Installing a 'second Windows'.

[Diabetic]

Hey all, I'm currently downloading Vista RC1 after being emailed a beta key by Microsoft.

What I'm wondering is how I would go about installing Vista RC1 alongside my current WinXP. I sadly can't afford to uninstall and format my current Windows as there is just too much work that would be lost (and backing up would take a very long time).

And with the ISO being about 2.5gb in size, and without a DVD burner, I sadly cannot create a bootable disk, which means I'm gonna have to install from WITHIN WinXP. I do however have two Hard-Drives, one for WinXP and one that just has a few downloaded files and the like, so, would it be possible to install Vista upon the second HD, and switch between the OS's with relative ease?

Can someone fill me in on ways which I could do this. Your help would be great, cheers!

- Diabetic Dude.

(I appologise if my text aint fully understandable, I need food).

 

[KSoD]

Yes you should be able to install Vista on your 2nd hard drive. You will then have a dual boot system. Just as i currently run.

Just make sure that when you do this from within XP you choose the install path and not the upgrade. The upgrade will overwrite your XP and there is NO way to recover it.

 

[Vybuni]

You can order a DVD kit so you don't need to burn it.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx
About halfway down is the link.

 

[KSoD]

The DVD Kit costs about $6 for shipping and handling.

Just mount the image using Daemon, Alcohol 120% or any other ISO mounting software.

 

[Diabetic]

I downloaded the ISO and tried to mount it, but alas, no dice. SO I have just ordered the DVD for £6 ($12ish).

I really do need to get me a DVD burner though!

 

[Diabetic]

Ah, one more thing. If I install onto my second HDD, it won't wipe whats currently on there will it? Because allthough I only have music and video on there, it would still be a bit of a blow to lose it.

 

[Law]

Ah, one more thing. If I install onto my second HDD, it won't wipe whats currently on there will it? Because allthough I only have music and video on there, it would still be a bit of a blow to lose it.

If it's one single partition, then Vista is going to format the drive, make sure you partition the drive to make a second partition. You will lose the data if Vista format the partition that your data is on.

 

[Diabetic]

Copy that.

For partitioning my drive, is their anyway to do so by splitting the FREE space and using that as my partition, without having to wipe it and then create the partition? 'mebbe through free software?

 

[Vybuni]

You can split partitions using programs like partition magic. Not free, but you never know.

 

[Law]

GParted is free, open source version, not comparable to partition magic but it gets the job done.

Download the live CD version, burn it to a CD, you'll have a bootable partitioning application free of charge.

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/index.php