Dual Boot XP and Vista?

[Biggie578]

Hello all, I have my PC dual boot right now with Windows XP and Ubuntu, I plan on removing Ubuntu as I don't use it much and I want to try out Vista (that's besides the point), so I want to dual-boot my machine with my current XP and Windows Vista. Is this possible? Would i need to use some sort of boot loader like GRUB?

EDIT: I see that vista has a boot loader, so my question now is. Since i already have grub installed to a boot partition i beleive, i wanna delete/format the linux partitions, so Im assuming that I need to write a new MBR to have it boot windows. Can someone point me in the right direction.

 

[KSoD]

Google for EasyBCD from NeoSmart Technologies.

 

[King X13]

when you install vista with xp already loaded you get a boot menu to choose between the two. no need to install any 3rd party stuff. just install vista and go.

Vista takes over for the the Boot.ini file on XP so if you uninstall vista with out fixing the boot menu on vista side you will always get the option to choose between the two even after uninstall of vista. just for future notice.

 

[KSoD]

Not necessarily. boot.ini is used at all anymore. The BCD used by Vista doesnt always recognize the boot.ini when installing. Which can lead you to only having Vista installed.

After you get Vista installed you might have XP as a selection. But sometimes you dont. That is where EasyBCD comes in to fix that problem with little effort.

 

[Biggie578]

You know what, theres too much stuff going on with my XP that im not gonna risk it messing with the MBR and all taht jazz. I would do it if I didnt have ubuntu installed with GRUB and all that stuff already, thanks tho.

 

[KSoD]

With Easy BCD you can still use the GRUB and still keep your Ubuntu install. Along with XP and Vista. It allows for all of it to be done easily within that applicaiotn to add or remove any OS.

 

[mass0ver]

I am trying to dual boot with vista and XP. I installed vista first, then XP. Now, only XP will load and I get no choosing screen. I tried that east bcd but I believe it's only for vista and I get an error trying to install and use it on XP. Can anyone help me out?

oh and I only have XP home, so this doesn't help me How to edit the Boot.ini file in Windows XP

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows Vista Premium" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect I tried to add this line, but it gave me an error saying I'm missing a file. I really have no idea what I'm doing and I really don't think I should be messing around here. ;p

 

[KSoD]

Insert your Vista DVD and fix the boot option on the DVD menu. From there install EasyBCD and add XP to it.

 

[Biggie578]

With Easy BCD you can still use the GRUB and still keep your Ubuntu install. Along with XP and Vista. It allows for all of it to be done easily within that applicaiotn to add or remove any OS.

Ok fine, i tried using a harddrive hooked up to a usb adapter and Vista dosent want to install there, so i guess i'll have to use my partition, so, could you give me some detailed steps, i can't afford to have anything go wrong.

 

[KSoD]

Head over to neosmart.net and Computer Guru on his forum has all the answer you need. I dont know all the details on installing Vista after Linux. He does.