Never done Dual Booting - Advice needed please!

[SwedishTom]

Hi all,

I am on XP Pro 32bit and last week I got the Beta version of Windows 7, which I been using in VirtualBox for a few days, now though I am more thinking of doing a dual boot instead but never done it before so need some advice from you experts!

I have my main OS on the C: drive on a 160GB HDD but I am wondering if I install Windows 7 could I install it on another HDD, for example I have a 500GB HDD which I have partitioned up in 3 different parts and I have a 146GB partition (G: drive) empty right now which I was hoping to use for Windows 7 if that's possible? When I do the installation, can I do it while still being in XP or should I put in the disk, restart the PC and then (hopefully) get all my different drives available and choose the one I want to use, or do I have to unplug the C: drive?!?

Another thing I am wondering is how does it work with dual booting? Will I have the option in the boot up session to choice between XP or Windows 7, or will it automatically boot up XP and then I have to start Windows 7?!?

Thinks that about all right now, I appreciate all and any advice on this matter!

Cheers
Tom

[waf43]

If its anything like dual booting with other operating sytems the installation will have to be on the C: drive, and then you will get prompted to choose which OS to start (just before the now starting windows text)

To install it i suggest that you do it from the dos boot up, i have never known an install of windows from within windows work.

Hope that helps.

Wayne

[computerman]

Originally Posted by SwedishTom

Hi all,

I am on XP Pro 32bit and last week I got the Beta version of Windows 7, which I been using in VirtualBox for a few days, now though I am more thinking of doing a dual boot instead but never done it before so need some advice from you experts!

I have my main OS on the C: drive on a 160GB HDD but I am wondering if I install Windows 7 could I install it on another HDD, for example I have a 500GB HDD which I have partitioned up in 3 different parts and I have a 146GB partition (G: drive) empty right now which I was hoping to use for Windows 7 if that's possible? When I do the installation, can I do it while still being in XP or should I put in the disk, restart the PC and then (hopefully) get all my different drives available and choose the one I want to use, or do I have to unplug the C: drive?!?

Another thing I am wondering is how does it work with dual booting? Will I have the option in the boot up session to choice between XP or Windows 7, or will it automatically boot up XP and then I have to start Windows 7?!?

Thinks that about all right now, I appreciate all and any advice on this matter!

Cheers
Tom

Hi dude, when ever you are setting up a dual boot system, you have to have a harddrive for each os, or your hard drive partitioned.

You will need to boot from the DVD at startup and run the setup that way, as far as i know you can't run the setup from windows to do a dual boot. Not 100% sure on that but i've always done it by booting from the disc.

When you turn your computer on or restart your computer it will ask you which os you want to load, i think the default time is 10sec before it starts to load your default os. you can change the time limit and default os in device manager.

[waf43]

The last time i did a dual boot it was with windows 2000 and windows ME. Just been having a read around and it seems that things have changed a bit since then, so don't take what i typed above as gospel .....

I'm just finding out for you now.

*edit ... beaten to it ^^^^^ *

Thanks computerman

[Lucaio]

All I did was boot Windows 7 from CD then install it like normal but select the 2nd hard drive as the installation location.

Now when I bootup it comes up with a screen where I can select which OS I want to boot up.

[computerman]

Now i have finished work, i can give a bit of a better post. I'll do a run down on what you need to do. Hopefully this might help other people that want to have a go.

The 1st thing you need to do is back up your stuff, even tho you are going to be installing the new OS on a diff harddrive, you need to remember that you are installing a beta copy of windows, this is microsoft so anything can happen.

Make sure you have both your harddrives plugged in.

Next restart your computer and enter the bios, and change the boot to boot from cd 1st then your harddrive. Put the Windows 7 beta DVD in your drive and save and exit your bios.

After the post test (the bimp when you 1st turn your computer on), it will say "Press any key to boot from CD/DVD. Hit a key.

Windows 7 beta setup will start, when you get to the point when its asking where to install to select your spare drive. (you may have to select custom or advance setup to get this option)

As i said in my 1st post, once it is installed, when you boot your computer up or restart it you will get a option for which OS you want to boot too.

Hope this helps Tom

[floz2009]

if you want the options you'll need a bootloader, this should give you the option to choose which operating system you want to use. I believe the file is boot.ini

[messyhead]

I've got an external hard drive that I'm going to use to install Windows 7. I downloaded it last night, and don't want to mess about with partitioning my laptop drive.

What about when the beta is over and I want to remove Windows 7?

[Haggisuk99]

Originally Posted by messyhead

I've got an external hard drive that I'm going to use to install Windows 7. I downloaded it last night, and don't want to mess about with partitioning my laptop drive.

What about when the beta is over and I want to remove Windows 7?

read my last post in here save me duplicating

Dual Booting OS

[computerman]

Originally Posted by messyhead

I've got an external hard drive that I'm going to use to install Windows 7. I downloaded it last night, and don't want to mess about with partitioning my laptop drive.

What about when the beta is over and I want to remove Windows 7?

See this is where the fun starts, well its not much fun really. The only thing you can really do when you want to get rid of it is, format the external harddrive and i think you would then need to change the bootloaded to remove windows 7 or just change the wait time to 0 so it alwasy just loads XP/Vista without asking which one.

Its been that long since i've removed a OS from a dual boot, i need to go and have a read up

Dam betten to it. lol

[Haggisuk99]

Originally Posted by computerman

Its been that long since i've removed a OS from a dual boot, i need to go and have a read up

No need ive explained how to do it in this post
Dual Booting OS

for vista its really simple as long as you have the disk, as win7 is really vista in disguise then it should be the same principle. I'll test it later to confirm and post back

[messyhead]

Originally Posted by Haggisuk99

for vista its really simple as long as you have the disk...

Better go check I got a Vista disk with my Dell laptop. I think I did.

[messyhead]

Originally Posted by SwedishTom

Hi all,

I am on XP Pro 32bit and last week I got the Beta version of Windows 7, which I been using in VirtualBox for a few days

I know it's off topic, but how well did it run on Virtual Box? I was thinking of trying it on that first before putting it on my external drive.

[Haggisuk99]

Originally Posted by messyhead

Better go check I got a Vista disk with my Dell laptop. I think I did.

If not let me know and I will ftp the files you need up to a website for you to download. I am sure I can make a quick batch file that will sort it for you.

[Haggisuk99]

Originally Posted by messyhead

I know it's off topic, but how well did it run on Virtual Box? I was thinking of trying it on that first before putting it on my external drive.

they never run that well on the virtual box as you are in effect running two systems at once so always slower, however they are useful if you are getting loads of driver problems. you can always use the free one from microsoft

whether it supports 7 im not sure but as it supports vista it should

Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 download

[SwedishTom]

Originally Posted by computerman

The 1st thing you need to do is back up your stuff, even tho you are going to be installing the new OS on a diff harddrive, you need to remember that you are installing a beta copy of windows, this is microsoft so anything can happen.

Sorry for not answering sooner but been busy with work and such.. now finally been able to clean up one of my HDD's and made a new empty partition on it. What software would you recommend for me to make a back up/image of my C: drive that is easy to use and preferably are free?

Cheers
Tom

[SwedishTom]

Originally Posted by computerman

The 1st thing you need to do is back up your stuff, even tho you are going to be installing the new OS on a diff harddrive, you need to remember that you are installing a beta copy of windows, this is microsoft so anything can happen.

Done this.

Originally Posted by computerman

Make sure you have both your harddrives plugged in.

Did not disconnect any of my hard drives.

Originally Posted by computerman

Next restart your computer and enter the bios, and change the boot to boot from cd 1st then your harddrive. Put the Windows 7 beta DVD in your drive and save and exit your bios.

After the post test (the bimp when you 1st turn your computer on), it will say "Press any key to boot from CD/DVD. Hit a key.

Windows 7 beta setup will start, when you get to the point when its asking where to install to select your spare drive. (you may have to select custom or advance setup to get this option)

Had to select advance setup and then chose which hard drive/partition to install it on. For some reason though the drive I choose was F:Windows 7 but now it is showing as C: Windows 7.. does it automatically show your OS on the C: drive?

Originally Posted by computerman

As i said in my 1st post, once it is installed, when you boot your computer up or restart it you will get a option for which OS you want to boot too.

Hope this helps Tom

After done as you suggested I do not get the option of which OS to boot from.. it just boot up in Windows 7.. how can I make it so I get dual boot now?!?

Cheers
Tom

[computerman]

whe you went into the setup, did it show both your drives. I.E C:/windows XP and F:/Windows 7?
Did you select clean install as sometimes it will see there is another OS installed and ask you if you want to upgrade?

when you are in windows 7 can you still see your drive with windows xp on?

[SwedishTom]

Originally Posted by computerman

whe you went into the setup, did it show both your drives. I.E C:/windows XP and F:/Windows 7?

Yes, it showed all my drives when I choose the Custom (Advance) setup and I picked my F: drive which I had emptied to use for Windows 7.

Originally Posted by computerman

Did you select clean install as sometimes it will see there is another OS installed and ask you if you want to upgrade?

When starting the installation it gave me the option to either Upgrade or Custom (Advance) installation. I picked Custom as suggested further up so that I could pick the drive I wanted it installed on, in this case my F: drive.

Originally Posted by computerman

when you are in windows 7 can you still see your drive with windows xp on?

Yes, I can still see my drive with Windows XP on, its now changed to D: drive though.

Cheers
Tom

[messyhead]

I know how to edit the startup file in XP, but not sure if it's the same for Win7.

In XP, go to Control Panel then select System. When it opens, click the Advanced tab and under the Startup and Recovery bit select Settings.

There's a bit called System Startup, and and Edit button. It opens boot.ini, and there'll be an entry like

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Micro soft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

You can copy and paste this. Change it to

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windo ws 7" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

But I think you need to change the multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) bit to identify what drive it's on. Although I'm not sure what you'd need to change it to.

Hope that helps a bit.