Dual booting 32 and 64

Ok so i have vista 32bit installed on my main c drive, and now i want to install vista 64bit(yes i have two liscences) on my D drive. After i install the 64bit version my my d drive, will i just have an option as to which version i want to load when i start the computer? How should i go about this before i slap in and install the 64bit disc right now? thanks

 

Why not just use 64 bit?

 

because 64bit causes freezing issues with some of my games where 32bit doesnt, so does anyone know the proper steps? two seperate hard drives, one with 32 other with 64..how do i choose which one i want to use sta startup?

 

A bootloader will show up asking you which OS you want to run.

You can change the default OS, timeout, etc with EasyBCD

 

ok and im assuming switching between OS's wont bother the motherboard having to deal with different drivers each time it boots one or the other version?

 

Yes totally independent. Thats why you have to install drivers seperately for 32 and 64bit.

 

@flipfire....Any issues with the ram..!! like x64 will be reading 4gig and x86 will be reading about 3gig, any issues with that....like the ram getting busted up or something..
[I am kinda trying the same thing as @HaloGod2007]
(I am thinking of dual-booting Vista Ultimate x64 and XP SP2 x86 on the same hdd in separate partitions....any issues with that..??)

 

Could you just run the software in compatibility mode?

 

Find here some good links providing instructions of how to proceed to implement dual booting on your computer;


1. dual boot Linux and XP with Linux installed first
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_linux_and_windows_xp_linux_installed_first.htm

2. dual boot Vista and XP with Vista installed first
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_vista_and_xp_with_vista_installed_first__the_stepbystep_guide.htm

3. dual boot XP and Linux with XP installed first
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_windows_xp_and_linux_xp_installed_first.htm

4. dual-boot Vista and Linux with Linux installed first
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_linux_is_already_installed.htm

5. dual-boot Vista and Linux with Vista installed first
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_vista_installed_first.htm

6. dual-boot Vista and XP with XP installed first
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_xp__stepbystep_guide_with_screenshots.htm

 

no, 64bit vista with sli and a quad core have some pretty nasty side effects in some games..like age of conan would freeze in 64 but not in 32...anyways i have both up and running now and i just need to switch what disc to boot in the bios at startup and im good.

 

Its 32 bit, not x86.
Its both x86.

 

OK.. x86 is usually implied as 32-bit on most software sites..
Anyway, anyone know if that particular dual-booting is feasible or not..??

 

A 32 OS partition and 64 OS partition, why not?

 

So at POST the BIOS will read 4GB ram, then if I load Windows XP 32-bit, it will read ~3GB ram....

And when I load Vista Ultimate x64, it will read the whole 4GB ram....!!

Hope nothing gets screwed up with each OS reading a different amount of ram..!!

 

First the BIOS is loaded and then POST, then the MBR, at that moment the booting manager will come in and you will choose which OS you want to work with, then all the rest of parameters will be treated depending which OS you have decided to load (including the RAM).