Thread: Vista and XP

If you install XP it will wipe Vista, and the rest of the hard drive clean and start from scratch.

Unless you partition your hard drive and install Vista on one partition and XP on the other. Maybe the manufacturer delivered the computer with that set up.

Cheers
Simon

Vista has the ability to partition free space on your HDD quite painlessly - If I have time I will dig out to instructions/route to take to do it

Once you have set up a new volume in the newly set up partition it should be very easy to load XP up on that.

................or to save me looking - go into help and type in "hard drive partitioning"

Hi Will
I an't the expert in such matters so this is my thoughts
You can run the program in a XP compatible state via going: Start / programs / accessories / Compatabilty wizard (this is the XP pathway)

However, I think it is a case of either: a XP setup only or a Vista setup only / not have both installed on the laptop / running at the same time

To have the laptop run both systems can most proberbly done via firewalls or seperate harddrives ?????

Best bet is though / Take it back to the dude or dude,ess that sold it to you and get them to set it up to the way you want it !!!

It just too much pain to undo an install mess

Happy typing

Originally Posted by willvine

1: Does the XP run in the back ground.

No, it does not work like that. You can dual boot Vista and XP which will allow you to use both but not at the same time. Anyway take a look here.

How to dual boot Vista and XP (with Vista installed first) -- the step-by-step guide

The most common method is "dual boot" where you choose at startup which operating system you wish to use. Just Google "dual boot vista and xp" and you'll get more info than you can handle!

However, this is essentially running two completely seperate systems, so you'll need to install all your apps twice, no settings get shared, and you can only run one at a time.

Another option is to run the main system you will use exclusively, and then run the other by installing it into an emulator (VMWare, Virtual PC, etc.)if you just need to run it up and dip into it from time to time. However, this adds both cost and complexity, and for a home system it's unlikely you'd need to do this.

Personally, until what you need is supported on Vista, I'd install XP, make it the default, and not bother doing any more with Vista until it does what you need......

Just to explain a bit more - if you set up a Vista / XP dual boot PC then on starting your PC you will be given the option to start Vista or XP, ie one or the other.

You should be aware there may be some issues for dual boot PCs

1 Technically you need a licensed copy of both Vista and XP

2 I believe some of the newer lap tops which come pre installed with Vista may not run XP because there are no XP drivers for some of the specialised laptop hardware (ie motherboard chip set & graphic chips etc). This is much less of an issue if your machine is desktop because the hardware tends to be more generic.

I found some time

In Vista go to Computer Management, then select Disk Management

This will show you all the partitions on your HDD

If its a new PC/Laptop you will most probably find you have something like

Disk 0 with quite a small size and a very small unalocated space

Disk 1 Should show the balance of the disk (which should be quite large) - this is where you can make a new partition - but before you do - you need to shrink the existing volume - not too much - not to little

Right click on the blue bar above the details for Disk 1 (the detail will/should say something like (C xxx.xx (size in G NFTS / FATS
then a general description.

When you right click you will have a few options pop up - choose shrink volume option

It will then tell you the maximum you can shrink it to - but you do NOT want to take it to the max - as you may still want to utilise Vista (who knows you may even get to like it - (Not)

So choose a size where it will leave enough space to expand Vista, and enough space on the new volume to run XP with all the progs.

On mine Disk 1 is 232.88 GB - and the max I could shrink it by (I assume that Vista has taken a allowance for a little expansion) is 70.750 GB - if I was to shrink I would only go about 40 GB - which is enough to run XP and the progs I need.

Once its shrunk, you then have to format that unalocated space or volume.

Once thats all done

Shut down - then re boot from the XP disk - and install in the new partition you have just created - it should be fairly clear when you go to instal.

At a later date - you can always remove this partition with XP - and give all the disk space back to Vista

Originally Posted by Ferret

Just to explain a bit more - if you set up a Vista / XP dual boot PC then on starting your PC you will be given the option to start Vista or XP, ie one or the other.

You should be aware there may be some issues for dual boot PCs

1 Technically you need a licensed copy of both Vista and XP

2 I believe some of the newer lap tops which come pre installed with Vista may not run XP because there are no XP drivers for some of the specialised laptop hardware (ie motherboard chip set & graphic chips etc). This is much less of an issue if your machine is desktop because the hardware tends to be more generic.

From my understanding most current new laptops are all reverse engineered to run with both Vista and XP - and thus drivers are available in both formats for mb's chipsets etc., - how long that will go on for though - well thats another matter

I run duel boot XP and Vista on my latest laptop 3 months old - not had any real issue - but with XP running I can still use some of my other antiquated hardware (scanner, TV tuner etc.,)

Make you laugh - progress !!!!