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Dual OS...need help!!!

S

SmAw

n00b
Joined
Sep 7, 2005
Messages
52
Trying to run windows vista 32bit and xp64 bit on my computer. I have them installed on two independent hard drives (not partitions) and need to know what to do to plug them both in, boot the computer and have the option of which one i want to start. If i remember right, there is some kind of line i need to change in the default operating sys line, but i can't remember, or if its different when they're installed on different HD's...thanks for any help!
 
Download and install EasyBCD.

Launch the app and go to Add/Remove Entries.

Under “Add an Entry” and under the Windows tab and select in the Version drop-down list “Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3”.

Change the Drive to what drive letter is the XP drive and the name to “Windows XP”, then click “Add Entry” and “Save”.

This assumes that you have Vista booted first.
 
OK...my problem now, is that when i plug them both in, it defaults to windows xp??? any ideas?
 
hmm...well i don't know if that would matter cause i switched the cables and rebooted??? does that make any sense? lol
 
Tried the EasyBCD, but it doesn't allow me to select the drive letter that windows XP is on? any thoughts????
 
Are you trying to set them up as a typical dual boot, where you get prompted by the boot.ini file menu to choose either of the two OSes to boot from? If so, you should have done the normal setup procedures, and had both drives connected during both installs. As of now, you'll need a 3rd party solution, or a hardware solution, like swappable drive cages.

Or, if your system has enough memory to utilize an x64 OS, spend the $10 on a Vista x64 disc, and be done with it! Then, run XP in a VM if needed.
 
yeah im trying to set them up with a typical boot.ini. But i didn't have them both installed at the time of installing the OS's. SO they were installed at different times without both being plugged in at the same time. I think i confuse myself at times...anyway, what is the best 3rd party solution for this if there isn't a way to change the boot.ini files to reflect both OS's at startup?
 
DeaconFrost said:
Are you trying to set them up as a typical dual boot, where you get prompted by the boot.ini file menu to choose either of the two OSes to boot from? If so, you should have done the normal setup procedures, and had both drives connected during both installs. As of now, you'll need a 3rd party solution, or a hardware solution, like swappable drive cages.
Click to expand...

I read in THIS ARTICLE that you you do NOT need to have both HDDs connected during BOTH installs. According to this article if you have XP already loaded you simply install a second HDD and THEN install Vista. The article went on to say:

Once the installation is complete, you'll see the Windows Boot Manager screen for booting either Windows XP (listed as an Earlier Version of Windows) or Windows Vista as a simple menu choice. This menu will appear on the screen for 30 seconds before Windows Boot Manager launches the default operating system, which is Windows Vista.

No 3rd party solution or hardware solution (like swappable drive cages) needed!

I have a Dell workstation PC that came with XP Pro 32bit preloaded. I also just bough the newest release of Vista Ultimate SP1 x64 from newegg (on sale for $169 and free shipping with their newsletter coupon code). I plan to utilize this exact dual boot procedure. I can't see why this wouldn't work.
 
Gravestone Doji said:
I read in THIS ARTICLE that you you do NOT need to have both HDDs connected during BOTH installs. According to this article if you have XP already loaded you simply install a second HDD and THEN install Vista. The article went on to say:
Click to expand...
That pretty much goes without saying. The same method of dual-booting has been around since the Win95/NT 4.0 days. You obviously don't need two hard drives to install one OS. If you want the boot menu to appear, giving you both OS choices, you will need to have the first drive present when you install the second OS to the second drive/partition. It has been this way for well over a decade now.
 
Yeah, I guess I misinterpreted your reply. I understand what you're saying now.

Is the order you install the two OSs important, though? I mean, can the same result be accomplished if a system currently has Vista installed and you want to setup a dual boot configuration by adding a second HDD and loading XP Pro?
 
Gravestone Doji said:
Yeah, I guess I misinterpreted your reply. I understand what you're saying now.

Is the order you install the two OSs important, though? I mean, can the same result be accomplished if a system currently has Vista installed and you want to setup a dual boot configuration by adding a second HDD and loading XP Pro?
Click to expand...

The order is important only because it does the work for you. You want to install the newest OS last so that the newer OS recognizes the older one and automatically configures the hard drives to boot the operating systems.

It's possible to fix your situation, but it's difficult, or more complicated because your machine boots to XP, not vista. I wonder if something in BDCEdit can help you.

What you need to do is make the vista boot manager your active boot manager, then tell it to boot XP. Or you could use a third party boot manager (as suggested above), but you really don't need to.
 
In other words, install Vista last, correct? So if my system already has XP loaded (which it does, it's a Dell T3400 which came with XP Pro preinstalled) I can just do a normal install of Vista (like in the link I posted above) on a second HDD. No 3rd party boot manager needed, correct?

"It's possible to fix your situation, but it's difficult, or more complicated because your machine boots to XP, not vista. I wonder if something in BDCEdit can help you. "

Now this seems to be conflicting with what you previously said above. Yes, my machine boots to XP currently because that's the only OS that's loaded. But I plan to install Vista, which is the newest OS, last on a second HDD. What "situation" needs to be fixed?

"What you need to do is make the vista boot manager your active boot manager, then tell it to boot XP. Or you could use a third party boot manager (as suggested above), but you really don't need to."

If I simply add a second HDD and install Vista, then Vista will be the active boot manager and I can then select to boot XP or Vista at start up. Seems simple.
 
Now this seems to be conflicting with what you previously said above. Yes, my machine boots to XP currently because that's the only OS that's loaded. But I plan to install Vista, which is the newest OS, last on a second HDD. What "situation" needs to be fixed?
Click to expand...

Could you let me know what I said that was conflicting? I've only made one post in this thread and there was nothing conflicting in it. Maybe you've mistaken me for someone else?

What needs to be fixed is the boot manager, or boot loader. What you need to do is somehow tell your system that you want to use Vista (and it's boot manager) instead of the XP version. Vista doesn't use boot.ini anymore, it's got a new system.

Maybe I'm actually confused -- in your initial post, you said this:
I have them installed on two independent hard drives (not partitions) and need to know what to do to plug them both in, boot the computer and have the option of which one i want to start.
Click to expand...

It reads like you have already installed XP and Vista on their own hard drive, and you're trying to find away to leave the hard drives in at the same time.

If you do not have vista on the second hard drive, then it makes things easier. Configure your hard drives so it boots to XP with the Vista hard drive in. Now pop in the Vista CD and boot to that. Do an install, but choose your second hard drive. When Vista boots up, you will get a menu that has Vista or "An earlier version of windows" or something like that. The "earlier version" is XP, and you can change that (I believe the article you linked above covered that, but I didn't really read through it all).

If you install Vista, then XP, XP will use the Boot.ini system to boot the OS. Since it doesn't support Vista (or know about it), it wouldn't work. So you want to install XP, THEN Vista to use the newer software. It sounds like you can do that and your task might not be as complex as you originally described.
 
Could you let me know what I said that was conflicting?
Click to expand...
Maybe I'm actually confused -- in your initial post, you said this: "I have them installed on two independent hard drives (not partitions) and need to know what to do to plug them both in, boot the computer and have the option of which one i want to start. "
Click to expand...

You and I are both a little confused because you assumed I posted that, which I did not. So when I replied to your post (post #13) saying what you said seems conflicting, it was because I thought you were saying to install Vista last but that there would be a "situation" that needs to be fixed. That's why I asked in my last post, what "situation" are you talking about.

Just a misunderstanding of quotes is all that happened. This probably all stemmed from my hijacking this thread from the OP, my bad. Thanks for the help.
 
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