Dual-Booting XP with Vista already installed

[Ika]

I want to install Windows XP on my Vista x64 computer so I can run some software that doesn't work in x64 yet (and use my Adaptec Gamebridge TV tuner, which isn't recognized in x64).

Anyway, I set up a partition for XP using Vista's Disk Manager utility, giving it the drive letter T. However, when I try to install XP, it doesn't see the drive letter assignment, and automatically assigns the partition the drive letter I: (the next available drive letter).

Is there any way for me to manually assign the XP drive letter, or can I change the existing drive letter?

 

[Nothinman]

You can't setup any drive letters during Windows setup, and it's actually pretty sad that they don't allow you to do that. But the drive letters used in each installation are irrelevant, so I don't see why you care.

 

[Billb2]

Originally posted by: Aflac
I want to install Windows XP on my Vista x64 computer...

Is there any way for me to manually assign the XP drive letter, or can I change the existing drive letter?

No, choosing another drive/partition will not work. What you would be doing is just choosing where XP installs it's files. XP will write it's own MBR, boot files and boot loader. When the computer posts it will never again see the Vista install. NO matter what you do XP will trash the Vista install.

What you have to do is to let it do the trashing and then recover the Vista install.

If you had checked, Microsoft has an explanation of how to do it.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: Billb2

Originally posted by: Aflac
I want to install Windows XP on my Vista x64 computer...

Is there any way for me to manually assign the XP drive letter, or can I change the existing drive letter?

No, choosing another drive/partition will not work. What you would be doing is just choosing where XP installs it's files. XP will write it's own MBR, boot files and boot loader. When the computer posts it will never again see the Vista install. NO matter what you do XP will trash the Vista install.

What you have to do is to let it do the trashing and then recover the Vista install.

If you had checked, Microsoft has an explanation of how to do it.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529

I'm not concerned about that; I know how to rewrite the MBR and redo the Vista bootloader. I was just concerned about changing the actual drive letter that XP installs to (the partition will be the same).

I guess Nothinman answered my question, though. It's just a point of irritation.

 

[Ika]

Interesting. Turns out the XP drive still shows up at T: when I'm on Vista (T: is the drive letter I set it to when I created the partition in Vista), but when I'm in XP, it sees the drive as I:. Hope this doesn't cause any problems.

 

[Billb2]

Originally posted by: Aflac
Hope this doesn't cause any problems.

Only in your head ...trying to remember what OS/drive you were using when you installed/saved something so you can find it again!

A trick I use is to compress one of the drives, then it shows up blue in My Computer/Explorer no matter which OS you boot! Easier to remember colors than what drive letter the OS assigned today.

 

[soonerproud]

Originally posted by: Billb2

Originally posted by: Aflac
I want to install Windows XP on my Vista x64 computer...

Is there any way for me to manually assign the XP drive letter, or can I change the existing drive letter?

No, choosing another drive/partition will not work. What you would be doing is just choosing where XP installs it's files. XP will write it's own MBR, boot files and boot loader. When the computer posts it will never again see the Vista install. NO matter what you do XP will trash the Vista install.

What you have to do is to let it do the trashing and then recover the Vista install.

If you had checked, Microsoft has an explanation of how to do it.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529

Or he could use a separate hard drive and just unplug the Vista drive until installation is done. After that just use the bios boot priority to determine which to boot into.

With this method there is no need to trash anything.

 

[taltamir]

soonerprounds method is the best... 1 HDD per OS, set the boot drive in bios (and unplug the other drive during install just to be safe)...

The drive letter doesn't matter anyways. In multiple drive situations I have observed that drive letters change fluidly between installations and partitions. It is the same exact partition, the drive letter is just assigned at boot and the OS happens to remember which is which. You can right click my computer, select manage, and swap drive letters at will, it causes no harm whatsoever.

 

[Billb2]

Originally posted by: taltamir
... swap drive letters at will, it causes no harm whatsoever.

I beg to differ. For one thing your shortcuts will all point to the wrong drive, to say nothing of what happens to registry entries.

Partition Magic even has a utility to fix all that nonsense when you change rive letters.