Setting up a Dual Boot...Windows 7 & XP

[shantd]

Hello there. Hopefully I'm posting in the right place. I'm trying to set up a dual boot with Windows XP & Windows 7 on a pre-existing dual boot setup of XP and Vista. I'd simply like to put the Windows 7 installation where the vista installation is currently.

I don't need any of the files on the Vista partition. I was considering just formatting that partition and installing from scratch but I'd like to keep things as simple as possible. If I can do a "custom windows 7 installation" and skip the formatting process that would be fine.

My Vista partition is not usable at this time. It's been plagued by issues since I first installed it so for the last several months I've been using XP exclusively. I can't even load up the Vista desktop anymore.

So what's the best way to go? Thanks a lot gentlemen,

Shant D.

[jaclaz]

As I see it, easiest would be (I presume that your current dual boot uses Vista BOOTMGR), as described and detailed here:

http://www.multibooters.co.uk/multiboot.html

So:

• Boot to XP
  
• run bootsect.exe /NT52 on the drive
  
• delete all Vista files (in the Vista partition)
  
• rename (in the boot partition) the BOOTMGR to BOOTMGR.OLD and the \boot\BCD to \boot\BCD.OLD
  
• re-boot (verify that XP boots allright)
  

At this point you have a "normal" XP with an additional empty partition.

Install 7 normally.

jaclaz

[shantd]

I presume that your current dual boot uses Vista BOOTMGR

hmmm...I'm not sure exactly what you mean here. You mean XP and Vista have different dual boot menus? How would I go about confirming which one is mine?

[jaclaz]

hmmm...I'm not sure exactly what you mean here. You mean XP and Vista have different dual boot menus? How would I go about confirming which one is mine?

If you get to a text menu that allows you to choose between Vista and XP probably you have that kind of setup.

If you installed XP first, then Vista , then you have that kind of setup.

If you cannot remember HOW you installed the thingy, you may want to read on the given site, it also contains nice graphical explanation of the "normal" dual boot...

jaclaz

[shantd]

I do get a text menu that allows me to choose either Vista or XP at startup right before it shows the Windows logo with the blue progress bar going back and forth. I'm pretty sure I had XP installed first and then put Vista. I tried reading through that link quickly, couldn't quite digest the graphs but I'll try again and take my time.

Just out of curiosity, what would the other dual boot menu look like?