View Full Version : Installing XP after Win7 for dual boot?
Hamilton
08-25-2009, 12:31 PM
I've got Win 7 x64 RC installed on my i7 PC right now. But I'd like to make it a dual boot with XP Pro SP3 on a separate partition.
I was told by a buddy of mine that it's possible but after installing XP I need to go into the win 7 recovery console and restore the boot sector that gets messed up by the XP install somehow.
Anyone know more about this and perhaps could give me a step-by-step guide?
hersounds
08-25-2009, 12:38 PM
Yes is posible...first inside windows seven, you must go to
http://i29.tinypic.com/2w233t2.jpg
and select earlier version, save, and then you can boot with xp cd and install without troubles after windows 7 OR with seven installed.
JessicaD
08-25-2009, 09:24 PM
Hamilton,
Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 RC Support Forum located here http://tinyurl.com/9fhdl5 . It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams. You may want to check the threads there as there are several posts with step by step instructions to further assist you with this process.
Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team
WhiteFireDragon
08-25-2009, 09:30 PM
hersound, any chance of that window being in english? lol i can't tell which window that is. i also had this problem a few weeks back and XP won't boot anymore after installing win7.
SoulsCollective
08-25-2009, 10:16 PM
Hamilton,
Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 RC Support Forum located here http://tinyurl.com/9fhdl5 . It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams. You may want to check the threads there as there are several posts with step by step instructions to further assist you with this process.
Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client TeamGreat to see more product reps on these forums, but you might want to contact the XS staff to get yourself confirmed as a product rep and your user title changed accordingly ;)
hersound, any chance of that window being in english? lol i can't tell which window that is. i also had this problem a few weeks back and XP won't boot anymore after installing win7.Looks like the Advanced subset of the System -> Properties menu. I'm not on a Windows machine at the moment, but if that doesn't help I'll take some screenshots for you when I get home, unless someone else can provide first.
Hamilton
08-26-2009, 03:44 PM
Hamilton,
Microsoft does have an official Windows 7 RC Support Forum located here http://tinyurl.com/9fhdl5 . It is supported by product specialists as well as engineers and support teams. You may want to check the threads there as there are several posts with step by step instructions to further assist you with this process.
Jessica
Microsoft Windows Client Team
After searching the support forums for several hours it seems the only answer they give there to my problem is to format the Win 7 installation and start over with XP and then W7. That's not the answer I was looking for.
Though I did get a bit more info about what it is that gets messed up and it seems I need to edit the BCD in some way. :shrug:
zanzabar
08-26-2009, 04:40 PM
u need to make a VHD then add the vhd to the boot loader
hersounds
08-27-2009, 06:57 AM
NO! you don't need format and install xp first if windows seven already exists!...look my picture and search, go to computer system properties,advanced system settings...select earlier version in windows seven ,save, and then when you reboot, you can do a fresh install with windows xp service pack without any troubles with windows seven ,you can select wich OS start .
hersounds - MSDN member / windows 7 betatester
Hamilton
08-27-2009, 10:44 AM
NO! you don't need format and install xp first if windows seven already exists!...look my picture and search, go to computer system properties,advanced system settings...select earlier version in windows seven ,save, and then when you reboot, you can do a fresh install with windows xp service pack without any troubles with windows seven ,you can select wich OS start .
hersounds - MSDN member / windows 7 betatester
Just finished backing up the Win7 partition so I'm going to try your way!
Edit: Didn't work... It was not possible to select earlier version under advanced system settings. There was only windows 7 in the dropdown menu.
SoulsCollective
08-27-2009, 09:18 PM
Using that System Properties window, which I've just looked at myself, is only going to allow you to stop Windows7 automatically booting, you need to have another Windows version installed to make it give you other options. I think that perhaps Hersounds had another version of Windows installed at some point, thus having the option there even when only Win7 is installed.
Equinediver
08-27-2009, 09:41 PM
Go to http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
I've used easyBCD for ages and it's a great free app :)
Hamilton
08-28-2009, 07:44 AM
Go to http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1
I've used easyBCD for ages and it's a great free app :)
Do you use it in Win7 before installing XP?
topdog5050
08-28-2009, 09:23 AM
thanks for the info buddy!
Hamilton
08-28-2009, 01:36 PM
Got it to work! :woot:
This is what I did:
Starting point: Windows 7 RC x64 installed on one 40GB partition. Another 10GB partition created and formatted for Win XP.
1. Create a new entry for Win XP with EasyBCD on the XP partition. You will get an error message saying ntldr.com and ntdetect.com is missing from that drive but just press ok.
2. Maybe not really necessary but I copied ntldr.com and ntdetect.com from my XP installation CD to the XP partition as EasyBCD had requested.
3. Restart and boot from XP installation CD. Install XP as normal to XP partition but leave file system intact. DO NOT format the partition!
4. Restart and boot from Win 7 RC installation DVD.
5. Choose to repair installation.
6. Select Automatic startup repair.
7. Reboot and now you should get the boot menu where you can select Win 7 or XP.
Worked like a charm! :up:
Easybeat
09-01-2009, 09:47 AM
Got it to work! :woot:
This is what I did:
Starting point: Windows 7 RC x64 installed on one 40GB partition. Another 10GB partition created and formatted for Win XP.
1. Create a new entry for Win XP with EasyBCD on the XP partition. You will get an error message saying ntldr.com and ntdetect.com is missing from that drive but just press ok.
2. Maybe not really necessary but I copied ntldr.com and ntdetect.com from my XP installation CD to the XP partition as EasyBCD had requested.
3. Restart and boot from XP installation CD. Install XP as normal to XP partition but leave file system intact. DO NOT format the partition!
4. Restart and boot from Win 7 RC installation DVD.
5. Choose to repair installation.
6. Select Automatic startup repair.
7. Reboot and now you should get the boot menu where you can select Win 7 or XP.
Worked like a charm! :up:
Thanks for this, I was dual booting with XP64 and Win 7 RC however the XP install corrupted. I was going to wait until my Windows 7 disc arrived and re-install both however using the exact method above I was able to get a fresh version of Windows 32bit installed and do so without requiring to do a Win 7 install as well.