Topic: Good news on XP dual boot with Vista Preinstalled !! (Read 8784 times)

Pestalence_XC · « **on:** April 22, 2008, 12:35:13 pm »

It is possible for people owning Vista machines to install XP for dual boot without formatting their system.. Thus avoiding driver problems when trying to install XP first..

This guide I found online and I am going to test this out before I say go for it, but I am going to post the guide here..

It is plain and simple and easy to do..

Just download the zip package.. it is a Word document and contains graphics to show you what you should see..

I am going to do this tonight after I clean some files off of Vista to make HDD room.

*** Edit - Re-uploaded the zip file with an older word compatibility version of the file. Not everyone is using Office 2K7 yet. Also just note that this guide to installing XP for Dual Boot with Vista already in place is not a Microsoft published guide, so it will be a use at your own risk deal. Like I stated, I'm the guinea pig. ***

Bonk · « **Reply #1 on:** April 22, 2008, 01:42:26 pm »

Looks interesting.

In the past with multi-boot setups I've used powerquest's boot magic. Sometimes QNX's boot loader, sometimes GRUB (as now). But I've never worried too much because I can always use boot floppies or cd's to edit the partition tables and boot records if things get mixed up. I used to use a powerquest boot floppy for that but there are a zillion free ways to do it now.

This sounds like a traditional windows multi-boot setup a la 95/NT ? I've always kept every OS, even windows flavours, on their very own partition with their native filesystem. But I'm a bit of a purist that way and usually have many OS's on the go anyway so its easier to control the boot from one place. (currently GRUB managing XP/QNX/Kubuntu)

My current boot manager is usually from the most recent OS I've installed, that usually works out fine, but as I mentioned can be overridden from boot floppies or CDs if needed.

I don't have a copy of vista for personal use myself but this could come in handy for working on other machines.

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2008, 12:44:45 am »

So far so good.. partition creation worked great... my Vista drive is 260 Gb and my XP drive is 37.69 GB..

Next to install XP on the new partition.

Will post back if I can get XP to Dual Boot

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2008, 01:37:12 am »

Well XP started with no issues, however I do have to get all the device drivers from their respective locations for XP, but XP started without incident.. but I do have to edit the guide to give better directions.. Some of the commands are incorrect in their format, but I figured them out.

well SFC OP.. here I come without lag

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #4 on:** April 23, 2008, 02:29:47 am »

Dual Boot documentation is now updated for step by step and correct commands to get Vista and XP to dual boot properly.. the original guide had some errors in the command line entries and order of installation.

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #5 on:** April 23, 2008, 08:48:08 am »

It worked.. I have XP dual booting in Vista.. 1 thing to remember.. get the drivers for XP for your hardware before attempting to do this.. however you can use Vista to get your drivers and put them on disk.

I now have XP fully functional in dual boot.. I only need to let it run for a week or so to make sure that there are no issues with Vista's boot loader.

Anyhow.. it works

Javora · « **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2008, 02:25:32 pm »

Someone may want to sticky this thread. At least until Windows 7 is released. I could see this topic coming up a couple of times over the next couple of years.

Mithras · « **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2008, 05:28:48 pm »

That's great news, but yet another question:

I have Vista pre-installed on my Toshiba A 135 and have a restore disk but not a copy of Vista home premium which is what is installed on the notebook. Will I be able to use this procedure? And if not, is there any other procedure that anybody here is familiar with?

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #8 on:** April 23, 2008, 05:45:07 pm »

You should be able to use the procedure.. IIRC on the gateway I had in Dec.. when installing the Gateway restore disk, it brought up a repair screen.. you just need the command prompt from the install disk.. as such, your OEM disk should work.

You just need the disk to use the Vista Boot Loader to get to the repair screen, open the command prompt and follow the directions to restore Vista's Boot Loader

Once you have the Vista Boot Loader repaired, you don't need the Vista disk.. it only takes like 2 min with the Vista disk in the drive.. or OEM disk in the drive.. so long as it has the command prompt in the repair screen it should work.

Mithras · « **Reply #9 on:** April 23, 2008, 06:00:38 pm »

Roger that... I'll give it a try when I get home tonight. And thanks- here's hoping!

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #10 on:** April 24, 2008, 09:00:59 am »

24 hours and no issues so far and I have reboot several times into both Vista and XP. I currently have an OP server up on XP and running without issues or crashes for last 9 hours..

so far so good

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #11 on:** April 25, 2008, 07:07:18 pm »

Well, 2 and 1/2 day into booting and and loading both OS on here along with running the Hardcore XC server on both OS and running NTune on XP for system stability.. so far like a rock.

I did nave 1 problem on SFC OP shutting down earlier today on XP.. the game didn't want to close, but Alt-Tab-Delete into taskmanager and end program.. it shut down just fine.. I have not been able to reproduce that again as of yet, so I am not sure what would cause that.

Anyhow.. so far so good.

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #12 on:** April 29, 2008, 11:40:50 am »

Well so far 6 days, no issues, unable to reproduce the glitch with OP closing. XP is running stable as well as Vista.. booting to both, playing games in both, running securities in both.. no problems.

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #13 on:** May 10, 2008, 12:16:58 am »

OK.. I gave it a couple of weeks and so far 0 issues. the installation guide is confirmed stable, at least on my system. Just make sure to follow the guide. You can substitute a 2nd hard drive in place of partitioning.

The guide has been updated with a few other tips (the steps to dual boot are unchanged) to help system performance.

Red Shirt Ensign · « **Reply #14 on:** May 27, 2008, 10:06:45 pm »

Just wanted to drop a line of thanks for the dual boot guide
I ran this a few days back and it went flawlessly and so far running like a champ

Everything I had been reading had been (it seemed) a lot more involved to do this so I was very excited to be able to do this!!

Thanks!!!

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #15 on:** May 29, 2008, 04:57:59 pm »

I'm glad you're happy..

another satisfied customer.

Dracho · « **Reply #16 on:** June 01, 2008, 09:53:12 am »

Pesty,

I have XP pro installed on a system and have a copy of Vista Ultimate coming from MS. I think I'll install the 64 bit version. Is dual-booting easier when you're putting Vista on top of XP? I haven't built a dual boot system since it was Win2K on top of 98SE.

Pestalence_XC · « **Reply #17 on:** June 01, 2008, 10:11:02 am »

Dual boot is easier when Vista is in place first.. Having XP on first, you have to do a Mexican hat dance followed up by a samba to get the OS's recognized.. Vista will recognize XP in the boot loader with a little tweak (which is what the guide is about) but XP has no clue on how to handle Vista and there are many steps to follow to "trick" XP into recognizing Vista..

That being said.. I recommend that you start now to find all the drivers for your system for Vista (64 bit) and make sure your hardware can handle it. Make a drivers disk.. After installing Vista, you will have to load your drivers first and then get Vista SP 1 plus additional updates before attempting to install XP for a dual boot.

but if you have your drivers disk for Vista, the install will go easy.. what takes time is partitioning the HDD and installing updates.. the OS for Vista and XP installs rather quick.

I'm running Vista 64 bit with XP 32 bit dual boot.. works nice and smooth and I have no errors so far.. I just restart system, pick XP and load up.. restart, pick Vista and load up.. no hassles..

Just remember to keep software independent.. IE: if you install OP to Vista, do not try to launch it when in XP.. the regisrty entries are in the Vista load up and not XP and the game will error.. this is true for all software. IF you want it on XP, install when in XP, keep it off the Vista drive completely. Vice Versa for installing for Vista.

Now you can transfer basic files without a problem.. I can even do it with the server kit.. but I have the server kit installed to both OS and I just copy and paste the server kit folder to the other drive, overwriting the old kit install.. but I had to install it to both OS and have it in 2 locations to be able to do that.

but my recommendation is to use Vista first, then install XP.. Microsoft has instructions to Dual Boot with XP pre-installed, but the steps are really a pain to pull off.

atheorhaven · « **Reply #18 on:** July 20, 2010, 04:38:26 pm »

Or you could go the Portable App route.. I built a portable launcher for SFC 1 and use that to run the same SFC 1 demo between XP and Jolicloud Linux, works like a hot damn. Loads the registry entries and such before loading the game, and then closes them off after running. Again though, it's SFC 1 demo and I haven't tried the demo against anyone (does Gamespy even exist anymore?)

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