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how to dual-boot Vista/XP with current Vista install?

A

alizee

Senior member
Is there a way set up a dual boot system with XP and Vista with Vista already installed? I have two HDDs, so no need to partition.

When I try to run the XP installer it goes through the initial setup and then restarts. After the restart it says "NTLDR is missing or corrupted" which I can fix with the Vista install disc, but it still won't allow me to install XP.

Is there a way to do this without starting over? Or, I haven't used the Files and Settings transfer wizard on Vista before, but if it works like the System Migration on Mac OSX and I can make my new Vista install look almost exactly like my current one, that would be acceptable. Does the Transfer wizard transfer applications? I have some shareware that's activated and might be a PITA to activate again. I'm definitely open to ideas.


Thanks in advance 🙂
 
How about simply disconnecting the Vista HDD entirely, then installing XP on the other drive. After installation, reconnect the Vista HDD. Then use your motherboard's boot-device selection menu to select the boot drive, and thus the OS (if this is your Asus board, tap the F8 (fate? 😀) key at the POST screen until it says "Loading boot menu" at the bottom of the screen).

Simple and elegant. The two OSes are thus independent of eachother, including the boot loaders.
 
Also, this is more of an Operating Systems topic, and we're making an effort to get topics posted in the most suitable categories of the Forum. Therefore it's being transplanted from Windows/PC Software (which is more about apps) to the Operating Systems section. Sorry for any "where'd-my-thread-go" inconvenience. 🙂

AnandTech Moderator
mechBgon
 
Originally posted by: mechBgon
How about simply disconnecting the Vista HDD entirely, then installing XP on the other drive. After installation, reconnect the Vista HDD. Then use your motherboard's boot-device selection menu to select the boot drive, and thus the OS (if this is your Asus board, tap the F8 (fate? 😀) key at the POST screen until it says "Loading boot menu" at the bottom of the screen).

Simple and elegant. The two OSes are thus independent of eachother, including the boot loaders.
Click to expand...

fine idea, one of those "why didn't I think of that?"

Thanks
 
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