary drive, but it isn´t in XP. So some ideas, to disable or change C drive in this pic?

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, in both OS's Disk Mgmt you should remove the drive letter from System Rserved so that nothing can write to it. Drive Letter - Add, Change, or Remove in Windows 7 - Windows 7 Forums

It already shows something has written to it enough it might interfere with saving a Win7 backup image. If you'll unhide System and Hidden files in Control Panel>Folder Options>View to take a screenshot of the file contents, we can try to spot what it is so you can safely delete it. You'll need to do this before deleting the drive letter.

 

[vahelduvool]

The program what I installed did not deleted it files on C (in xp). Now I have deleted then and free space is 74MB. Ok inside of C drive:

 

[gregrocker]

74 mb is fine to enable Win7 backup imaging to create it's System Volume file there when creating a Win7 backup image: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

You can now hide the System Reserved drive letter in both XP and Win7 as it should be by default.

 

[Sibo]

What do I do if I do not have a win 7 installation disk to repair between 6 and 7. If I had it I would install XP first. BTW when slipstreaming I found that one must use a xp system to slipstream an xp install disc. Many people used Win 7 and found that their product key wouldn't work.

 

[gregrocker]

System Repair Disc - Create

How would a Repair CD help you install XP first? You'd need a Win7 installer which can also be used for Repairs and is available at Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life

I've not heard of the slipstream issue with activation. I don't know how Win7 would affect a slipstreamed XP CD's eventual activation.

 

[WindowsStar]

System Repair Disc - Create

How would a Repair CD help you install XP first? You'd need a Win7 installer which can also be used for Repairs and is available at Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life

I've not heard of the slipstream issue with activation. I don't know how Win7 would affect a slipstreamed XP CD's eventual activation.

+1 I have slipstreamed XP on my Windows 7 machine without issue, I too do not know how this is a problem.

 

[oao]

Hi,

I am adding multioot XP64 to a laptop that already has W7 installed.

For the step that requires booting from the W7 install disc at command prompt, I do not have a W7 install disc--the laptop came with it preinstalled (OEM) and the previous owner has deleted the recovery partition. I don't want to spend $20 on the Acer recovery discs.

Can I create a W7 repair disc and use it to boot at the command prompt and do the repair? If not, can I do it from the XP install disc? If not is there any other way to do the repair?

Also, is there any way I can create the W7 recovery discs myself from the W7 already installed?

Thanks.
FP

 

[Brink]

Hello FP, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Yes, you can create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc from within your Windows 7.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html
Do note, that this disc will NOT be able to reinstall Windows 7, but can only be used to boot to the System Recovery Options screen like below. You could use this to do a Startup Repair on Windows 7.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[oao]

Thanks.

So there is no way to create recovery discs from the W7 installed -- they must be bought from Acer, right?

 

[SIW2]

Some manufacturers remove the option to create a standard win7 repair disc - the one Shawn is referring to.

You can still do it, though.

Rt click this KD.cmd file , SELECT RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR and post back the text file it outputs:

View attachment KD.zip

oao, are you waiting for something?

 

[oao]

Thanks.

The laptop with W7 is at home and I am at the office, so I will have to do it when I get home and get back to you.

Best,
FP

 

[SIW2]

Oh, ok.

Just need to run that .cmd to find where acer have hidden one particular file - then it is easy to to do.

 

[oao]

I've run it on my xp system and it gave me:

Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 746F-E11E

 

[SIW2]

Is that all?

Not surprised - it is looking for something needed to create win7 repair disc .

It won't exist on XP. run it from your windows 7 drive.

Is it 32 or 64 bit windows 7 that you have?

 

[oao]

This is a different system running only XP64 that was streamlined with nLite, not the system I intend to install XP64 on a W7 system.

I just ran the KD.CMD out of curiosity to see what happens and it came out empty.

There is no recovery folder in system32. There is only a restore folder.

 

[SIW2]

No there won't be on XP.

KD.cmd needs to be run on win7.

They are quite different operating systems.