Best Way To Install XP On Separate Partition

[jjmcray]

I currently have Vista, and that is the only OS I have installed. What is the quickest, simplest, fail-proof way of installing XP on another partition?

[0=]

Is it a SATA hard drive? If so you're in for a fun time. There is no quick, simple, or fail-proof way to install XP on SATA.

[Blahages]

Is it a SATA hard drive? If so you're in for a fun time. There is no quick, simple, or fail-proof way to install XP on SATA.

SATA is fine for installing XP on. With mine, I throw the XP install CD in, and install XP just like I would with an IDE drive. No difference.

Some SATA Controllers require a driver disk to be inserted when you try to install XP. Others don't. It just depends on whether or not XP supports the SATA Controller out of the box.

If it didn't, you just find the SATA driver, throw it on a floppy (Or integrate into the CD) there you go.

As for installing XP AFTER Vista... There's not really an Easy way to do that. Windows OS's were intended to be installed sequentially, in the order in which they were made.

Like, If you had 2000, XP, and Vista, you should install them in that order to prevent problems.

IF you can get your partition resized without an issue (You should be able to do that in Vista, in the Disk Management Utility), then you CAN throw the XP install CD in, and install XP onto that new partition. BUT, when you install XP, it will overwrite the Vista bootloader, with the XP bootloader, and you won't be able to boot into Vista again unless you reinstall the Vista bootloader.

You'd probably have to modify the Vista bootloader afterward, to tell it that XP also exists.

It can be done. I've done it in the past, like a year ago. I'm not sure of the exact steps anymore, but it can be done.

The easiest, safest way to do it is to have two HDDs, and install Vista on one, and XP on the other, then just boot from the XP HDD when you want XP, and the Vista HDD when you want Vista.

There's not really a fail-safe way of doing this, for sure. There can always be mistakes.

If you plan on attempting it, make sure you have what you want backed up.


Okay, I've found the thread that I posted in last year in a similar situation where I tried to help someone.

You can find it here:

http://forums.govteen.com/showthread.php?p=3939635

The only difference, was they were trying to do this with Windows 2000 and Vista, and they had ACPI issues, and other random nonsense.

Basically, read through it, and try to figure out what parts you need. :P

You might need the programs found in the "Pre-Installation of Windows 2000:" part, Steps #'s 1, 3, and 4. The link in Step 1, should be

http://neosmart.net/downloads/software/EasyBCD/EasyBCD%201.7.2.exe

now. That's the latest version.

Those things, you can put on the HDD, or on a flash drive, or something. Just make sure you have access to it after you install XP. Make sure you have at least your Network card drivers handy too.

You should then be able to follow the "Post-2000 Install:" part. Just make sure to substitute XP for 2000 where it says it. Some of it is irrelevant to you. Like, the C:\2k part is the location where I had them store the downloads and drivers they made for 2000. Substitute where ever you downloaded those files to.

If you have the NIC drivers, you can do all of this after you've installed XP.Sorry if I was a little brief or nonsensical in this post. If you need any clarifications, let me know where they're needed. If you read that post (The entire thing, then focus on only certain parts) I directed you to, hopefully it'll make more sense.
I had fun making that post back in Oct. :P

Basically, all it boils down to, is IF you're willing to risk the possibility of breaking everything, and want to do this the complicated way, then you have to do these things:

Backup your Important Data
Resize your Vista Partition
Install XP to the New Partition
Run that EasyBCD Program, and follow the instructions to Reinstall the Vista Boot Loader, and Add XP to the Boot Loader List
Have funIf you decide on the less easier way, and need more help with it, let me know. I can redo the instructions for XP if needed, when I have more time to go through it.

[jjmcray]

I think I'll go the separate HDD route...
Do you know where I can buy a very cheap one online? I only need like a minimum of 30 gb... All I'm going to be doing on the XP installation is editing videos.

[Blahages]

I think I'll go the separate HDD route...
Do you know where I can buy a very cheap one online? I only need like a minimum of 30 gb... All I'm going to be doing on the XP installation is editing videos.

IDE or SATA?

Either way, Assuming you're in the US, you're not going to find a price much better than the first link on this page for the size:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010150014+4025&name=%2425+-+%2450

They appear to be getting good reviews.

[jjmcray]

prefer SATA

[Blahages]

prefer SATA

Well, how's this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822210003

36$ for an 80GB SATA2 HDD.

[jjmcray]

ok, ill probly get that, as soon as i get money >.<

[Blahages]

ok, ill probly get that, as soon as i get money >.<

That's the best deal for an 80GB (Or even a 40GB) SATA drive I've seen.

It's an off brand, but it has good reviews.

[jjmcray]

Ok, I have a 350 GB external hard drive, can I just create another partition off of that and boot from it? Yes, my mobo can boot from USB drives.

[Blahages]

I don't see why not.

[jjmcray]

Ok, do you know how to go about doing this, and what programs I can use to create another partition on my external hdd?

[Blahages]

Can't you just partition it with the Disk Management utility in Vista?

Start --> Run (Windows Key + R) --> Diskmgmt.msc

Personally, I'd unhook my Vista HDD before trying to install XP onto the External, just as a precaution, so it doesn't try to do anything to the Vista drive. Once it's installed, you can hook the drive back up.

[jjmcray]

Uh... it's not very clear on how to do that... Lol

[Blahages]

Uh... it's not very clear on how to do that... Lol

Are you wanting to Resize your partition that's already on the drive, and make another one?

These should help:

http://vistarewired.com/2007/02/16/how-to-resize-a-partition-in-windows-vista

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/resize-a-partition-for-free-in-windows-vista/

http://www.windvis.com/how-and-why-to-create-partitions

Basically, you right click on the partition on the External, tell it to shrink, and tell it the new size, then once that's done, you make another partition by right clicking on the area where there is no partition, (probably says unallocated) and making a new one.

[jjmcray]

Wow, I love how you can do it without having to restart your computer. :)

[Blahages]

Wow, I love how you can do it without having to restart your computer. :)

Yeah, you should only have to reboot it when you're doing something like that if you were changing something with the hard drive that Windows was installed on.

Any other drive shouldn't require a reboot.

[jjmcray]

The only problem I see is that the HDD drive letter wont be C:... could this lead to later problems with XP?

[0=]

Some programs don't like it, but generally programs are fine with different paths.

[jjmcray]

Ok, I tried it, and this is what happens.

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/5473/img125if2.jpg

EDIT:
Ok I'm going to try NOT using an external hard drive... Anyway, I tried creating a new partition on the Vista HDD and when I go to set the shrink space, it says "Access is denied." and yes, I did it using admin rights.

EDIT 2:
Ugh, ok, the whole world is trying to prevent me from installing XP.
I was able to make another partition and install XP, but when I boot up, it says "Error loading operating system" or some bull shit like that...

[jjmcray]

Sorry, bump... But please.. anyone... help?

[Blahages]

I don't know why it'd be doing that.

Assuming there are things on the External, you could try copying everything off on to your computer, then deleting all the partitions on your external, and recreating them how you want them, and trying it again.

From what I've seen looking around, it appears to be quite difficult to make XP boot off an External Correctly.

You might be better off with that 40GB drive that we were talking about.

It'd be faster anyway to run it off an internal than an external.

[jjmcray]

Ok, but in my last post I said I created another partition on my Vista HDD and installed XP on it, but when I booted up into XP, it said "Error loading operating system"

[Blahages]

Ok, but in my last post I said I created another partition on my Vista HDD and installed XP on it, but when I booted up into XP, it said "Error loading operating system"

That's because you modified it 10 hours after you posted it. I read that post earlier, before you edited it, and hadn't looked back again, because there wasn't a new post. I just read the latest post after that, so I didn't know.

XP is giving the error, Vista, or both?

What is the exact error it's giving?

That's why when you asked for the most simplistic way, I said a separate internal HDD. You wouldn't have any of these problems.

[jjmcray]

Yeah, alright. I'll just do that. :P