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    Quick question about Dual booting XP and Vista, please respond.

    Discussion in 'Lenovo' started by xdrive, Feb 29, 2008.

  1. xdrive

    xdrive Notebook Guru

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    I have the "clean install" guides for XP and Vista (the other threads on this forum), but I want to install BOTH and create a different primary partition for each. How do I do that? I already deleted the hidden vista partition. But do I need to install XP first and then Vista or anything like that?

    In other words, I want to create two partitions, then clean install XP on one and Vista on the other. How do I do that? Thanks.
     
    xdrive, Feb 29, 2008
    #1
  2. kuncheesh

    kuncheesh Notebook Evangelist

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    1. boot from the xp cd create partitions XP (10gb min) and VISTA (25gb min) and other partitions for your use
    2. install xp in XP partition
    3. install drivers and basic software for xp
    4. install vista in partition VISTA

    u will get both OS and they will be in primary partitions
     
    kuncheesh, Feb 29, 2008
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  3. Chanchin

    Chanchin Notebook Geek

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    First XP. Otherwise you will not have the choice menu at startup.
     
    Chanchin, Feb 29, 2008
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  4. nobscot6

    nobscot6 Wise One

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    what they said :)

    one will actually be the active partition, the other primary
     
    nobscot6, Feb 29, 2008
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  5. xdrive

    xdrive Notebook Guru

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    What I did was I created two partitions (set as primary) in Vista Setup, and then turned vista off before it installed. Now I'm installing XP on one of the partitions.

    So when I get this done, I should be able to install Vista on the other one, right? And then would that let me choose the OS on bootup?
     
    xdrive, Feb 29, 2008
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  6. kuncheesh

    kuncheesh Notebook Evangelist

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    yes you should be able to install vista on the other. however if there was some error in vista setup (because u didnt allow it to finish)- it may not have completed formatting the drive. in that case u will have to again reformat from the xp setup.
     
    kuncheesh, Feb 29, 2008
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  7. xdrive

    xdrive Notebook Guru

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    Okay, here's a problem. I have installed both OSs. First I installed XP on one partition. Then Vista on the other.

    But now every time I reboot it automatically loads vista. It doesn't give me the option of selecting an OS.

    Is there a setting I need to change or something?

    EDIT: also, I formatted both partitions before installing either OSs.

    EDIT2: I think I found the solution. If anyone else needs this for future reference, look here:

    http://apcmag.com/5485/dualbooting_vista_and_xp
     
    xdrive, Feb 29, 2008
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  8. kuncheesh

    kuncheesh Notebook Evangelist

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    hmmm......this is uncommon.......usually vista detects presence of xp and dual shows the OS choice menu..... u can also try the following.

    in vista right click on my computer>>properties>>advanced system settings(on left pane)>>advanced>>startup and recovery>>time to show list of OS
     
    kuncheesh, Feb 29, 2008
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  9. nobscot6

    nobscot6 Wise One

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    yep. when we set up pc's for dual boot w/vista and xp, the vista boot is corrupt and we always have to do the repair w/ the vista install disk

    we usually use easybcd for the boot selection....
     
    nobscot6, Feb 29, 2008
    #9