Please help me to dual boot Windows 7 and XP

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again Combine.



Edit: This tutorial at the link below has been updated to include how to do this, have a look.
Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD


Your questions in order ...

1) Use the Partition Wizard CD to shrink the "HP C:" partition.

2) Regarding "Option Three" not needed as you need to use Partition Wizard to create the new partition so that when you do it can be created as primary to start with and there will be no need to change it after it has been created.

see the snips below

3) You will not need to repair the boot files in Windows 7 until after you have installed XP and it's booting good.

4) "Finally" yes you should be able to install XP as you want to the newly created partition; be sure to have the needed XP drivers on hand before you start the XP install.

Have a look at the snips below; I closely replicated your situation so I could make sure you will be able to do this; use Partition Wizard to shrink the C: and create the new partition you need.
Make any backups of data you don't want to lose before you start this.

@Greg, thanks!

 

[Combine]

Thank you very much Bare Foot Kid, you covered all my doubts up to now, I'm very pleased, more reputation for you if I could.
I will post back when I succesfuly achieved the dual boot or if I have another question, but now you have helped me a lot, thanks!.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello again.



I'm glad you have found the help you needed, be sure to keep us informed as to your progress.


Just to make sure; you do know that when you have installed XP and have all the needed drivers installed and XP is booting good, you do know that you will have to mark as active the system partition and run as many as 3 separate startup repairs with system restarts between the repairs to write the boot files back to the the system partition.

 

[Combine]

and run as many as 3 separate startup repairs with system restarts between the repairs to write the boot files back to the the system partition.

Here comes another question, what do you mond with "run as many 3 separate startup repairs"?
What I think is that you are refering that when runs the tools in the repair disk there are 3 "kinds" or "sorts" of reparations.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

No, I mean you have to do a startup repair 3 separate times, sometime it takes 3 repairs to the same system partition to completely write the boot files to the system partition and you will need to re-start the system between each of the repairs; so that both Windows 7 and XP will boot as a dual boot, so you will get a boot menu whenever the PC is started or re-started, you will use it to select which OS you want to boot to.

​

 

[Combine]

I read this guide http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html and it says than after installing xp I should use the profrag EasyBCD(in XP) to repair the Windows 7 boot file and add XP to the Windows Boot Manager list. So what you are writing about doing a "startup repair 3 separate times" is in the case I get Error loading Operating System after XP restarts, so that i have to repair Windows 7 boot to access to it and finish the installation with the Easy BCD in Win 7, rigth?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

I always just do the repairs and I forget that there is instructions how to use EasyBCD to add a boot entry, that is the easiest way and you should use that.


Just use EasyBCD.

 

[Combine]

Thank you very much Bare Foot Kid.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

You are very welcome!

 

[curtiswardwell]

Dual Boot

Here is a link that gives step by step instructions. I am not trying to override and one that is more experienced. Just trying to learn more and help a little.

 

[curtiswardwell]

Dual Boot

Sorry forgot to add the link.

Dual Boot Your Pre-Installed Windows 7 Computer with XP - How-To Geek

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

This tutorial at the link below has been updated to include how to do this, have a look.


Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD