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Windows 2 Hard drives/ 2 Operating Systems

Asked Dec 14, 2009, 06:22 AM — 1 Answer
I installed Vista in a 200 Gig Hard Drive with all updates, pulled the hard drive. Then Installed a XP Pro SP3 on a 40 Gig Hard Drive. Now I want to hook up both on same machine, have both set for Cable Select when it boots, it can operate on the XP, and it see the Vista drive and files and folders, but doesn't load Vista. Can this be done witout Partition Software. Not a Computer Expert, Type slow.
I am reasking in different category in hopes of more answers. Thanks

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Perito Posts: 3,141, Reputation: 781
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Dec 14, 2009, 06:43 AM
I've created dual-booting systems before. Unfortunately, not with Vista. Most people put the older operating system on the first partition and the newer operating system on the next. I think that's how you have it. The BOOT.INI file in the root of the C: drive, determines which drive to boot from. There might have to be a boot loader file for Vista, but I'm unsure. Boot.INI is a hidden file, so you'll have to view hidden and system files.

Microsoft has a page showing an example of a dual-boot XP/2000 system.

How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP

And Tom's Guide has a thread that discusses this:

boot.ini file for vista and xp

Be sure and check out EasyBCD:

EasyBCD Download

Here are a couple of references to dual booting XP with Vista

How to dual-boot Vista with XP (with XP installed first)

How to dual boot Vista and XP (with Vista installed first)
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