Thread: Windows vista install XP

Most frequently asked question is “How do I install a dual-boot with Windows XP on my new Windows Vista PC?” The answer is that it is not hard, it just time consuming, and you want to own a copy of Windows XP.

The first problem we come across is that PCs with already installed operating systems occupy full drive. Fortunately Microsoft integrated Shrink volume feature in Vista, so we can simply shrink Vista partition down to create space for XP.

Open Computer Management panel, which you can get under Administrative tools or by right-clicking Computer item in start menu and selecting Manage. Locate Disk Management item and pick that.



Currently we will shrink our volume down by right-clicking on hard drive and selecting Shrink Volume.



At this time you can decide size that you would like to shrink, which actually means size that you want your XP partition to be. Whatever you do, don’t just use default. I select about 10 GB by entering 10000 into amount.



The next step may confuse, because we want to modify cd-rom drive that’s always taking on D: now, because we need to utilize D: for Windows XP partition, but it’s already taken by cd-rom drive. If you skip this step then XP will install onto E: drive.

Right-click on cd-rom drive and select Change Drive Letter and Paths from menu.



Now we will alter CD drive to utilize E: by choosing that in drop-down.



Now we can form a new partition for XP and ensure that drive letter is set the way we want. If you do not form a partition now XP install will do so automatically, but it is simple and clean to perform this way.

Right-click on Unallocated area and then choose New Simple Volume from menu.



go through wizard and choose anything options you would like, making sure to use D: as the drive letter.

Now you want to close out of disk management and restart PC. This is because we can’t do the next step until we restart.

After restarting open up PC from start menu and right-click on D: drive and choose properties. Give your partition a significant name like “XP”. It would be clever to name C: drive to “Vista” currently also.



You would like to pop your XP CD into drive and boot off it. You must organize your BIOS to enable booting off CD drive, or if your PC says somewhat like “Hit Esc for boot menu” you want to use that.

When you get screen where you can select partition to install on, and select unpartitioned space or new partition formed. What you do, do not attempt and install on Vista partition. Notice how much cleaner it is now that we have labeled every partition specifically?



We assume that XP is totally installed now, and you lost your skill to boot into Windows Vista, so we want to use VistaBootPro utility to restore Vista boot loader.

Throughout install you will be enforced to install .NET 2.0 frameworks. Launch VistaBootPRO and then click on System Bootloader tab. Test “Windows Vista Bootloader” and then “All Drives” radio buttons, and then click on Install Bootloader button.

Now, Windows Vista bootloader is installed and you will enable to boot into Vista, but we will repair that. Instead of manually doing, we simply tick Diagnostics menu and select Run Diagnostics.

This will scan your PC and then load XP version tick on “Manage OS Entries” tab and then tick in textbox for Rename OS Entry, and name it somewhat helpful like “Windows XP” or “The Windows That Works”



Click Apply Updates button and restart PC. You must notice your glossy new boot manager with both operating systems.



If you obtain an error telling “unable to find ntldr” when attempting to boot XP, you have to do following:

• Locate hidden files ntldr and ntdetect.com in Vista drive and copy them to root of your XP drive.

• If you can’t locate files, you can locate them in \i386\ folder on your XP cd.

Windows XP will be installed on D: drive, even in Windows XP so you have to remember when tweaking your system.



All data can be shared between drives, but do not mess with other operating system’s partition. It might change your files. I suggest you to save as many files as possible on a third drive. You called that partition as “Data”.