Recently I bought a new laptop, which is running Vista. I found it too slow, and I tried to install another system, but so while keeping the original that it, too, could benefit. I was confronted with several challenges, but in the end I was able to install 3 OSes on the same laptop, and it works. Now I will explain what I did.

The computer, which I use - Acer Aspire 9300 with AMD Turion64x2 processor, 2 gigabytes of memory, a hard disk of 120 GB and monitor 17 "with 16:9 aspect ratios, 1440x900 pixels.

Step 1 - Before you do anything, I created a disk recovery system using the program provided by Acer.

Step 2 - Pererazbienie drive. The first attempt was made using the Gparted LiveLinux CD from the drive. I left the first section of unknown type, containing system Vista from Acer and system utilities before the first launch of the system. So, I created:

1 - the original primary partition volume 8 GB.
2 - Primary NTFS-section volume of 19 GB with an installed Vista (drive C
3 - Logical NTFS-section volume of 19 GB to install XP (drive D
4 - Logical Ext2-section volume of 19 GB to install Linux.
5 - Logical FAT32-section volume to 50 GB of data, available to all three OS (drive E.

Step 3 - Perezagruzil computer: Vista works!

Step 4 - Installed XP Pro on the drive D:.

Step 5 - Perezagruzil machine: XP loaded, and Vista - no!

Step 6 - to rescue Pereustanovil Vista DVD (at the same time can be set only on the C:!)

Step 7 - Perezagruzil computer: Vista works, but does not load XP.

It happened as follows: the possibility of multiple booting earlier versions of Windows Vista is not recognized, and installed XP has the same files on the C: drive (boot.ini, and ntdetect.com NTLDR), and loading Vista has been cancelled.

There is a utility to install MS multiple downloads at Vista, but it is not in the Vista Premium OEM from Acer (OEM-only installation vvklyuchaet driver needed for this model computer, but not complete installation!)

Step 9 - everything from hard drive Stehr and his pererazbil Ranish utility (available on the SystemRescueCD), and remarked that the first primary partition on the 8 Gb defined as a "Compaq Diagnostic (strange, yes?):

1 - Primary boot partition on the 19 GB for Vista
2 - Primary NTFS partition at 19 GB for XP
3 - Logical Ext2-section at 19 Gb to install Linux
4 - Logical FAT32 partition of 58 GB for data

Step 10 - Try to reinstall Vista Rescue DVD. Vyprygnulo message that the hard disk is missing! Probably need to work under "Compaq Diagnostic"…

Step 11 - Using Ranish utility, I changed the size of FAT32 partition of 50 GB and a new primary partition on the 8 GB (Note: you can only have 3 primary partitions on a single physical drive, and one extended, in which you can create multiple logical partitions) . And what kind of partition for this section? U Ranish not possible format the "Compaq Diagnostic", so I created a partition FAT32 and Formatted type changed to "Compaq Diagnostic."

Step 12 - Pereustanovil Vista with rescue DVD. Now it works!

Step 13 - Perezagruzil computer, Vista continues to work.

Step 14 - Using Ranish, made a second primary partition bootable instead of the first.

Step 15 - Installed XP Pro on your C:, which now became the second primary section.

Step 16 - Perezagruzil computer, XP works.

Step 17 - again using Ranish, made the first primary partition bootable.

Step 18 - Perezagruzil computer, Vista works.

At this point, there are two versions of Windows, but I need a boot manager, but it does not exist in Vista, or in XP.

Step 19 - Installed Linux openSUSE 10.2 for the third section, which includes multibut GRUB on the first track hard disk.

Now, my laptop OS 3 with a convenient download manager:

Windows Vista Premium Acer OEM version, Windows XP Pro and Linux openSUSE 10.2

I hope that Acer has all the drivers and utilities for XP for this machine to support site, and I found madwifi driver for Linux.