How to dual boot windows XP and windows 7 with 2 HDD

**ahnel** · 10-30-2009, 05:10 PM

Hello,all

I am getting ready to build a brand new PC from scratch with 2 WD Velociraptor HDD's. I would like to set them up in a RAID 0 for speed. I would like to dual boot with Windows 7 64-bit and Windows XP 32-bit. The question is what is appropriate way to dual boot these 2 operating systems, and will it work with 2 HDD's in RAID 0? This is a new build that I haven't started yet. I know how to set up a RAID array. Just don't know how to dual boot.

**samantha lucas** · 10-30-2009, 05:13 PM

Hi,

Yes. It’s quite simple, Install XP, make a partition of 60 GB for XP, leave rest for W7. After XP is installed, install W7; make another partition on remaining space for W7 to install on.

Partition can be created during XP setup and W7 setup.W7 will install a boot loader for both OSs. Remember with Raid 0, if something goes wrong with either hard drive, you lose all data.

**ahnel** · 10-30-2009, 05:14 PM

Thanks for solution.

Will I want to install all of my programs on both partitions? What about Windows updates? Will I want to do updates for both partitions?

**samantha lucas** · 10-30-2009, 05:15 PM

The Operating systems will not share anything other than hard drives. There is other choice to running XP inside of W7, your bios has to carry hardware virtualization. So you want to Install W7, then install VPC software in W7, then install XP inside of W7. Ensure to install much memory.

**ahnel** · 10-30-2009, 05:16 PM

Thus, if I utilize Norton Internet Security 2010 this will take up 2 of my 3 users? And, will I have to install drivers for all independently for both OS's?

**allister135** · 10-30-2009, 05:17 PM

Hi,friends

As you have a dual-boot system, you want to install Norton Internet Security 2010 on both installations of Windows independently. This will utilize 2 of the 3 licenses that you bought.