Vista - dual-booting XP in Vista

Can someone please help explain to me why, after making another hd partition
and attempting to install XP Pro onto this partition on my Vista Basic laptop
that the XP disc i have won't enable the install link for the disc??? I can
do everything with the XP Pro install disc except install XP Pro onto the
Vista laptop for dual-booting.

I would like to install XP Pro onto my Vista Basic laptop because i'm just
sick and tired of Vista, but would like to keep it there anyway. I have
120gig hd, so it's not that big a deal, not to mention, i can't seem to
figure out how to reformat the laptop anyway, as Microsoft Help is absolutely
no help.

hoydog wrote:
> Can someone please help explain to me why, after making another hd partition
> and attempting to install XP Pro onto this partition on my Vista Basic laptop
> that the XP disc i have won't enable the install link for the disc??? I can
> do everything with the XP Pro install disc except install XP Pro onto the
> Vista laptop for dual-booting.
>
> I would like to install XP Pro onto my Vista Basic laptop because i'm just
> sick and tired of Vista, but would like to keep it there anyway. I have
> 120gig hd, so it's not that big a deal, not to mention, i can't seem to
> figure out how to reformat the laptop anyway, as Microsoft Help is absolutely
> no help.
>

What "install link"? I don't know what you mean by that. Roughly, here
is how you install XP to dual-boot with Vista:

1. First go to the laptop mftr.'s website and download all drivers and
laptop-specific software for XP for your model laptop. Put these drivers
on a CD-R or thumbdrive so you have them ready. IMPORTANT: If the laptop
mftr. does not have XP drivers for your model laptop, XP is unsupported
and you should not install XP. End of that story.

2. Assuming there are drivers, put your XP CD in the drive and restart
your computer. You may need to change the boot order so that it boots
from the CD drive first. Most laptops have a keypress to temporarily
change the boot order (such as F12). Look at your bootup screen or refer
to the manual. If there is no temporary method, enter the BIOS by
pressing the correct key and change the boot order to CD drive first,
hard drive second.

3. Now follow the normal XP installation routine:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...alling_Windows -
What you will need on-hand

4. Once you have finished with the XP install, install your drivers and
specialized software (if any). You will now need to repair the bootup
with Vista, so boot with your Vista DVD and do that.

Repair Vista -
http://vistasupport.mvps.org/windows...ir_options.htm
Repair Windows Vista using Startup Repair -
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial148.html

When you finish, you will have the choice of booting into XP or Vista.
See this page of MVP Bert Kinney's to read about the System Restore
issues with dual-booting Vista and XP:

http://bertk.mvps.org/html/dualboot.html


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

"Malke" wrote:
> hoydog wrote:
>> Can someone please help explain to me why, after making another
>> hd partition and attempting to install XP Pro onto this partition on
>> my Vista Basic laptop that the XP disc i have won't enable the
>> install link for the disc??? I can do everything with the XP Pro
>> install disc except install XP Pro onto the Vista laptop for dual-
>>booting.
>> [........]
>
> What "install link"? I don't know what you mean by that. Roughly,
> here is how you install XP to dual-boot with Vista:
>
> 1. First go to the laptop mftr.'s website and download all drivers
> and laptop-specific software for XP for your model laptop. Put these
> drivers on a CD-R or thumbdrive so you have them ready.
> IMPORTANT: If the laptop mftr. does not have XP drivers for your
> model laptop, XP is unsupported and you should not install XP. End
> of that story.
>
> 2. Assuming there are drivers, put your XP CD in the drive and
> restart your computer. You may need to change the boot order so
> that it boots from the CD drive first. Most laptops have a keypress
> to temporarily change the boot order (such as F12). Look at your
> bootup screen or refer to the manual. If there is no temporary method,
> enter the BIOS by pressing the correct key and change the boot order
> to CD drive first, hard drive second.
>
> 3. Now follow the normal XP installation routine:
>
> http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
> http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/...alling_Windows - What you
> will need on-hand
>
> 4. Once you have finished with the XP install, install your drivers and
> specialized software (if any). You will now need to repair the bootup with
> Vista, so boot with your Vista DVD and do that.
>
> Repair Vista - http://vistasupport.mvps.org/windows...ir_options.htm
> Repair Windows Vista using Startup Repair -
> http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial148.html
>
> When you finish, you will have the choice of booting into XP or Vista. See
> this page of MVP Bert Kinney's to read about the System Restore issues with
> dual-booting Vista and XP:
>
> http://bertk.mvps.org/html/dualboot.html
>
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


Using Microsoft utilities/software, one normally can't install an
earlier MS OS after a later (i.e. more recent) MS OS has been
installed. That means if Vista is already installed, you won't be
able to install XP and still boot Vista without 3rd-party software.
One such piece of software to enable dual-booting after such a
reverse order of installation is VistaBoot Pro. See:
http://groups.google.com/group/micro...355b413a587851

You can get VistaBoot Pro here for free:
www.VistaBootPro.org .

Another method is to use EasyBCD. Here is a
description on the OS installation:
http://apcmag.com/5485/dualbooting_vista_and_xp

You can get EasyBCD here, also free:
http://apcmag.com/5485/dualbooting_vista_and_xp


MVPs should all know this.

*TimDaniels*