Dual Booting

[beano]

Sorry, this is probably a really stupid question but I would like to try out Windows 64, but i dont want to wipe my original operating system, i only have 1 hard drive and i wish to have a dual boot for both windows 32 bit and windows 64 bit, i am looking into partition magic, is this the easiest way?
Thanks Alot

-Beano

[bfx]

I tried PM for something else and found it rather clunky. Maybe that's just me.
But for splitting a drive it should work ok.

I tried dual booting xp with both w98se and w2k on the c: drive.

Got the same series of messages in both cases during the xp install. Basically they say M$ doesn't want you running another OS with xp. Repeated over and over.

But I went ahead anyway. Then I found out the reason for all the nagging messages.

xp saves a some of it's operating to the c: drive no matter what drive it's installed on. So after switching os's a few tines both os's are corrupted.

However - there is a workaround - if you have three os's.

In my case I do a no frills install of w98se then do an install of w2k to the d: drive.

Then back to w98se and install xp over it. Works fine. I can use xp boot for net access and w2k for applications - it's faster than xp due to less overhead.

bfx

[beano]

what i was going to attempt was to split my hard drive into 2, c: and d: for example, using partition magic, leaving my current installation of win xp on c: and installing win 64 to d: hopefully without any loss of data that i have on my pc at the moment, is this possible? Thanks alot for your help

Beano

[Timothy730]

Yes it is possible you just have to use partition magic to split it into 2 partitions. When you install the 2nd operation system you just pick the drive to install into. It should work fine. I have done this before many times.

However it would be best to back up your data just in case.

Tim

[beano]

Ok thanks alot :) i have heard that partition magic isnt the best program to use though, and a program called partition manager is better, either way, will i lose any data on my hard drive by splitting it into 2 partitions, or do i need to reformat 1st....

Thanks alot

Beano

[Jupiler]

Normally not.
But it is always safer to make a backup from your system.

[beano]

Ok thanks for the quick reply :D

[bfx]

A word of caution -

xp64 can be pre-emptive and make the xp partion unbootable as it no longer appears in the boot menu.

Sometimes you can edit the boot program - sometimes you can't.

If you have an old drive handy I'd sugest a nuke and repave on it followed by setting up xp on it just you have it set up.

Then run your partitioning program and install xp64 the way you will on your current drive.

If that goes well then do the install for real after backing up important data.

And remember that once you register an xp64 upgrade your xp registration is deleted and can not be renewed. Don't know if that applies to oem xp64 installs onto a dual boot system as well but suspect it may also. All it has to do is write to the xp install and notify M$ the next time you connect to net using either OS.

bfx

[beano]

Thanks, I have the trial version so far and do not intent to 'trade in' my 32 bit liscense as of yet, it was succesfully installed, although I am having trouble finding 64 bit drivers for my ethernet card etc... any ideas were i may find them? thanks alot

Beano