Not if it is the same XP product key you are already using on the first
drive. There is no need to install anything on the second drive before
Vista because Vista upgrade Setup is going to already see the XP on the
first drive. After all, you have to start Setup from there anyway.
If you have already purchased the Vista upgrade edition and you want to
continue using XP you can, but you need a third license to do it. You do
not have to install any software (the XP on the first drive will satisfy the
Vista installer) but you do need to own another Windows license. The fact
that you have XP already installed lets you perform the mechanics of the
parallel installation using an upgrade edition product key. You get to
decide if the license for the existing XP is the one you are going to tie to
Vista (and not be able to use anymore) or not.
The Vista upgrade license only requires you to OWN a license for Windows
that is eligible for upgrade to Vista. It does not require it to be
installed on the computer. This may seem pretty advanced, but stay with me.
The editions of Windows that are eligible for upgrade to Vista are Windows
2000 and later. If you have an old copy of Windows laying around unused
right now it may solve the problem.
It needs to be a retail copy (no OEM).
It cannot be in use on any computer right now.
It needs to be Windows 2000, XP, or Vista (of course it won't be Vista but I
am covering the bases).
And of course it is not the XP already on your computer.
Do you have any software like that?
If not, then I would go to eBay and buy a retail copy of Windows 2000. The
seller should say whether or not the item is available for transfer to a new
computer. That is what you want to hear. Buy it. When you receive it put
it on your shelf and forget about it. You will then be in compliance with
the Vista upgrade edition license. You will not have voided your XP license
just because Vista Setup found it on your system during the installation of
Vista on your second drive. That is just the way the software is written
but the licensing questions are yours to answer, not the software's.
This is the kind of thing I have in mind. I searched on on eBay for
"windows 2000 professional upgrade".
http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...trt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=32&fsoo=2
If the link does not work just repeat my search.
The reason I am searching on "upgrade" is because that has to be a retail
edition (there are no OEM upgrades) and that is all you need. The reason I
am searching on Windows 2000 Professional is to avoid all the Windows 2000
Server copies on eBay right now. The reason I am searching on Windows 2000
is because it should be a lot cheaper than an extra copy of XP.
If you have not purchased Vista already then just buy a full edition. The
upgrade edition plus the extra Windows to comply with the upgrade license
come out to pretty much the same as a full edition and it is less hassle.