Gaming Dual-booting

[Mei-o]

I've been using Vista for ages on this laptop but I want to go back to XP, because it lets me do more. Can anyone give me a safe step-by-step procedure in installing and booting XP while having Vista installed?

 

[Wabsta]

Protip, go for Windows 7 instead of XP, and don't dualboot anything, just install windows7.

 

[Mei-o]

I want the OS to be lighter.

 

[yusuo]

just split partitions, best bet is to use a linux disk to do this, but to be honest 2 windows partitions is useless and just take up more space then needed, i dual boot but i dual boot ubuntu and windows 7

 

[Cyan]

I have a dual boot with 2 XP.
I made it with 2 physical HDD, and I switch the one I want to boot using the bios HDD priority.
I guess it's more physically switching than partition dualbooting with a menu.

I'm using the second one to save and restore first XP ghosts.



if you want a real dualboot with a menu, I think you need to install the OS in order of release.
XP before vista, not the contrary, else it could (will ?) delete the vista boot.
Then, you can configure the boot in windows using this menu :

windows key+Pause > advanced tab > boot > option > modify.
it will open a notepad with the boot content. it's references as device x partition x etc..
0 being the first IDE/SATA/Partition etc.


it's only a main guide. I'm sure someone else can help you with more details and precise steps.

 

[Rydian]

Install XP, then use the vista disc to install the vista bootloader again, since XP's won't boot vista. If you lack an actual vista install disc (just a disc that automatically "recovers" for you), use somebody else's.

But unless your computer's specs are absolutely terrible (like, a gig of ram and integrated graphics), go for windows 7 instead, it's much better than XP.

By the way, what is it you can't do with vista?

 

[prowler]

Make a partition with some software (I use http://gparted.sourceforge.net/)
Once you install XP, either use EasyBCD (Or any other software) or start up your Vista disc and restore the Vista bootloader (Which should by automatic add Windows XP to the list)


;__________; too slow

 

[wiixale]

Mei-o, you asked for an easy step-to-step dual-booting guide for Vista/XP with Vista installed first.

Here's the link: h**p://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_vista_and_xp_with_vista_installed_first__the_stepbystep_guide.htm

 

[Cyan]

page not found = very good guide

Edit :
I didn't see it was renamed.

 

[wiixale]

page not found = very good guide

The page opens normally, check your firewall / ip filter.

EDIT: my error, extension is HM instead of HTM. Corrected.

EDIT 2: the forum changes the URL. Who can explain me why?

EDIT 3: I had to bold the extension (bah...). Mei-o, just substitute h**p with http and then go to the page.

 

[Mei-o]

Thanks a bunch but...

Tutorial Summary: We need to shrink the Vista partition on the hard disk and create enough space for an installation of XP. This can be done in three ways - using the GPartEd Live CD, the DISKPART utility on the Vista DVD or the Vista Disk Management GUI - and we'll cover all three. We'll then install XP and install EasyBCD to reinstate the Vista bootloader which will be overwritten during the XP installation, and then use EasyBCD to configure Vista's bootloader to boot the XP partition.

What do I do now? This came pre-installed with Vista, and when the primary partition got corrupted Acer just auto-recovered Vista without CDs whatsoever.

 

[Rydian]

You will need a vista or 7 disc in order to replace the XP bootloader with the vista/7 version.

Get a disc, you can use somebody else's.

But again, what is it that vista won't let you do?

 

[Nikolay]

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/224397-d...s-vista-xp.html

Great step by step guide.

What do I do now? This came pre-installed with Vista, and when the primary partition got corrupted Acer just auto-recovered Vista without CDs whatsoever.

You can shrink a partition by going into disk management in Vista.

QUOTEYou will need a vista or 7 disc in order to replace the XP bootloader with the vista/7 version.

Can't he do that with easybcd? He can put that on a flash drive along with microsoft framework 2.0+ to get it to work.

 

[wiixale]

What do I do now? This came pre-installed with Vista, and when the primary partition got corrupted Acer just auto-recovered Vista without CDs whatsoever.

You can shrink a partition by going into disk management in Vista.

I agree with you, it's another solution.

QUOTE

You will need a vista or 7 disc in order to replace the XP bootloader with the vista/7 version.

Can't he do that with easybcd? He can put that on a flash drive along with microsoft framework 2.0+ to get it to work.

I agree and specify: restoring the bootloader with the Vista disc will overwrite the informations about XP, so dual-boot won't appear.
EasyBCD will help him to get the right informations and to build the right bootloader.