Going from XP/XP dual boot to Win7/XP dual boot on a new drive

[melillo]

Hi,
This is my first question on this forum. The drives on my PC are currently configured the following way:

Disk 1 (600 GB)
- Partition 1: C: "System" (XP, bootable) (50 GB)
- Partition 2: D: "Music" (XP, bootable) (50 GB)
- Partition 3: E: "Samples" (500 Go)
Disk 2 (1 TB)
- Partition 1: G: "Data" (1 TB)

So, when I start the PC, I can choose to boot from C: (System: normal usage) or from D: (Music). When I boot from DMusic), it is to use my music production environement, on a lean system (no internet, no A/V).

I just bought a new 1TB drive to replace my 600 GB drive (#1 above). What I would like now is to configure the new disk that way:

Disk 1 (1 TB) (New drive)
- Partition 1: C: "System" (Win7, bootable) (100 GB)
- Partition 2: D: "Music" (XP, bootable) (100 GB) (unchanged)
- Partition 3: E: "Samples" (800 Go) (unchanged)
Disk 2 (1 TB) (Unchanged)
- Partition 1: G: "Data" (1 TB)

I am willing to reinstall everything on the C: partition, but I would like to avoid to do it for the D: partition as I want to keep it the way it is now. A simple mirror copy would be ok I think. Same for the E: partition (Samples).

My question: How do I proceed in order to still have a dual boot (this time a Win7/XP instead of XP/XP), without reinstalling XP and softwares on my D: partition?

I hope my request makes sense!

Thanks in advance and have a nice day,
Marc

 

[gregrocker]

Boot the Win7 installer to Clean Install Windows 7 with only the new HDD plugged in, from Steps 7 and 8 create and format your Win7 partition leaving space for XP left unformatted for later recovery using a backup image.

From Win7 use a reliable flexible imaging program like the Acronis premium app which comes free with any WD or Seagate HD in the mix, or free Macrium - Image your system. You should be able to clone or image over the XP partition from its HD while attached, to the new HDD Unallocated Space. Do not tell the app to mark XP partition Active or to copy Track0 MBR.

Once XP is imaged onto the new HDD, from Win7 add XP using EasyBCD (click Download - no Name or Email required). If this fails confirm Win7 is still Partition Marked Active to run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times to see if it will add XP to Boot Menu, or if needed to restart Win7 for some reason.

Let us know how this goes.