dual boot (Xp+win7) · DIGIT-ARC

S

i have a computer with xp installed (2 gb ram) and 8 gb free memory on my c:/ & 92 gb on d:/... now i want to have a dual os by installing win7.. i have the following doubts...
1. can i install the 2nd os without losing all my data on my c:/ ??? (backing up the data is always safe, i know, but is this possible...??
2. what process exactly do i follow while installing win7.. ??
3. what kind of partitioning procedure will be suitable for me??
4. after successfully setting up dual os, will i be able to use my files and installed s/w and anti-virus on both the OS's ????

thanx in advance

smartmind0007 said:
i have a computer with xp installed (2 gb ram) and 8 gb free memory on my c:/ & 92 gb on d:/... now i want to have a dual os by installing win7.. i have the following doubts...
1. can i install the 2nd os without losing all my data on my c:/ ??? (backing up the data is always safe, i know, but is this possible...??
2. what process exactly do i follow while installing win7.. ??
3. what kind of partitioning procedure will be suitable for me??
4. after successfully setting up dual os, will i be able to use my files and installed s/w and anti-virus on both the OS's ????

thanx in advance

1.u cannot install windows 7 on C: drive (in which XP is installed).u have to use another drive (may be D

2.just insert win 7 DVD while booting & give the install location as D:
3.NTFS
4.use u can but not simultaneously

Windows 7 will kind of limit you to only upgrade. Anyway, you might get around and install both on different partitions or HDDs. The drive you are going to install better be a Primary partition. As to this, you can check it in the Disk Management of the Windows XP.

I could have access to both by installing EasyBCD in Windows 7. Fixboot and other Windows 7 BCD functions do seem to work as well, but I vaguely remember that I had quite an issue while I did, and ended up with Easy BCD making peace.

However, a small suggestion. Install Windows 7 when you upgrade your hardware and have at least 4 GB RAM.

S

so this is how i get it..
1. create an unpartitioned space worth 20 gb for windows 7 installation.. (this will ensure that i will not lose any of my data in c and d:/)
2. install win 7 in that unpartitioned space. can i do it using a flash drive??
3. install easy bcd for getting os option during boot.

is this what i am supposed to do????

Yes you can do with flash drive. Just set boot priority to USB in the BIOS. Use Win2Flash to make a bootable pendrive :wink:

Windows 7 install doesn't boot from a USB device. It will require a tweaked install so as to facilitate it.

S

i downloaded windows 7 usb dvd tool and wrote the image on a 4gb pd. i can boot from it but getting error for cd/dvd drivers before beginning installation. (my dvd drive is not getting detected somehow, since the last 2 mths and also my 2nd hdd. trying to find a solution to that )

S

Zangetsu said:
1.u cannot install windows 7 on C: drive (in which XP is installed).u have to use another drive (may be D
2.just insert win 7 DVD while booting & give the install location as D:
3.NTFS
4.use u can but not simultaneously

hey i just installed win7 ultimate using dvd (flash drive getting errorous) on a second hdd (ide). i am getting 2 options viz older version of windows and windows7 during startup. if i select win7, computer starts but i can see none of my softwares that i use on xp (on xp they work fine like earlier).. not even antivirus. what to do ????

@smartmind0007

but i can see none of my softwares that i use on XP

you have to reinstall everything separately on Windows 7 again. The XP and Win 7 are completely separate.

S

thetechfreak said:
@smartmind0007

you have to reinstall everything separately on Windows 7 again. The XP and Win 7 are completely separate.

then its better to have a single os (preferably win7) then do everything all over again.

smartmind0007 said:
then its better to have a single os (preferably win7) then do everything all over again.

This is a niggle faced by most people. To reinstall each piece of SW they had. But some where initially not compatible with Windows 7 so most dual booted it with XP.

But now 99% software is compatible with Windows 7 :wink:

smartmind0007 said:
hey i just installed win7 ultimate using dvd (flash drive getting errorous) on a second hdd (ide). i am getting 2 options viz older version of windows and windows7 during startup. if i select win7, computer starts but i can see none of my softwares that i use on xp (on xp they work fine like earlier).. not even antivirus. what to do ????

Wait. Clarify things first. (T/F)

1. You have 2 HDDs.

2. On one you had XP. You attempted installing 7 on the same HDD.

3. It did not complete successfully on the first HDD

4. You installed 7 on the 2nd HDD.

5. You had both the HDDs connected during (4).

6. You are now booting with both HDDs connected.

Now, that aside, if you don't see your installed softwares of one OS while using another OS(ie, you don't get to use softwares installed in the environment of the other OS), it is the normal thing happening. You will however get to see the directory structure and have access to them accordingly.

S

helion said:
Wait. Clarify things first. (T/F)

1. You have 2 HDDs.

2. On one you had XP. You attempted installing 7 on the same HDD.

3. It did not complete successfully on the first HDD

4. You installed 7 on the 2nd HDD.

5. You had both the HDDs connected during (4).

6. You are now booting with both HDDs connected.

Now, that aside, if you don't see your installed softwares of one OS while using another OS(ie, you don't get to use softwares installed in the environment of the other OS), it is the normal thing happening. You will however get to see the directory structure and have access to them accordingly.

1. i have 2 HDDs (sata and ide) both connected and dvd drive working
2. sata has xp
3. created a new partition in sata only and installed win 7.
4. but cannot find the s/w installed in xp while using win7 but can use the hdd data.
will probably switch over to win7 alone...

M

listen to what answers you get.

thetechfreak said:
@smartmind0007

you have to reinstall everything separately on Windows 7 again. The XP and Win 7 are completely separate.

as said by "thetechfreak" , the softwares installed on one os cannot be used on another one. you have to install the required softwares separately on the operating systems.

S

mastercool8695 said:
listen to what answers you get.

as said by "thetechfreak" , the softwares installed on one os cannot be used on another one. you have to install the required softwares separately on the operating systems.

yes sir,, i already got what he meant to say.. i was just clearing helion's doubts... what i said was that its better to have one os then installing all the s/w on the 2nd one...

switching over to windows 7... btw is win 8 available yet >>>????

M

check this out..
Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview

PLEASE DONT CALL ANYBODY ON THIS FORUM "SIR" .. awkward feeling... ya know....
hehehehe

S

mastercool8695 said:
check this out..
Download Windows 8 Consumer Preview

PLEASE DONT CALL ANYBODY ON THIS FORUM "SIR" .. awkward feeling... ya know....
hehehehe

as u wish SIR...

smartmind0007 said:
hey i just installed win7 ultimate using dvd (flash drive getting errorous) on a second hdd (ide). i am getting 2 options viz older version of windows and windows7 during startup. if i select win7, computer starts but i can see none of my softwares that i use on xp (on xp they work fine like earlier).. not even antivirus. what to do ????

XP installed softwares wont work on windows 7.
so u have to install software separately for both OS :mrgreen:

You can keep one OS (XP) just for backup or urgent issues & other (7) for the usual stuff.

S

i clean installed win 7 today and removed xp... but m still getting 2 windows 7 options during boot.. one is starting the pc alright and the other is giving some error. what happens is that i have to manually select the working win7 option or wait for 30 sc. how to remove the other one ???

^^ Install EasyBCD and run it.
You will get the appropriate options.

Following image summarizes:

*www.srcsky.com/static/fileuploader/0/0/432/26cb2db0_srcsky_01a2ab22.JPEG

S

Vyom said:
^^ Install EasyBCD and run it.
You will get the appropriate options.

thanx mate... worked like charm...

one more question... when i had xp, i decided to set up dual boot and created a new partition (primary) worth 20 gbs.. now that i have a single os in my c drive, i need to merge that extra partition into my d drive from which i created it. i have easus partition master at the ready. though it is always safe to backup data, is it a must to do so ??? bcoz i have around 100 gb of data lying in my d drive...

^^ If you don't want to do backup, just avoid merging. You don't know, when your bad luck comes to haunt you. I assume this, "Anything that is to go wrong, will do."

So take a backup or take a chance. You either will get a good result. Or a good lesson!

S

Vyom said:
So take a backup or take a chance. You either will get a good result. Or a good lesson!

well said bro... you definitely carry some writer instinct..

ok.. doesnt matter much. i can utilise that partition for dump my stuff anyway..

EasyBCD works, good. The Windows Bootrec.exe >Bootrec /FIXBOOT would have worked cleanly as well, sparing you the need to clutter with another software on the OS.