Vista - XP pro

[Angel8552]

My new computer has been supplied with Vista installed. I would like to add windows XP pro and run two OS independently. Can this be done? How?
Thanks

[Serunson]

well i don't think you can run both OS's at the same time, but you can choose to boot up on XP, if you have the correct disc. This is done by inserting the disc and booting with the disc in, then it should load in XP and not vista. That's all i know!

[TheGathering]

If you have both Vista and XP install disks, you can use something like GRUB4DOS to dual boot from two different partitions on your HDD, allowing you to choose which OS you want to use at startup.

[jbennet]

You must do it like so:

Install XP first - partition the disk into 2 parts
Then install vista onto the second part
Configure NTLDR (the windows bootloader) to have entries for both

[caperjack]

and if its a Dell you better check with them about if it will affect you warranty .

[Dr Windows (XP)]

of course, you can. Just follow jbennet instructions, I'm also using vista and xp at the same time.

[jbennet]

and if its a Dell you better check with them about if it will affect you warranty .

With regard to dells, some dells have a recovery partition and no OS media. Installing/upgrading the OS will destroy it. However you are able to make or send off for a CD.

[caperjack]

With regard to dells, some dells have a recovery partition and no OS media. Installing/upgrading the OS will destroy it. However you are able to make or send off for a CD.

No ,it would have 2 partitions,Vista + the recovery ,you could format the 1st partition and make 2 partions in it, ending up with two partition + the recovery partition.load xp on the first partition and the recovery of vista on the second partition .
Guy i know bought a new Dell with vista ,he hated it ,most of his software didn't work with vista,so he wanted to buy xp pro ,remove vista and install xp ,Dell told him it would void his warranty

[jbennet]

I killed my dell recovery upgrading to vista. Dont do it . The little "hit f11 to recover" bit lives in the MBR which NTLDR wipes when it gets (re)installed there

and i dont think it will void your warranty, i think you just need to put vista back on for them to work on it. I had a load of extra PCI cards i had added myself and dell said no worries, just remove them when you send it to us and it wont void your warranty

[caperjack]

good to know ,i thought Wrong!!

[joshSCH]

Hmm.. I personally don't like the recovery partition. It takes up space, so I just delete it and make my primary partition larger.

However, James is right. You must install vista after XP in order to keep the Vista boot loader.. There are tools, such as VistaBootPro and Easy BCD that can help you reinstall the Vista bootloader in case you do it the wrong way... or something goes wrong.

[jbennet]

if you screw up the botloader you can reinstall it using the windows cd

[joshSCH]

Yes, but it is much easier to do so with said programs.. it takes about 2 seconds.

[jbennet]

Same with vista/xp, just boot into the recovery console and type one command

[Serunson]

A simpler way, don't get Vista and save yourself some $£$£ :P

[jbennet]

XP will reach end of life very soon which will mean no patches or service packs which will mean it will be wide open to hackers and also no games will run on it as games gradually move to directx 10 therefore rendering XP obsolete and forcing us all to vista

[caperjack]

i,m going back to 98se .lol

[jbennet]

lol my oldest pc is using windows 3.1 - i win as there are very few 16 bit viruses goinga round these days ;)