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Full Version: [Dual-boot HELP] Windows XP & Windows 7
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Can somebody please tell me how to dual-boot win XP & windows 7.
You just partition your HDD and install the second OS on that particular partition.

Here's a video explaining how to partition a hard drive:

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmpazHBzXjY[/yt]
Not sure how relevent this video is. Given the fact more than likely he has only 1 partition currently and if i am not mistaken. You cant partition an active drive with the os on it. Sure reboot and with an install disk no problems. But not from windows unless its another drive or already partitioned.
(10-18-2009, 03:36 PM)DAMINK™ Wrote: [ -> ]Not sure how relevent this video is. Given the fact more than likely he has only 1 partition currently and if i am not mistaken. You cant partition an active drive with the os on it. Sure reboot and with an install disk no problems. But not from windows unless its another drive or already partitioned.

Actually, you can partition a drive, as long as the new parition is made from the free space you have on the current partition. So, if he had a 300gb HD with only one partition, his current OS, and he was using 100gb of it, he could take like another 100 and put another OS on it, and still have 100 on the original partition.
(10-18-2009, 03:39 PM)Elektrisk Wrote: [ -> ]Actually, you can partition a drive, as long as the new parition is made from the free space you have on the current partition. So, if he had a 300gb HD with only one partition, his current OS, and he was using 100gb of it, he could take like another 100 and put another OS on it, and still have 100 on the original partition.

Thanks for this reply. I was going through Google to find the answer. I was wondering if you could format a drive while it was in use. Thanks mate!
(10-17-2009, 09:49 AM)Ram Wrote: [ -> ]Can somebody please tell me how to dual-boot win XP & windows 7.

If you wanted to, you could maybe install those 2 OS's on the same partiton, but you will just have to specify the Windows folders differently ifor each OS.

For example, you could first install your Windows XP OS, into a folder called Windows, then install the other OS, into a folder called Windows1.

Just as long as both of the OS folders are not called Windows, as that would not be possible, as the later OS would overwrite the eaarlier one.

Using this method is non-destructive and doesn't erase any data on the HD.

Using this method, you would have to start by installing Windows XP though, then Windows 7, as it wouldn't work with installing Windows 7 first..
(10-18-2009, 03:45 PM)ProspectDotNet Wrote: [ -> ]Thanks for this reply. I was going through Google to find the answer. I was wondering if you could format a drive while it was in use. Thanks mate!

Seeing as during formatting/partitioning, the system is commited to that task, usually in a non-Windows GUI, I can't see how you could use the PC, for anything else, when that was happening.
install as a partition
linux g-parted is a great partition manager boot into it any you can shrink your current OS and make a new partition for the other OS you wanna use.