Setting up Dual Boot for Windows 7

CClub wrote on 10/12/2009, 5:40 PM
I have my system ready and waiting for Windows 7 in a few weeks. I'm planning on keeping my current XP OS and setting up a dual boot on a separate hard drive with Windows 7. It seems very straight forward, but I just want to run this past those who've already been successful. If anyone has done this successfully, can you verify the steps below (I researched a number of sites and these steps seem pretty consistent):
1. Boot from Windows 7 installation disc. 2. Click on Install Now button. 3. Windows 7 then gives you the option of choosing the drive or partition to install to. 4. Then just finish installing Windows 7. When the computer restarts, you can choose from either OS.

Also, does anyone know how to change the order of the OS choices (i.e., putting XP vs Windows 7 on top of the boot order choices)?

Comments

ddm wrote on 10/12/2009, 5:55 PM
That's not the way i would do it. I would use your motherboards BIOS to pick the drive to boot from. No partition manager needed, and your system will boot to the same system drive until to go back into your bios and change it.
MozartMan wrote on 10/12/2009, 7:21 PM
ddm,

That's not the way i did it.

I took my C drive, that had Windows XP installed, to work and connected to Vista PC, then re-sized it to make two equal partitions. When I got home I put it back to my PC and then l did like CClub put in his post:

1. Boot from Windows 7 installation disc.
2. Click on Install Now button.
3. Windows 7 then gives you the option of choosing the drive or partition to install to.
4. Then just finish installing Windows
7. When the computer restarts, you can choose from either OS.

You don't want to sit at your PC every time when it boots up hitting F12 button on your keyboard to go to BIOS boot options.

CClub, you got it right.
rs170a wrote on 10/12/2009, 8:28 PM
I plan to do similar to what CClub did but I'm going to partition a brand new drive (still keeping 32-bit XP Pro just in case) with 32-bit Win 7 on one partition and 64-bit Win 7 on the other.

Mike
UlfLaursen wrote on 10/12/2009, 9:15 PM
I have done it this way.

I mounted a sata harddisk unit like this:

http://www.raidsonic.de/en/pages/products/mobile-racks.php?we_objectID=4342

and then change the harddrive to which OS and applications I want to run. I have several 160 GB HDD's left from upgrading media and renderdrives, which I use as bootdrives for test etc.

I like this setup and it does not cost a lot.

/Ulf
ddm wrote on 10/12/2009, 11:23 PM
Mozartman, I know you CAN do it that way, that's the way I used to do it, I've had dual boot systems for years, I've just found it is much easier, and quicker to use the bios instead of any boot manager, and it's virtually problem free. I have, right now, in my current machine, 3 different hard drives with different operating systems on them, if one drive fails, which has happened, I'm still up and running in XP, or Vista 64 or Windows 7 64.
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/12/2009, 11:26 PM
Why not use Windows 7 ultimate or whatever it is the one that lets you use XP inside of 7 incase you use stuff that isnt' Vista/7 ready.

Dave
Former user wrote on 10/13/2009, 8:24 AM
Why not use Windows 7 ultimate or whatever it is the one that lets you use XP inside of 7 in case you use stuff that isnt' Vista/7 ready.

Because "XP Mode" uses "virtual" hardware and completely ignores your entire machine hardware wise. Also - it's so slow that it's pointless. XP Mode is designed for the 'office" crowd...to do "office" type stuff....

VP
srode wrote on 10/13/2009, 5:38 PM
You can choose the boot sequence in XP - I'm not sure how to do it if it's different in Window 7 - you can probably google the topic and get the answer after release if it's different than XP

for XP right click my computer, choose properties - click the advanced tab, click the settings button under start up and recovery section and at the top you will have a pull down menu that shows which operating is the default OS - you can change it to any system you want that is listed - and can set the time to display the list of OS's to choose from on boot up - I have mine set to 4 seconds which allows for time to choose something other than the default or have a fast boot up if you hit the power button and walk away to get coffee etc - it will be running the default OS when you come back. No need to change anything in the bios - easy and fast.