Best Method for Dual Booting?

manjesh

Member
Hi CG,

I am planning to install XP and Vista on separate partitions on the same hard disk drive. If I wish to delete XP after few months and use Vista permanently then which method would be much more simpler and safer for a Dual Boot (XP and Vista) i.e. installation of XP after Vista or Vista after XP.

In that case, please guide me how to delete XP and redistribute the free space on the same drive to other partition.

Is it necessary that we should change the active partition status of the primary partition (XP - C:\) to the second primary partition (Vista - D:\) before when we install Vista on a different drive (Vista - D:\) and vice-versa?


Thank You,
Manjesh.
 
Hi Manjesh,

If you're planning on deleting XP later, then install Vista then XP.
Install Vista normally, then follow these steps to install XP after Vista and still have a working dual-boot:
Installing XP After Vista - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki
Hi CG,

Thank you so much for your reply.
Infact I saw that page before, but I was really confused regarding on which OS to install first and that's the reason why I wanted some guidance from a person who knows better about the same.

Now the only confusion remaining is about an error message which came on the screen while installing XP on PC running on Vista. I was already having Vista on my C:\ and I tried to install XP on E:\ (this was not an unallocated space) . While installing XP, when the system boot for the first time, it showed an error message in the beginning itself and did not continue the XP installation. I was not sure how to continue the XP installation after getting the error message, so I tried to restore Vista using the Recovery Console of Vista DVD. But nothing worked out and my hard disk was not getting detected later on. That the hard disk is replaced now.

So what could be the reason behind this error message? If this error happens again, what should be ideally done?

Should I install XP in a separate primary partition or in an unallocated space?

Thank You Once Again,
Manjesh.
 
No, absoloutely not. That messes things up.
Thanks for the reply.

What should I do to get my Vista back, if XP does not boot after the first reboot while installing?
Because last time when I tried to get my Vista back by using the Recovery Console of Vista DVD, nothing worked out that none of the OS were booting.
 
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