Remove Vista, install XP, retain multiboot capability

[Valerie]

Situation: Vista installed on C: partition, Win XP on D:

Is it possible to boot to D: and format C: then install a later version of XP on C: and retain multibooting capability by editing Boot.ini or by some other means?

Unfortunately it's not known which OS, Vista or XP, was installed first.

[jaclaz]

Unfortunately it's not known which OS, Vista or XP, was installed first.

That doesn't matter.

It matters if when booted under XP the drive where currently XP is is D:\ AND the First Active Partition (where Vista is is C:\ ).

If you confirm the above, all you have to do is run (from Vista) bootsect.exe /NT52 on the C:\ drive and copy to it NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM and BOOT.INI (should for any reason they NOT be already there.

(or format the partition from XP AND later copy to it the said files BEFORE rebooting)

BEFORE doing the above, make sure that the BOOT.INI points to the correct partition, and/or have ready a NT boot floppy:

http://www.xxcopy.com/xxcopy33.htm

With either the correct entry or several entries of the type:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(y)partition(z)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

y=0 means first disk

z=1 means first partition

In your case it should be

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect

jaclaz

Edited October 5, 2009 by jaclaz

[Ponch]

Any reason to not install XP from booting CD and let it detect the 2nd install and create the boot.ini accordingly (and automatically)?

I can't see the flaw in the above but I'm surprised Jaclaz supports the "boot to D: and format C:" path and too often, he's right.

[jaclaz]

Any reason to not install XP from booting CD and let it detect the 2nd install and create the boot.ini accordingly (and automatically)?

I can't see the flaw in the above but I'm surprised Jaclaz supports the "boot to D: and format C:" path and too often, he's right.

Sure, you can even boot from a Linux LiveCD a with a perl script to install XP, to keep tjings as simple as possible you could mount it in a XEN VM and remotely boot the PC through a VPN, for that matters , I usually tend to answer questions as they are asked:

Is it possible to boot to D: and format C: then install a later version of XP on C: and retain multibooting capability by editing Boot.ini or by some other means?

and the answer is:

Yes, it is possible.

Or, strictly speaking:

Yes.

http://homepages.tesco.net/J.deBoynePollar...no-answers.html

Had the question been:

What is the best|easier|safer|foolproof|faster|recommended way to instal a second XP on the given situation?

The answer may have been different.

jaclaz

[Valerie]

Thank you. Successfully deleted the Windows installed in C: and installed XP using the install cd. Setup detected the Windows system on D: and created the correct Boot.ini.