Let's get started!
Have a look at this tutorial before you start this for an alternative method.
System Reserved : Create for Dual Boot
Option One
Create the Windows 7 Syetem Reserved Partition
In the Windows start menu search box type
diskmgmt.msc right click the entry and click "Run as Administrator" if you get a
User Account Control (UAC) prompt enter your user credentials and click Yes.
1) In the disk management window and assuming you
have created or already have unallocated space to start with, right click that space and click
New Simple Volume then Next for the first "Wizard" dialog box.
click any image to enlarge
2) In the "Specify Volume Size" box type 200 for the size to create and click Next.
The reason for suggesting to create the System Reserved at 200MB instead of the new default of 100MB is an attempt to curb some of the issues we're now seeing with the partition being too small when dual/multi booting and it also being needed for use with the Windows 7
Backup and Restore and
BitLocker programs.
3) In the "Assign Drive Letter" box
do not assign a drive letter and click Next.
4) In the "Format" box at the "Volume Label" line type
System Reserved and do not put a check/tic at the "quick" box and click Next
5) At the last "Completing" wizard dialog box click Finish to complete the process.
Option Two
Install a second Windows Operating System
1) Now if you want to install a second Windows OS using the remaining unallocated space it's a very easy process; create this partition in the same way you created the SysResv partition; when you get to the "Specify Volume Size" dialog box click Next to accept the offered size or you can choose to create a specific size; for this one you can assign the next available drive letter; then at the "Format" box you would use a Label (name) that you choose like
Windows 7 or whatever you like and click Finish for the last "Wizard" dialog box.
click any image to enlarge
2) If there are already three (3) existing Primary partitions Windows will only create the fourth partition as an Extended partition, if you end up with an Extended/Logical drive, you can choose to do the Windows installation to the Logical drive and there will be no issues at all if you do and it can always be converted to a Primary partition at a later time if you choose.
For further information on the creation and use of Extended partition / Logical drives, have a look at this tutorial and its related links listed below.
System Reserved : Multi Boot from Logical Partitions
3) Strictly for demonstration purposes here, I'm going to use the free Partition Wizard bootable disk (PWBD) to convert the Extended to a Primary partition before the Windows installation so that I will have four (4) Primary partitions, for an out-line of the process see Option Four in this tutorial.
Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD
Method One: Install Windows 7 / Vista
1) The first thing is to mark the "System Reserved" partition as "Active" so Windows will know where to create the
system volume, where the system boot files are stored; in Windows disk management right click the SysResv partition and click "Mark as Active" then Yes for the conformation dialog box, the third snip is what you will have.
2) Now insert the Windows install media into the Optical Disk Drive and restart the PC to set the
first boot device as the ODD in the BIOS and install Windows 7 to the created "Windows 7" partition.
You will want to do a
clean install choosing the "Custom (advanced)" not the "Upgrade" option, when you are presented with this "Where do you want ... " dialog box click to choose the created "Windows 7" partition and click next;
do not use the installer to format anything.
3) Here's the end result.
4) You will have to use
EasyBCD from within Windows 7 to add an entry for Vista to the Windows boot (dual boot) menu but that's the easiest part of this process.
Method Two: Install Windows XP
The XP partition has to remain the
system volume for the installation process or it will cause all sorts of issues that have to be corrected before XP will boot correctly in conjunction with the use of the "System Reserved" partition in a dual/multi boot configuration; this method is only possible using a Primary partition, it is not possible using an Extended/Logical drive.
1) Use the same methods above to create both the SysResv and a partition to install XP to; right click the created XP partition and click "Mark as Active" then Yes for the conformation dialog box.
click any image to enlarge
2) Now insert the Windows install media into the Optical Disk Drive and restart the PC to set the
first boot device as the ODD in the BIOS and install Windows XP to the created "XP Professional" partition;
do not use the installer to format anything.
When XP starts, these next steps have to be done and done in this order to get XP and whichever OS (Vista / Windows7) you're dual booting to boot correctly so you won't have issues later.
3) In Windows XP disk management, right click the "System Reserved" partition and click "Change Drive Letter" then in the dialog box that opens click "Remove" then Yes for the "Confirm" dialog box.
4) Now right click the SysResv partition and click "Mark as Active" then Yes for the "Disk Management" conformation dialog box; the second snip is what you should have.
5) Now put a Windows 7 / Vista full installer DVD or a created
repair disk into the Optical Disk Drive (ODD) and restart the PC, at the BIOS select the ODD as the
first boot device and run the
3 separate startup repairs with a system restart
between each repair to create the boot files needed to start the dual boot to the "System Reserved" partition; information on the entire process can be viewed at these tutorials below.
Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times
How to Run a Startup Repair in Windows 7
6) One last step; you will have to use
EasyBCD from within Vista / Windows 7 to add an entry for XP to the Windows boot (dual boot) menu to get back to XP but that's the easiest part of this process.
Enjoy :)