Dual Boot

[Meld51]

Hi All,

Well I've installed Vista and it all looks very pretty but I have some key applications that don't seem to be compatible with it. Surpringly these include my NIKON negative scanning software. NIKON don't seem to be too interested in upgrading their apps to run under Vista and since I have the hardware it can't be changed. Also I use MATHCAD12 to do mathematical calculations. This is not cheap software and I can't contemplate the expense of upgrading it. Finally, there is my accounting software which is definitely not upgradeable.

So what I would really like to do is run a dual boot system using XP and my Vista upgrade, one on each of the 2 HDDs in my AR21S.

Does anyone know how this can be done?

[jumbles1971]

I am currently dual booting my AR21S quite successfully. The only major problem I've encountered other than the standard Vista problems is my remote control now doesn't work in XP either.

I started off with the factory settings (XP as the OS and the HDs at factory set sizes). Fortunately I had Partition Magic 8 lying around so I reduced the C: drive by 10GB and reduced the 😧 drive by 10GB and moved the 😧 partition to the end of the empty space...

C: (83.5GB) - Unallocated Space (20GB) - 😧 (75.5GB)

If I'd thought about it longer I might have deleted the recovery partition and made the Unallocated space 5GB larger as it's a bit of a tight fit.

Once Partition Magic had done its thing I checked XP was still running fine and then rebooted from the Vista DVD. I can't remember exactly what happens when you boot from the Vista DVD, but eventually you get to the screen where you select Custom Install (I think that's what it was called) and then when you select where to install you select the Unallocated Space.

The install then happens quite fast and eventually it reboots and you get the Boot Menu which defaults to Vista. You can select Earlier Operating System but leave it to boot from Vista. When it boots into Vista follow the instruction in the Express Upgrade manual for installing the drivers and applications and you'll end up with a fully functioning (if you can call it that) Vista.

Whenever you reboot you'll get the Boot Menu and you can select either OS. I use XP 90% of the time and only use Vista for burning video DVDs and playing Mahjong. It works quite well apart from the remote control thing.

[Meld51]

Thanks Jumbles

It doesn't sound too hard. Since I have already installed Vista I'll be doing it the other way around. There seems to be a reasonable article here . that might help as well. This article has a brother for arranging a dual boot from the XP end of things too.

I'll give it a go.

I know that there is supposed to be a lot of security stuff going on behind the scenes but new versions of Windows are usually a visual rehash of the same stuff. in the Vista case though, the desktop is changed quite a lot, making you think that it's all new.

The sting is...even quite new applications often don't work, especially the ones that come attached to hardware. Nikon and HP both appear to be tardy in releasing updates; and you can't use third party software to run their kit.

I like the Vista visuals but it doesn't provide much that is really needed...it won't make me work better, in fact without the apps, I can't work at all!

[Meld51]

OK...managed a Dual Boot OK.

I had to re-install XP on the C partition first because I could find no selection that allowed me to put it anywhere else. After that I installed Vista on a D partition.
Finally I put all my personal files on a further separate partiton.

It all works OK.

As I install applications though, I am careful ensure that they are installed in the partition associated with each particular OS. In most cases an app wants to be put on the C drive but you can select where you want it to go. I don't know if it matters unless you wipe a partion, then you would lose some apps belonging to the other OS. I'm sure it's good practise to keep them completely separate!

Anyway. All is well so far.

[jumbles1971]

I like the Vista visuals too. Every time I boot into it makes me sad that it's not a bit more reliable.

Incidentally, if you want to change the default OS you need to go into Vista and go System Properties -> Advanced -> Startup and Recovery. There you can select the default OS and change the time it waits for you to select one before it carries on. There is the same thing in XP but mine was already set to XP but the Boot Menu still selected Vista as the default.

btw I've managed to get my remote working in XP again.

[Meld51]

Had one Vista crash so far and had a number of error messages but nothing worth moaning about yet

Things I like:
The new indexed search function. That is very good, though maybe not quite so good as the Google desktop search.

What does anyone else think?

[jumbles1971]

I like the sidebar. The quality of the gadgets is so much higher than the Google Sidebar and they don't resize themselves every time you reboot. I've copied the files over to my XP partition and downloaded the 'patch' so it now runs on XP. It's far from perfect and my favourite gadget doesn't run properly but it's still great.

And of course there's the excellent combination of Movie Maker and DVD Maker. That reminds me... I've got some DVDs to burn tonight.