Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP
A few weeks ago I had some friends ask me how to dual boot windows 7 and XP. I could think of many ways to do this, but I found this tutorial on sevenforums.com that I liked very much and want to share with you!
When XP is Installed First
NOTE: If you have a RAID setup, you will need to have the Windows 7 RAID drivers on a USB flash drive available to select and load while installing Windows 7.
1. To Create a New Partition from the XP Hard Disk Drive
A) With your Windows 7 installation disc boot into the Command Prompt from the System Recovery Options screen.
NOTE: Make sure that the CD/DVD drive is selected first in the boot order in the BIOS.B) In the command prompt, select and shrink the XP volume by how many MB (1024 MB = 1 GB) you want to have for this Windows 7 partition. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You would do steps 2 to 9 in METHOD TWO at that link. Windows 7 will need a minimum of 16 GB (16384 MB).
C) Click on the X at the top right corner to close the command prompt. (See screenshot above)
D) Click on the X at the top right corner to close System Recovery Options. (See screenshot below)
E) Go to step 3.
2. To Use a Separate Hard Disk Drive than the XP Drive
A) Boot from your Windows 7 installation disc.
NOTE: Make sure that the CD/DVD drive is selected first in the boot order in the BIOS.3. Click on the Install now button. (See screenshot below)
4. When you get to this point, select the partition (step 1) or hard drive to install Windows 7 on. (See screenshot below)
5. Finish installing Windows 7.
NOTE: You would do step 9 on at that link to finish installing Windows 7.6. When finished, restart the computer to have the option to boot from XP (Earlier Verision of Windows) or Windows 7. (See screenshot below)
Note
If you are only booting into Windows 7 and do not have XP listed in the Windows Boot Manager, then you can install EasyBCD (step 8 Method Two below) to add XP (or Windows 7) while started in Windows 7 the same way to the boot list.
When Windows 7 is Installed First
Warning- If you have a RAID setup, you will need to have the XP RAID drivers for your specific motherboard on a Floppy disc available to select and load at the F6 prompt while installing XP.
- If you have a SATA drive, then you will need to do either one of these options to load the SATA drivers for XP for your specific motherboard.
- How to Slipstream SATA drivers into Windows XP setup CD with Dual Boot of Windows 7 or Vista
- How to Load SATA Drivers in Windows XP Setup on your Dual Boot PC with Vista or Windows 7 for how to load your SATA drivers from a Floppy disc at the F6 prompt while installing XP.
1. To Create a New Partition from the Windows 7 Hard Disk Drive
NOTE: If you want to install XP on a separate internal hard drive instead, then skip this step and go to step 2.A) In Windows 7, select and shrink the Windows 7 volume in Disk Management by how many MB (1024 MB = 1 GB) you want to have for this XP partition. (See screenshots below)
NOTE: You would do all of Method One at that link.
2. Insert your XP installation disc, then restart the computer and press any key to boot from it when prompted. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Make sure that the CD/DVD drive is selected first in the boot order in the BIOS.
3. From XP Setup, Press Enter. (See screenshot below)
- If you have a RAID setup, you will need to have the XP RAID drivers for your specific motherboard on a Floppy disc available to select and load at the F6 prompt while installing XP.
- If you have a SATA drive, then you will need to do either one of these options to load the SATA drivers for XP for your specific motherboard.
- How to Slipstream SATA drivers into Windows XP setup CD with Dual Boot of Windows 7 or Vista
- How to Load SATA Drivers in Windows XP Setup on your Dual Boot PC with Vista or Windows 7 for how to load your SATA drivers from a Floppy disc at the F6 prompt while installing XP.
4. Press F8. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: On some multimedia keyboards, you may need to press the F-Lock or Function key before pressing F8.
5. Select the partition (step 1) or hard drive that you want to install XP on using the arrow keys and press Enter.
6. Finish installing XP.
Tip
If you get Error loading Operating System after XP restarts:
- Using your Windows 7 installation disc, boot to the command prompt at startup.
- Type in these comands below, and press enter after each one.
- bootrec /FixMbr
- bootrec /FixBoot
- bootrec /RebuildBcd
- Exit the command prompt and restart the computer.
- At this point, Windows 7 should boot up the same way before trying to install XP.
- Continue to step 8 below and run EasyBCD from Windows 7 instead.
7. In XP, download and install .Net Framework 2.0 (32-bit) verison or .Net Framework 2.0 (64-bit) version and EasyBCD for your 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x86) XP.
NOTE: In XP, Net Framework is required to be installed to run the free program EasyBCD. Only the “Download free for limited, non-commercial use” at the bottom or “Older Versions” at the right are free for EasyBCD. Registration is not required for the “Older Versions” of EasyBCD.8. Run EasyBCD.
NOTE: This is required to repair the Windows 7 boot file and add XP to the Windows Boot Manager list.9. On the left side of EasyBCD, click on the Add New Entry button. (See screenshot below)
A) In the top section under Operating Systems, click on the Windows tab. (See screenshot below)
B) To the right of Type, select Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3 from the drop down menu. (See screenshot below)
WARNING: Be sure to leave the Automatically detect correct drive box checked.
C) To the right of Name, you can leave the default Microsoft Windows XP as the name to be displayed in the Windows Boot Manager, or you can type whatever name you would like to have instead. (See screenshot below)
D) Click on the Add Entry button. (See screenshot below)
10. On the left side of EasyBCD, click on the Bootloader Setup button, select (dot) the Install the Windows Vista/7 bootloader to the MBR option, and click on the Write MBR button. (See screenshot below)
11. Close EasyBCD.
12. Restart the computer to have the option to boot from Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 7. (See screenshot below)
Tip