Dual booting Vista & XP on a Dell 1520

I see there othe people have done this.

But I can't get my HD to partition correctly (see below) , help please.

I can shrink it fine, and create a new partition, but it's always a logical drive on a extended partition. But to install XP I need a primary partition, do I not?

 

There are tons of dual boot XP/Vista guides on the 'net. Have you followed any of them?

 

Yea, the only problem I am having is getting my drive to partition correctly.

 

I've always installed xp first, then vista... never had any issues going that route. I can't remember what I had xp as... I've always used gparted and it did all the work for me... never really paid any attention. Used gparted to build the partitions, installed xp, and then installed vista... no issues.

 

here's an easy way to partition your hardisk and install xp afterwards:
use g-parted, here's the link...this is a tutorial when windows xp is loaded first BUT it is the SAME with Windows Vista.hope this helps

 

Will using g-parted allow me to create a primary partition in Vista?
Because I don't want to dl 49mb (dial-up) for it not to work.

 

I dont think you can make more than 4 partitions.
and my 1520 came with 4 already.

 

would the media direct partition be casuing any problems because i wanted to do the same thing but was concerned about that getting in the way