Vaio FZ XP-Vista Dual Boot

I'm new to this forum, so I'm not sure if this has been posted on this forum before, but I thought I'd share how it managed to work

Before doing anything, please create a Vista/Vaio recovery disk(s), so that if the XP installation messes up, you can still recover Vista and have a functioning laptop. You will also need it for later on.

In order to install XP, you need to have some free space on your hard drive. Vista has a very neat feature in which your can shrink/create/extend partitions. If you don't know how to do it, I found a link which may be of some use to you;
http://mintywhite.com/tech/vista/shrinkextend-a-partition-on-your-hard-drive-with-vista/

If you would like more space for XP, try de-fragging that hard drive so that it can be shrunk further. Vista has a de-fragger built in, but I prefer to use Perfect Disk;
http://www.raxco.com/products/downloadit/

Now that you've created a partition for XP, the next step is to create an XP disk for your laptop. This is because XP does not recognise the hard drive. To do this, you need a copy of Windows XP, drivers, and a nifty program called nlite;
http://www.nliteos.com/index.html
Quick Guide;
http://www.ryanvm.net/msfn/nlite.html
Although the guide only shows adding 'Service Pack' and 'Hotfixes, Addons and Update Packs,' you dont need to do this, but you still need to add the drivers to the CD. Somewhere in Vista, there is (or should be) a file called Driver or Drivers. Navigate to it within nLite and select it. Create the XP disk, and you're almost ready to install XP.

Note: You may also be able to do it with the XP drivers, but I have not tested option because I found the drivers after I used the above method.

Next up, the drivers for XP. Sony will tell you that they will not provide XP drivers for your laptop. Enter Sony Asia Pacific. These guys do!

FZ1 series;
http://www.sony.com.sg/support/download/225501

FZ2 series;
http://www.sony.com.sg/support/download/230805

FZ3 series;
http://www.sony.com.sg/support/download/240670


Note: Also download Intel Matrix Storage Manager.

Download both the drivers and applications, and store them onto a USB stick or an external hard drive. Also back up any of your work you have on Vista just to be safe. After this, you can now install XP onto the free partition you've made.

http://www.syschat.com/dual-boot-vista-xp-vista-already-1946.html?garpg=2

Now that XP has installed, it will only boot XP. Install the Ethernet/Lan driver, and use Microsoft/Windows update to get XP upto at least SP2 before installing the rest, because some of the drivers won't install. I couldn't get the card reader, webcam and DVD decoder to work. Now that XP, its time to get Vista up and running again. The links below show how to get Vista to work, and then from Vista, how to get the dual boot to work;

http://www.syschat.com/dual-boot-vista-xp-vista-already-1946.html?garpg=3

http://www.syschat.com/dual-boot-vista-xp-vista-already-1946.html?garpg=4

Hopefully, by the end of this, you should have XP and Vista dual booting. I have a Vaio VGN-FZ18M, and have needed XP due to uni. I hope this was of at least some use to you all, and if you need any more info/help due to me being unclear, or the info not being here, I shall try and help the best I can.

Good Luck!