The long arduous Task of installing Windows XP onto the Inspiron 1520 without deleting the Pre-installed Vista OS [Dual Boot]

This is my first post on this site, but ive browsed through the forums quite a few times while waiting for my computer to arrive.

Anyhow, I don't know if a guide has been posted for this, but it is a lot more difficult than it would seem to be. So after figuring it out for myself I figured I would save someone else a bit of time.

Before bothering to read this just be aware that in order to install Windows XP without deleting Windows Vista I reformated the 10GB "Recovery" Drive. (D:\)
You're going to need a blank CD to do this also.

1. The first thing you need to do is go to the Dell site and download the SATA drivers for your Inspiron 1520. ( http://support.dell.com/support/dow...SystemID=INS_PNT_PM_1520&hidos=WLH&hidlang=en)

Download and extract the driver to a folder.

2. Next you need to download and install nLite from this site. ( http://www.nliteos.com/download.html)

When you start the program it will ask you to browse to Windows installation files. You'll want to insert your Windows XP disc at this point and browse to your disc drive. It will then ask you for a folder to copy your disc to. So just create one.
After that is done copying hit next , skip past the "Presets" (Just hit next again). Then you will have a list of options you can do. Click on "Drivers" and hit next. Now click on "Insert" and "Multiple Driver Folder". Browse to the folder you extracted your SATA drivers to and click ok. Click the folder again and then once again click ok. Now on this step hold control and click every line in the textbox under "Textmode Integration Options". Then click OK and Next. Apply the changes and you now have a folder which when burned to a disc will have Windows XP once again, but this time will recognize your hard drive without having to use your nonexistant floppy drive to install the drivers with "F6".

3. Now you need to burn the files to a disc and make it bootable. As an example I'm going to use a freeware CD burning program. (ImgBurn) ( http://imgburn.com/)

But first you need to download a boot image. You can download the image on this site under "Boot Files". ( http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=346)

Download and Extract that to a folder.

Now open up Imgburn. Under "Mode" click Build. Then click browse for a folder and browse to the folder of your modified driver-included Windows XP folder.

Under the "Options" Tab switch the File System to "ISO9660 + Joilet". Also make sure "Include Hidden Files" and "Include System Files" are checked off under this tab.

Click the "Labels" tab. Under Publisher and Data Preparer type "MICROSOFT_CORPORATION".

Then click the "Advanced" tab. And under that click the "Bootable Disc" Tab. Check off "Make Image Bootable". Set Emulation type to "None(Custom)" For Boot Image browse to the one you downloaded. Type "0000" under "Load Segment". Then type "4" under "Sectors To Load". Then you're set to burn the disc. When it asks if you want to Set the folder you browsed to as your "Root" directory on the disc say yes.

4. Now restart with the disc you just burned in your disc drive. Make sure your boot sequence has Disc drive to boot first. If it isnt go into the bios screen with F2 at bootup. Your Windows XP disc should now load and recognize your hard drive. I then reformatted and installed XP on the 10GB "Recovery" Partition.

Congratulations! Now you have Windows XP on your computer, but now Vista won't boot.

5. Restart the Computer with your Windows Vista disc in click Repair at the first prompt and Repair the Startup. Now when you restart there should be a boot menu. For Windows Vista and Windows XP. But now Windows Vista will boot and Windows XP gets and error.

6. Boot to Windows Vista and go to Start>Run type "cmd" to open up a command prompt.
In the prompt type
(This is Assuming you used the recovery drive (D:\) for XP and left Vista Pre-install as (C:\))

C:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –set {ntldr} device partition=C:

Hit Enter then Type

C:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –set {ntldr} path \ntldr

Hit Enter then type

C:\Windows\system32\Bcdedit –displayorder {ntldr} –addlast

Exit the Prompt and Restart your Computer.


Now you should be able to use both Windows Vista and Windows XP.

You should probably save the disc you installed Windows XP with. I would also recommend you download your Windows XP drivers on Windows Vista seeing as how it doesnt recognize your network adapters without updated drivers, thus no internet .