Question about dual booting...

[Mean MrMustard]

I want to dual boot Win XP Pro 32-bit and Win XP Pro x64. I have a 74GB Raptor and I only wanted the 32-bit version to have a 15 gig partition. I know I need to install the older version (32-bit) first.

Anyway, when I go to partition the drive, it gives me a C and E drive (D is my physically separate storage drive). My problem is that I want my C drive to contain the x64 version because that is what I'll be using most of the time, but when I go to install the 32-bit version first on my E drive, it automatically goes back and selects the C drive.

Is there a way to install x64 on my C Drive or am I just going to have to get used to having E: as my root directory?

Thanks.

 

[Seekermeister]

I had x64 installed first...before installing MCE, which is x32, and it worked fine.

 

[Bozo Galora]

first of all ntldr and ntdetect are different for XP 64 and XP 32
XP 64 ntldr and ntdetect can utilize either 32 bit or 64 bit code (backwards compatible)
XP 32 ntldr and ntdetect can only utilize 32 bit code
so they tell you to install XP 32 first, because installing XP 64 SECOND will replace 32 bit bootload files with their 64/32
If you load XP 64 First, it will load 64/32 files, and install XP 32 SECOND, it MAY replace those with 32 bit only, and XP 64 will not boot. Or it may, depending on version and date of XP.
If 64 bit in dual boot does not boot you can go to XP 64bit CD recovery console (NOT 32 bit recov console) and pick root drive C and type FIXBOOT and FIXMBR to repair 64 bit situation


the reason you cant install 32 first on E is because I assume your E is not marked primary. (Loading an O/S will mark it as active)
I am guessing C (HDD0) is primary and D HDD1) is primary, E is logical (HDD 0)
You can have up to 4 primaries or 3 primaries and 1 extended with logicals on a HDD, but you will need third party software (Partition Tragic) to do this. I dont know about WD, but I dont seem to be able to make more than 1 primary with Seagate disk wizard. However, once you make another primary, D will become E - and all drive associations will be lost. If its just pure data - no programs or software then I guess it wouldnt matter, but doing what you are attempting in original post info is extremely dangerous IMHO