Hi, Nuwanda.
If I understand you correctly though, I need a separate 10GB or so
partitioned as the install partition from which Vista will install the
operating system on another partition. Is that what you are saying.
No. You can start with a virgin hard disk, boot from the Vista DVD-ROM, and
let Vista Setup handle everything, including creating and formatting at
least one partition on that disk, and then installing Vista directly from
the DVD to that single new partition.
But that is NOT your situation. First, as I understand, your hard disk was
NOT virgin, even when you first got the new computer from Dell. It already
had that hidden 10 GB partition that Dell created. This is where Dell
stores its proprietary information that you will need if you ever want to
restore your computer to its original configuration. And Dell had already
created another partition - good old Drive C: - using all your hard disk
space except for that 10 GB, and had factory-installed WinXP into that Drive
C:. I've never had a Dell, so I have no idea what might be on that special
partition.
Also, your Subject says "Vista & Dual Boot". This seems to mean that you do
NOT want to wipe out your factory-installed WinXP, but to ADD Vista to what
you already have. This is not unheard-of; not even very unusual. I and
MANY other users have been dual-booting (actually multi-booting, sometimes
with a half-dozen or more operating systems installed) for a decade or more.
THAT's what I was trying to explain in my previous post.
You may have gone too far to turn back now. Have you already wiped out your
original WinXP? And all your applications and data that you don't have
backed up elsewhere? If so, then here's how to start over and get from here
to a WinXP/Vista dual-boot system:
First, restore your original WinXP, as installed by Dell. I've never done
this, but your computer's instruction manual should tell you how to use your
Dell recovery disk to get back to the "new" condition. This probably will
recreate the original large Drive C: (160 GB?), but if you have an option to
make the partition install smaller, use that.
(My earlier comments about using Disk Management to shrink the volume won't
work in WinXP, so you'll need PM or some other utility to do this, after
all. As I said, the Shrink volume function was added to DM in Vista, so
you'll have a chicken-and-egg problem.)
With whatever tool you have, make room for the second partition. Then you
can either create that second partition ahead of time, or you can let Vista
Setup create and format it as a part of the Vista installation process.
Second, install Vista into that second partition. (As I noted, Vista's few
startup files - bootmgr and the \Boot folder - will still go to the Root of
the first partition, alongside WinXP's startup files, but all the rest
(probably more than 10 GB) of the files will go to the second partition when
you choose that from Vista Setup's menu. Vista Setup will automatically
adjust the startup files on the first partition to present the "which OS do
you want" menu at each reboot. If you choose WinXP, that menu will turn
over control to the WinXP startup files and WinXP won't know that Vista
exists - except for all the disk space used by those files in Vista's
\Windows folder on the second partition. If you choose Vista for the
current session, Vista will run and WinXP's \Windows folder on the first
partition will be "just another folder" to Vista.
If you have a full retail copy of Vista, you can either boot into WinXP and
run Vista Setup from there, or you can boot from the Vista retail DVD to run
Setup. If you have a retail Upgrade disk, then you MUST run Setup from
within WinXP, not by booting from the Vista DVD. If you have a Dell version
of the Vista DVD, then I have no idea what restrictions might apply.
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Live Mail beta in Vista Ultimate x64)
Nuwanda said:
But remember that, even if you have two operating systems
installed
(WinXP and Vista), each with its own \Windows folder in its own "boot
volume", there will be only a single "system volume" - probably the first
partition on the first hard drive - and Vista Setup will write the startup
files (including the dual-boot menu) to THAT partition, not the one where
Vista will be installed. Vista will leave WinXP's boot-up files (NTLDR,
NTDETECT.COM and Boot.ini) in place there and will also make a copy of the
WinXP boot sector. Then it will write its own boot sector and startup
files
(bootmgr and the hidden \Boot folder) onto that partition, too. On future
startups, the Vista boot sector will start the boot process, then present
the
choice of Vista or the Previous operating system. If you choose Previous,
it
will load the WinXP boot sector and turn control over to it to load WinXP;
otherwise, it will continue booting Vista.
If I understand you correctly though, I need a separate 10GB or so
partitioned as the install partition from which Vista will install the
operating system on another partition. Is that what you are saying. Is
that
why the computer came with a 10GB partition from Dell called something
like
"backup"? lol..I thought it was like the old HP/Compaq's that had the
operating system install all on the hard drive...oops!
Nuwanda
