Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP

@gregrocker Inside advanced boot options, there isn't the option "Repair your computer". Also, at the top it doesn't say Choose Advanced Options for: Windows 7, it says Windows Setup.

@SIW2 Don't have a key for bios

With Recovery disc in drive, I got into Advanced Boot Options, from there I selected "Start Windows Normally", but before selecting, I removed the Recovery disc. Then I got into System Recovery Options and selected Startup Repair, it restore my computer to its previous state.

Don't know if that was the correct procedure, but I appreciate SIW2 and gregrocker's help. I will retry this tutorial. Thanks again.

Thanks for the tutorial! Dual boot successful!

gregrocker said:

Hi again Dan -

There's nothing installed on F. What I would do is delete that Partition in Disk Management, or using the XP installation CD, then create New partition there and full format it with XP CD. See if that helps.

Hi gregrocker,

Actually I started installing Win XP on F. The first step of the installation (when files are copied from cd to partition) was OK. Then it reboots the computer and there I got the loading Operating System error. The installation of XP was not finished, that's why you see nothing installed on F.

I would like to finish the installation but don't know how.

Why don't you try my suggestion? XP uses a different partition table than Win7 so creating and formatting with it's CD sometimes helps.

If not, please post back the verbatim fail message.

I think I might have got it working now, XP is installing at the moment. I'm not sure why disk manager wasn't showing a system partition anywhere either. Actually, I didn't even notice that until you mentioned it. I did figure out how to slipstream SP2 updates into my install disk though and it corrected the issue with the partitions not showing up correctly during the XP install. Also, the disk 0 partition 1 showed up as the system disk. BTW, I already created my backups as well. I will post back with updates hopefully after the installation is complete. Thank you for your help.

Hi ... I've read the tutorial ... but not through the 120 pages of posts!

I have Win7 x64 fresh installed on a new drive. When I first formatted, I created a partition on the new drive for XP, which was previously on the system. I have an Acronis Disc Image of my former XP install loaded on an external drive.

I think I'm ready to go ... but I have become concerned about (1) any chance of losing my Win7 installation; (2) what will happen with my XP install as I am placing it on other than a 'C' drive in my current system; (3) whether the former system will work now that it's on a new drive (although physically on the same mobo connection) and I have increased my installed RAM; and finally, (4) what will happen with the whole 'bootloader' issue when I power up the first time.

As noted, the only physical changes are that the hard drive where my Win7 is installed is a physical replacement of what set at that mobo connection and that I have increased my RAM from 1 2x2 pair to 4 2x2 pairs. My system is also Scsi Attached Sata (SAS) if that is of any consideration in my questions.

Can anyone provide me direction?

Thank you.

Prado

You can use Acronis True Image installed to Win7 to reimage XP to the partition you created; under Options choose Primary partition but do not set Active, also do not copy the MBR or Track0. Set it to auto determine the drive letter.

Once XP is reimaged, immediately install EasyBCD 2.0 to Win7, on Add OS tab Add XP by name, type and let it autocomplete drive letter, accept any offered boot files. Restart the computer and you should have a Dual Boot Menu. EasyBCD 2.0.2 - NeoSmart Technologies

Thanks for the quick response.

Just one other thing I didn't think about before. I've never installed Acronis on Win7. I just have the Acronis boot disc from when I made the image with Acronis loaded to XP.

Any reason I can't install the image directly using the boot disc instead of from Win7?

Or ... does that create extra steps, or not work with the proceedure you've outlined?

Thanks again.

Prado