I've received a laptop with Vista on the hard drive in the first partition. I want to install Windows XP on the second partition, and I don't mind that the Vista partition will be unusable during this time. The problem is that the laptop doesn't have a CDROM, and I don't have an external one. I can use a memory stick or LAN.

How can I install windows XP to the second partition and make it the active one? Thx.

There is an "Install XP from USB" forum since a few weeks. I think there has to be ONE partition but there must be a workaround if you are not afraid to experiment.

Thx for the tip. Haven't been here for a while and I've forgot how much MSFN is changing.

...I think there has to be ONE partition but there must be a workaround if you are not afraid to experiment.

Nope Boot files ntdetect.com, ntldr and boot.ini will go to first partition, where I assume Vista is. Nothing has to be changed in this case.

Multiboot Vista and XP when latter is installed second is also easy- use Jaclaz's makeBS.cmd from here:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?...aded&start=

Copy and rename c:\bootmgr to c:\vsldr for example, must be 5 characters for NTFS. Then launch

makeBS.cmd c:\vsldr /a "Start Vista"

And you get Vista launched from NTLDR/BOOT.INI

Of course one can also repair Vista's bootsector and use bootmgr.