Dual boot issue with XP and Windows 7

[Seanathon]

I bought a computer with Win7, but I have to have WinXP for my work. I have created the partition to load the XP on. When I go to install XP from the disk I get an error wondering if there is enough disk space, but it hasn't asked me which partition to use at that point. It also says that there may be a driver conflict. Below that there is mention of pci.sys with an address, base and date stamp. It recommends that I disable the driver. Thoughts on what is going on here?

Additionally, when I try to partition the drive for the XP it will only make it a logical drive in Disk Management. Am I doing something wrong there?

Thanks, Sean

 

[gregrocker]

You need to create and format the XP partition using the booted Xp installer. It uses a different partition table.

You cannot install XP to a logical drive.

 

[Seanathon]

All right, I got XP loaded and am running it right now. The issue I'm having now is that I have a C: drive partition created by the manufacturer that is a system partition with only 200MB and can't be changed. I loaded XP on the D: partition that I created in Win7 Disk Management. When I go to install the XP drivers for all my hardware it's trying to put them on the C: and there's not enough room. Is there a way for me to select which drive the drivers get loaded to? I can't rename the drives in the XP Disk Management.

 

[Seanathon]

Actually, as I am looking at XP Disk Management again. The D: which has XP loaded onto it, is labeled as a logical drive.

 

[gregrocker]

Is it dual booting correctly?

If the driver utility can't be made to change directories, does it then refuse to extract due to space limitations on C?

Others may have another idea but I would try to extend C by just enough space to hold them.

Save a Win7 backup image externally if you need to shrink Win7 partition from the left as 3rd party resizing operations can fail. It will include C and XP in the image so you wont' have to reinstall either.

I would use free Partition Wizard bootable CD which has never failed for me. Boot CD, select 1 for screen res, rightclick Win7 (or partition right of C which I'm assuming here is first partition), select Resize, slide left border by grey area to right to make enough room in C, OK.

Now right click C>Resize>slide right border to take up newly made space, OK. Apply all steps.

Make a Win7 Repair CD first in backup center as resizing System partition can sometimes cause loss of boot. If so, boot Repair CD, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots to repair MBR until Win7 restarts.

 

[Saltgrass]

Is there any way you could attach your image as opposed to leaving it on your computer. I cannot see it. Use the Paper clip and after you browse and open, select upload.

 

[Seanathon]

Well, no more issues here. I was informed by my firm's IT support that the whole disk encryption software I am required to use wont be able to handle all the different partitions, so I've downgraded to only being an XP machine. Thanks for the thoughts.

Sean

 

[gregrocker]

Strange company that would have you delete the future to hold on to obsolete OS which support is about to be phased out.

If you want to try adding in a single other partition with Win7 and they will allow it, we can help you here.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html