Installing XP professional

[simono1]

Hello Friends,
Q: The college (ITT) I'm attending has a program allowing students to download for free, the programs we'll need for classes. The OS's we need are there also which is really a help financially.
I have vista already, and a friend got rid of a computer which gave me a second hard drive which I installed. I wiped it clean and downloaded a OS from the instrutions given to us on how to do this. There's a long download followed by an unpacking, then a request to burn an image and reinsert the disc to install. We we're given our key at the beginning of the download and are ask for it now. I installed 7 on the clean hard drive which I named j: and was successful. A few days later, I needed to download and install Xp professional. I partitioned the drive and proceeded to do the same as with 7. Combatability issues blocking the installation occurred and from what I've read, it's boot related and I should of installed Xp first. Is this true?

Also, being that two OS's are on the same drive... does that mean both have to bootup (duel boot) and run, even if there on seperate partitions?

I think the reason I'm given the option to boot vista, or 7 at startup is because thier on two different drives. Hoping this could still be the case with two OS's on the same drive but on separate partitions.

Your help would be very welcome...

Simono

 

[DeaconFrost]

I'm not entirely sure what all you did, but if it was me, and I needed XP for some college classes, I'd virtualize it. VirtualBox is free, and won't muck up your partitions or boot options.

 

[FliGi7]

I definitely agree with Deacon. It sounds like it might be easier to install a virtual machine inside of Vista so you can even transfer files back and forth between the two systems as necessary without having to reboot...

Downloads - VirtualBox

 

[wilywombat]

You may find this M$ article of use :- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529

"These issues occur because earlier versions of the Windows operating system are incompatible with the new Windows Vista startup method. Windows Vista uses a new Boot Configuration Database (BCD) store. This store contains a boot menu and all the information about operating systems that are installed on the computer. Therefore, a Boot.ini file that is from an earlier version of the Windows operating system cannot be used to start Windows Vista."

 

[ZORG]

Usually, when installing two OS and one being older than the other, we first install the old one so that we can make the MBR recognize the new one. Anyway, virtualizing it would be rather a good idea. i´d try it if i were you.

By the way, what´s happened to the Microsoft Virtual pc?

zorg

 

[simono1]

You may find this M$ article of use :- Windows no longer starts after you install an earlier version of the Windows operating system in a dual-boot configuration

"These issues occur because earlier versions of the Windows operating system are incompatible with the new Windows Vista startup method. Windows Vista uses a new Boot Configuration Database (BCD) store. This store contains a boot menu and all the information about operating systems that are installed on the computer. Therefore, a Boot.ini file that is from an earlier version of the Windows operating system cannot be used to start Windows Vista."

All you guys are a great help! I've heard alot about virtual but stayed away because someone once said to me there are problems with playing around with it. They must of had a bad experience with it... I don't know. I was just talking with someone the other day about setting something up as virtual.... and I guess here's my chance... I have the image on a disk, is that enough? I'll head over to virtualbox and read. I will also view your article wilywombat.

One Q: FliGi7... you mention setting this up with-in Vista. Sense I using 7 and Xp for classes... can I set virtual Xp inside 7 instead?

 

[FliGi7]

Yes. VirtualBox can be installed for any of those operating systems. I was using Vista as an example since you said you had that already. You can, and should, just as easily do that within 7 instead.

 

[DeaconFrost]

That's the most common thing people are doing now. I run W7, but I virtualize a copy of XP so I can keep familiar with it and support it until I get the rest of my users all on W7.

 

[ZORG]

you mean, installing win xp as the OS of the virtual box having win 7 as the host pc?

 

[MacGyvr]

Ummm, why not use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7? It's available with Enterprise, Professional and Ultimate.

 

[DeanP]

You can try these virtualization programs...

Sun VirtualBox
vmWare Workstation
Those two for me are quite good.

 

[FliGi7]

Yes. More particularly, migrating the VM into VirtualBox rather utilizing Virtual PC for XP Mode in 7.

 

[FliGi7]

Ummm, why not use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7?

It's a preference of VM environments (Virtual PC vs VirtualBox). If you use them a lot, you start to have a favorite or two.

 

[gregrocker]

A better method to multi-boot OS's when you have separate HD's is to unplug the other HD during install, set install HD as first to boot in BIOS setup, then install.

After install plug back in the other HD, set preferred HD as first to boot in BIOS setup, then boot the other HD using one-time BIOS boot menu.

If you decide you need XP on the same HD with one of the other OS's, use Disk Mgmt to shrink it's partition, unplug the other HD, boot XP installer to create the new partition and full format, install XP. After install, add the other OS on the HD to Dual Boot Menu using EasyBCD 2.0 following the steps in Method Two here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

 

[MacGyvr]

Ummm, why not use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7?

It's a preference of VM environments (Virtual PC vs VirtualBox). If you use them a lot, you start to have a favorite or two.

I'm not sure a personal preference (unless supported by solid reasons) should come into play when assisting a poster. The most available, and IMHO, most reasonable solution for him/her is XP Mode (depending of course on their version of Windows 7).

 

[DeaconFrost]

Ummm, why not use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7? It's available with Enterprise, Professional and Ultimate.

Because the OP might not have a compatible version, and I've found, on processors without VT, VirtualBox seems to run better. My suggestion was meant to cover more variables, and it costs the same as XP Mode. The OP also already has an XP license, so that negates one big positive for XP Mode.

 

[simono1]

Ummm, why not use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7? It's available with Enterprise, Professional and Ultimate.

Because the OP might not have a compatible version, and I've found, on processors without VT, VirtualBox seems to run better. My suggestion was meant to cover more variables, and it costs the same as XP Mode. The OP also already has an XP license, so that negates one big positive for XP Mode.

I want to thank all of you for your help.... I have chose VirtualBox to use and with some reading and some mistakes, I am proud to say that I now have Xp professional up and running in my vista environment. I chose vista because of the understanding from you'all that in 7, I'm able to run Xp there in Xp mode. Sense I have two drives, 7 sits alone with 98GB and as one said... It's a matter of preference on which way to go with this. Well, I now will be able to experiment with both.

Again, thank you all for you incite and willingness to help... God bless and have a safe and happy holiday.

Simono

 

[simono1]

A better method to multi-boot OS's when you have separate HD's is to unplug the other HD during install, set install HD as first to boot in BIOS setup, then install.

After install plug back in the other HD, set preferred HD as first to boot in BIOS setup, then boot the other HD using one-time BIOS boot menu.

If you decide you need XP on the same HD with one of the other OS's, use Disk Mgmt to shrink it's partition, unplug the other HD, boot XP installer to create the new partition and full format, install XP. After install, add the other OS on the HD to Dual Boot Menu using EasyBCD 2.0 following the steps in Method Two here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

Thank you for this incite.... I will keep this in mind.

 

[FliGi7]

Ummm, why not use Windows XP Mode in Windows 7?

It's a preference of VM environments (Virtual PC vs VirtualBox). If you use them a lot, you start to have a favorite or two.

I'm not sure a personal preference (unless supported by solid reasons) should come into play when assisting a poster. The most available, and IMHO, most reasonable solution for him/her is XP Mode (depending of course on their version of Windows 7).

...huh? I haven't stated any personal preferences actually, just that preferences will form when you have used different VM's regularly. And I'm not even sure how you can say that with the next sentence stating your opinion on what the most reasonable solution is for the OP. Haha.

Glad the OP took all the info and decided which would work best for them in their situation. A lot of good options in here.