Dual boot system?

[Draco]

At least that's what I think it's called.

 

Hi all. It's been a long time since my last visit. I haven't had any problems with my "new" computer so I sort of drifted off. Nev knows me from the NKT, which is how I ended up here. Anyway......

 

I have Windows 7 Professional 64 bit on my C drive. Love it, except for one thing. It's not backwards compatible for a lot of older software and games, or so I've been told. I haven't tried to install and play things like any of my MechWarrior games (all the way back to MW3, which is/was a Win98 game) So I would like to have my old Windows XP Professional available for these things. Hard drive space isn't much of a problem. I have:

 

C drive: 1Tb SATA

E drive: 300Gb IDE (I think.... or else it's SATA because of the following)

F drive: 320 Gb SATA (Unless I have these 2 backwards in my head. Anyway, one's SATA and the other's IDE)

H drive: 1Tb external. I'd rather not use it though. I use it for storage of my pics and such.

 

I would like to clear out the 320 Gb and then install Windows XP Pro on it. I have the disc. It can't be just that simple. What do I have to do to make things work properly? I want to continue to run the comp. with the C drive's Win. 7 Pro X64, since I have an AMD 3.2 GHz quad-core processor and 16Gb or RAM.

 

When it's all done properly, the WinXP will only be tapping 4Gb of RAM, is that right?

 

Help, please?

[KenB]

Hi Draco

 

You should be able to do what you wish.

 

I suggest that you clear the 320 GB SATA drive.

If you are going to install XP then do the following first - ( once you are ready to install XP )

 

1. Check in the BIOS that the DVD drive is first in the Boot Order

 

2. Disconnect the 1TB SATA drive that has Win 7 on it.

 

3. Disconnect the 300GB Drive and also the external drive.

[ in other words - have just the 320 GB drive connected ]

 

Install XP in the normal way - hopefully ( and I say ....hopefully ) it will install and run OK.

If it doesn't it is because XP is designed for IDE and does not recognise SATA without installing extra drivers at the install stage.

 

If it does run OK then try connecting the main SATA drive again along with the drive that has XP on it.

Switch on and try booting up.

[Draco]

So, question: If I disconnect all the other drives, won't that make the drive that I put XP into register as C: ? If so, will it switch back to F: when I plug the others back in?

 

Also, how much of my 4 core processor and 16Gb of RAM will I be able to use with XP? I figure no more than 4 Gb.

[KenB]

If I disconnect all the other drives, won't that make the drive that I put XP into register as C: ?

Yes - and your original drive is C: too.

When you have both connected you should get a prompt as to which one to boot from.

If you don't - you could change the boot order from the BIOS.

This is a bit of a nuisance - but if you are not using XP regularly then it is not too bad.

 

The reason for disconnecting the other drive is so that there is no possibility of overwriting your Win7 OS

 

The small drive should be given a new Drive letter when you boot up ....and vice versa.

 

how much of my 4 core processor and 16Gb of RAM will I be able to use with XP?

XP will only utilise about 3.5 GB RAM

 

Regarding 4 core processors .... SP2 / SP3 recognise multicore processors.

However - you state that you are interested in old games.

If the game was written for single core - then this is what it will use.

 

Win 7 Pro has an XP compatibility mode.

click here

[Draco]

On the surface it sounds like the XP mode would be an easier way to go. If I understand it properly, it would actually be running 7's features in XP compatibility, which means I would be taking fullest advantage available (through the old software) of the power of my computer.

 

I found that I've forgotten exactly what I have in my computer. The processor is an AMD Phenom II X4 975 3.6 GHz. But it is Windows 7 Professional SP1.

[KenB]

Give the XP Compatibility Mode a go ... nothing lost :)

click here

 

use my last link [ post #4 ] and check out the requirements and how to install and set-up.

[Plastic Nev]

Hi, as a pre check, I have now tried to download the HAV tool to check my own system, and tried twice, in both cases it couldn't download as it reported the source file could not be found. (Try again later)

Ideally that tool should be run to find out if your processor will work with the virtual XP Mode.

 

If you also find the same problem, you can still go ahead and download the virtual XP mode. However you might just find that the virtual XP mode either won't install, or if it does it might not work due to not having the right processor, or the processor isn't set up in the BIOS.

 

Thought it best to let you know as a just in case.

 

Nev.

[steve61]

Hi.

Have you thought about a Virtual Machine running Windows XP?

It would save a lot of messing around disconnecting cables.