Sony Vaio Dual Boot using XP Recovery CD

I have a Sony Vaio with Vista 64 pre-installed and I need to create a dual boot with XP. An XP install downgrade CD is provided and I have created a partition to install XP but the CD attempts to downgrade the entire system wiping out Vista. Is it possible to use the XP Install CD to create a dual boot?

 

Yes and no. While doing a dual boot is possible and has been done, the problem with trying to run XP on a Vista system is the you'll never find all of the drivers to run your installed components, simply because not all of them exist. And the ones that do aren't usually for the specific components - they're OEM versions that work, but not completely, or something else other than what is specifically for your component/system.

Also, while people do try, unless you've got specific older applications that you are positive will only run on XP, it's a waste of time anyway. There are few programs that won't run on a 64 bit Vista system, 32 bit or otherwise, unless they're older XP or 98 era app's. Vista 64 runs all 32 bit applications from an x86 Program Directory. Unlike 32 bit programs that may have had problems in XP 64, problems just don't exist like that on Vista 64 systems. While all of my Adobe programs are all 64 bit certified, and I have 2 that are 64 bit designed applications, all but one of my 32 bit programs work fine without any problems. Hell, I've got old Win 98 and XP games that I run on my VU 64 system without any problems, better than they did on my old 98 or XP systems. The one program that doesn't work as well is Memory Boost, and it does still work, but it's a RAM Resouce / Reclamation program, and it just can't understand an 8gb system. I don't use it for that anyway - I use one of its other functions.

As far a Vista being the problem child it's been made out by some to be, it isn't - in fact, after using VU 64 for almost a year now, I can honestly say I really hate it when I need to work on one of my older XP systems, as XP just doesn't do as much as Vista does, or is it as convenient. The biggest cause for Vista users who have had problems with it is the idiot in their mirrors. If you look at a lot of the early problems that vilified Vista, it was due to the usual - idiots upgrading their OS without bothering to upgrade things like RAM, HD's, GPU's, etc. They add an OS that runs more processes than XP, don't give it the resources to run, and then blame it on the OS. Granted, there were some problems not fixed from the Beta, but any software release has those kinds of issues, not just Windows, and they were largely fixed with SP1.

Again, if you believe you positively require XP and you want to go through the hassle, that's one thing, but I'd consider some reality checking to see if it's really necessary for what you're doing. NBR and many other forums are littered with the corpses of those who tried and failed to fully and successfully do an XP downgrade on a Vista machine because manufacturers have made it clear they don't support a downgrade.

If Sony has really given you a downgrade disk, then they'll likely have DB instructions on their support site for it if a DB configuration is possible. But if it were, I'd expect that option would be in the downgrade install DVD at the initial installation menus.

Go through some of the links here at MS TechNet on the subject: Vista / XP Dual-Booting

 

Sony provides the downgrade disc - but only provides one licese to run either Vista or XP not both at the same time.

 

Thanks for the assistance. It looks like the downgrade disk will only work if I let it remove Vista 64 which I do not want to do. Unfortunately one of my clients uses a VPN product (runs with a SecureID Token) that will not work on Vista so I need to persevere as it's essential for remote support of my servers. I'll see if I can find an original XP CD somewhere.

 

P.S. I rang Sony and they wouldn't help with Dual Boot.

 

It is true with all manufacturers, if there is involvement in OS that is being differed from the delivered/installed comps.

But then, you do have NBR

cheers ...