dual boot Vista only

  • Thread starter Thread starter Domey
  • Start date Start date
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Domey

Sorry for this posted twice but the first dropped into an existing post. . .

Q1: with 64bit hardware, is there any good reason to run Vista x86?
Q2: Can Vista x86 and x64 be installed in a dual boot on the same drive.(no
other OS will be installed. If so, how?
 
Q1: with 64bit hardware, is there any good reason to run Vista x86?
Yes, drivers are still problematic for 64-bit Windows, if you have any
devices that are not supported on 64-bit Windows that are important to you,
but work fine with x86 Vista, then thats good reason not to go with Vista
x64. Also, certain applications will not run Vista x64, 16 bit applications
and applications that utilize 16 bit installers and uninstallers.

Q2: Can Vista x86 and x64 be installed in a dual boot on the same drive.(no
other OS will be installed. If so, how?
No, you can't dual boot Vista x86 or x64 on the same drive, both require
separate partitions, especially Vista x64 since there would be conflicts
between the Program Files x86 and Program Files x64 folder, its just
impossible.
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Andre
Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
 
So if I have, say, a 200gb hard drive, can I partition to two 100gb
partitions and dual boot x86 with x64? I'll agree it doesn't sound like fun
but is it doable?
 
Yep, once they are installed on separate partitions, there should be no
problems at all. Dual booting on the same drive is not possible.
 
Dual booting on the same drive is possible. You partition the drive as you
say. That is still the same drive, just different partitions. Now you can
not install in the same partition yes.
 
The concept you describe I understood, I just have difficulty seeing one hd
with two partitions as two 'drives'.
I have x64 already on an unpartitioned 80gb hd. I will try to use Partition
Magic to split it and install x86 on the new partition.
 
There seem to be some confusion about 'drive' and 'drive letter' - generally
a drive is a physical piece of hardware, whereas the drive letter conforms
to a partition of a physical drive, you should never install two OS's on the
same partition no matter if they should happen to be two versions of the
same system. You may be able to pull it off, but not without major problems.
What Andre is saying is that in the combination you mention, you wouldn't
even be able to pull it off.

But using Partition Magic is not at all necessary, the installation handles
it for you, in the case of Vista, it may even be preferable to keep it in
the family, so-to-speek.


Tony. . .
 
Thanks for the explanation Tony. I wish I had known about not needing
Partition Magic. I already had x64 installed on the drive and did not have a
clue Vista would have partitioned it. Maybe I can remove the partition with
PM and then let Vista do it.
 
Tony said:
There seem to be some confusion about 'drive' and 'drive letter' - generally
a drive is a physical piece of hardware, whereas the drive letter conforms
to a partition of a physical drive, ...
Click to expand...


IMHO a drive is a physical and/or logical drive (i.e. a physical drive
may contain one or several logical drives, "partitions"), whereas the
drive letter is an attribute - a name - given to the drive by the OS.

A drive is partitioned into logical drives.
A drive letter is attributed - and changed - by the OS (in MS Windows
Disk Management).
Click to expand...

Roy
 
Well, I couldn't really disagree, but when a bunch of people get together
and try to solve someone's problem he will rarely be helped if everyone
sticks to promoting their own view - it often is helpfull if everyone can
abstract from their own personal view and promote an 'analog' view that
conforms to what we are in fact looking at.

If you have a Hardware installation problem it will therefore be helpfull to
name things according to the stuff you are holding in your hand, if it is a
kind of a problem that you can solve from inside the OS it will be usefull
to name things according to what we would be looking at from that viewpoint
and according to what can be clicked on with the mouse pointer.

So, in a installation situation the term 'drive' is best reserved for the
physical item. When the OS is up and running we would all be excused for
using the term 'drive' to cover the item that is designated with a drive
letter.

But I must confess that I am not a proponent for mindlessly exchanging the
terms 'partition' and 'drive' - as I said, as seen from inside the OS,
'drive' is fine as the underlying technology is mainly hidden anyway, but if
we are discussing anything remotely partition related, I think it will be
highly confusing and harmful for understanding to start talking about
drives.


Tony. . .
 
Boy I am confused now <g>

Can someone help me with whether I can install Vista x64 on my box? I am
running Windows XP x64, I would like to have a dual boot with Vista, so as
not to corrupt my working machine.

I have 4 physical drives, set up as 2 sets of 2 logical drives, RAID 1. SO
the first two drives are RAID 1 of Drive C, the next 2 drives are RAID 1 of
Drive D. XP x64 boots from drive C.

Is there a way to install Vista x64 and not mess up XP?

thanks!
 
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