Advice Please - Partition Setup for Dual Boot

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Guest

I have 3 harddisks in my desktop PC configured as individual disks (ie
non-Raided) attached to a SATA raid controller. WinXP is currently installed
on Drive 0. Drive 1 is configured for all user data (My Documents etc); and
Drive 2 is for backups.

What do the panel recommend for re-configuration to create a Vista Dual Boot
system?

I already tried once, by creating a new second empty partition on Drive 0;
booting the Vista DVD and configuring onto this partition. This worked quite
well EXCEPT that the Vista Boot Manager stuck itself on the WinXP partition.
I would like to AVOID this if possible since at some stage in the future, I
want to delete the WinXP partition and extend the Vista partition to use the
whole of Drive 0.

So, how to do this install?

Thanks
Nigel
 
Hi,

What you had already would work fine, all you would need to do is boot the
Vista DVD and run a startup repair after removing the existing active
partition.

Indeed, this is where your problem lie originally. Only one volume can be
designated as active on the system. Whatever OS you install will put its
bootloader on the active volume regardless of where the system files are
placed. A boot manager can allow you to circumvent this, but when you remove
XP and extend the Vista partition you are going to have to repair it anyways
as the geometry of the partition will have changed.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
OK, Thanks Rick

Given the slow speed with which (good stable) Vista drivers are appearing
(Nvidia & Creative mainly); it looks as if I will be running a dual boot
scenario for quite a few months yet!

Nigel
 
Hi Rick,

Dual-Booting Vista and XP, just edit the Windows Boot Manager.

"Oh this is easy" you say. "Just open boot.ini in NotePad, make the changes
and save."

Not so fast! Vista has done away with boot.ini and now has something way
more complex: the Boot Configuration Data store. However I have found a
freeware program called VistaBootPRO*! The program can be found here:

http://www.pro-networks.org/vistabootpro/index.php

VistaBootPRO is a graphical interface to the command line tool bcdedit.exe.
It allows you to make changes to the Windows boot manager such as boot order,
time to boot, OS listing name and more.

You may find this very handy.

Regards

Vincent49
 
Not sure why you are responding to me with VBP, as it was not a part of this
discussion, nor would it provide a solution. I am fully familiar with it,
but do not see that it has anything to offer here. Nor did I make any
suggestion of editing XP's boot.ini or any other system file. This is about
how to prepare for eventual removal of an existing XP install. Were VBP
installed to the system, removing the existing active partition would result
in its removal as well. A bootstrap repair would still be in order.

Personally, I use BootIT NG installed to its own embrl volume, and install
each OS's bootloader to its designated system volume. No need for any other
bootstrap as each acts independently once selected.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
 
nrms said:
I have 3 harddisks in my desktop PC configured as individual disks (ie
non-Raided) attached to a SATA raid controller. WinXP is currently
installed
on Drive 0. Drive 1 is configured for all user data (My Documents etc);
and
Drive 2 is for backups.

What do the panel recommend for re-configuration to create a Vista Dual
Boot
system?

I already tried once, by creating a new second empty partition on Drive 0;
booting the Vista DVD and configuring onto this partition. This worked
quite
well EXCEPT that the Vista Boot Manager stuck itself on the WinXP
partition.
I would like to AVOID this if possible since at some stage in the future,
I
want to delete the WinXP partition and extend the Vista partition to use
the
whole of Drive 0.

So, how to do this install?

Thanks
Nigel
Click to expand...


I only want to comment on your hard disk set up. You said you have a drive
set up for back up in your desktop PC. While backing up to another hard
disk is always the recommended way to back up, keeping the back up in your
machine is not a good idea. I would recommend you set up an external hard
disk via USB (plenty of external cases out there at low cost), and do your
back up to it instead. Plus if you have another PC or notebook, you can use
the same drive for back up.

Reason is the fact if your home happens to burn down, or your PC catches a
really bad spike like mine did a few years ago, you will not only lose your
working disk but your back up as well. Always keep your back up off site,
or at least in a safe. If you have a basement, keep it there. A few years
ago we had a really bad storm and even though most everything was turned off
at the time, my home caught a spike and it blew out my microwave, PC, and a
TV. Now I took the advice of a friend and set up a UPS on my computer PLUS
I tie at least one knot in each power cord. This is suppose to blow the
cord before it reaches my equipment. This could happen to your PC and blow
out your backup.

Just a piece of advice. I also keep all original copies of software,
especially Office and Windows in a fire proof safe, not necessarily locked,
but reasonably safe from fire.

What I have done on the dual boot thing...... I did a FULL clean install of
Vista on a new hard disk. I made my XP disk a slave off another drive. All
of my programs and data are on other partitions on other drives. I try to
keep them off my boot drive in case my boot drive fails, at least I still
have my programs and data. When I want to boot into XP, I simply slip on
the power plug for that drive and remove the Vista plug and tell my
motherboard to boot off of that drive, Presto, a simple no fuss dual boot
set up. Once I get Vista working the way I want and understand it better,
I'll just reformat the XP drive and use it for something else.
 
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