Vista - Installing Vista and disc image software

Hi,
After finding out that I can't install Vista on an external HD, but before
attempting it, I was curious about one thing about installing Vista on a 2nd
internal drive. Does it matter what drive letter is used for that hard drive
and if Vista modifies the C drives master boot record and it becomes corrupt,
how do you fix that? My C drive is my mission critical drive and therefore
I'll get a 2nd drive for vista, especially since I'd like pre-RC1 if I can
get a link to that file. The thing is, if the MBP is modified, bad things can
happen, although to be optimistic, hopefully nothing bad will. I can use my
external HD to backup my XP install with a disc image of my C Drive, but
which software has worked well in your experience? Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks!
hselburn

hselburn wrote:
> Hi,
> After finding out that I can't install Vista on an external HD, but
> before attempting it, I was curious about one thing about installing
> Vista on a 2nd internal drive. Does it matter what drive letter is
> used for that hard drive and if Vista modifies the C drives master
> boot record and it becomes corrupt, how do you fix that? My C drive
> is my mission critical drive and therefore I'll get a 2nd drive for
> vista, especially since I'd like pre-RC1 if I can get a link to that
> file. The thing is, if the MBP is modified, bad things can happen,
> although to be optimistic, hopefully nothing bad will. I can use my
> external HD to backup my XP install with a disc image of my C Drive,
> but which software has worked well in your experience? Any advice is
> appreciated!
>
> Thanks!
> hselburn

Make sure you have a backup before you start. The safest way to use Vista
and another OS is to use your BIOS to dual boot. If possible specify which
drive is the boot drive in the BIOS and change as needed to boot either OS.
This way Vista will not modify the boot sector on the other drive. Vista
will still see the other drive and will write to it which may cause
problems. If you have mission critical data on this computer I would not
install Vista or any other beta software on it unless the drive with the
data is physically disconnected.

--
Kerry
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
http://www.vistahelp.ca/forum/Forum.htm

Hi Kerry,

Thanks for getting back to me. I'll see if setting the Bios is available
with my PC. It's a Dell Dimension XPS Gen 5. I have some things to talk to
them about anyway, so I'll see if their tech support actually knows the
answer to this one.

Thanks!
hselburn

"Kerry Brown" wrote:

> hselburn wrote:
> > Hi,
> > After finding out that I can't install Vista on an external HD, but
> > before attempting it, I was curious about one thing about installing
> > Vista on a 2nd internal drive. Does it matter what drive letter is
> > used for that hard drive and if Vista modifies the C drives master
> > boot record and it becomes corrupt, how do you fix that? My C drive
> > is my mission critical drive and therefore I'll get a 2nd drive for
> > vista, especially since I'd like pre-RC1 if I can get a link to that
> > file. The thing is, if the MBP is modified, bad things can happen,
> > although to be optimistic, hopefully nothing bad will. I can use my
> > external HD to backup my XP install with a disc image of my C Drive,
> > but which software has worked well in your experience? Any advice is
> > appreciated!
> >
> > Thanks!
> > hselburn
>
> Make sure you have a backup before you start. The safest way to use Vista
> and another OS is to use your BIOS to dual boot. If possible specify which
> drive is the boot drive in the BIOS and change as needed to boot either OS.
> This way Vista will not modify the boot sector on the other drive. Vista
> will still see the other drive and will write to it which may cause
> problems. If you have mission critical data on this computer I would not
> install Vista or any other beta software on it unless the drive with the
> data is physically disconnected.
>
> --
> Kerry
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
> http://www.vistahelp.ca/forum/Forum.htm
>
>
>