Dual Boot Windows 7 & XP | How to Install XP Alongside Windows 7
Setting Up a Dual Boot System with Windows 7 and XP
Perhaps you recently acquired a computer with Windows 7 pre-installed, yet you desire the continued functionality of Windows XP in a dual boot configuration. This guide will detail the process of creating a new partition within Windows 7, followed by the installation of XP onto that designated space.
During this procedure, we will be reducing the size of existing free space on the Windows 7 hard drive to accommodate the new partition. It’s crucial to first determine the appropriate amount of storage to allocate for the XP partition. Ensure sufficient space is available on your hard drive for the files you intend to store within each operating system.
Creating a New Partition
The initial step involves creating a new partition on the Windows 7 system. Fortunately, this can be accomplished without the need for any third-party software. Begin by clicking the Start button and typing either "partition" or "disk management" into the search field. From the resulting menu, select "Create and format hard disk partitions."
The Disk Management window will open, and from here, we must free up space on the (C:) drive where Windows 7 is installed. Right-click on this drive and choose "Shrink Volume."
A window will appear, indicating that the drive is being assessed for available space.
Next, input the desired amount of space to shrink the volume. The total disk size and the available shrinkable space will be displayed. In this instance, we are allocating 40GB of space.
Upon completion of the process, the newly created Unallocated space will be visible. Right-click on this unallocated space and select "New Simple Volume."
The New Simple Volume Wizard will launch, guiding you through a straightforward process. When reaching the Format Partition section, NTFS is selected as the file system by default, and it is recommended to leave this setting unchanged. Consider renaming the Volume label to something descriptive, such as "XP Partition," for easier identification during XP installation. Also, ensure the "Perform a Quick Format" option is checked.
Once the formatting is finished, the new volume will appear as a healthy partition in the list.
Navigating to My Computer will now reveal the new disk, and you'll observe a reduction in space on the (C:) drive where Windows 7 resides.
Installing XP on the New Partition
Having successfully created a new partition on your Windows 7 machine, the next step is to install XP onto it. Here, we are installing XP Professional onto the newly created partition. Boot from the XP installation media and initiate the installation process.
When prompted to choose a partition, be certain to select the one you created using the preceding steps. In this example, a 10GB partition was designated for the XP installation.
If the partition was already formatted with NTFS, you can proceed without changes, or you may opt for the FAT file system if desired.
Continue the installation process as you would with a standard clean install on any hard drive.
Configuring the Boot Loader
Following a successful XP installation, proceed to install the latest Microsoft Updates and drivers. You will likely find that the system now boots directly into XP. This is because XP has overwritten the Windows 7 bootloader. To present both XP and Windows 7 as options at the boot screen, utilize the free utility EasyBCD 1.72 or its newer 2.0 Beta version.
VistaBootPRO 3.3 (free version) remains a viable alternative, downloadable here. Note that VistaBootPRO has been rebranded as DualBootPRO and is no longer offered as a free product; a single-user license costs $9.95.
After restoring the bootloader, you should see both XP and Windows 7 listed as options within the Windows Boot Manager.
Conclusion
To configure a default operating system for your dual boot system, refer to The Geek's tutorial on the subject. The EasyBCD 2.0 Beta requires registration with the NeoSmart Technologies Forum for download. If you prefer to avoid beta software, EasyBCD 1.7.2 is still freely available and functional. While other methods for creating a dual boot system exist, this approach is both simple and effective.
EasyBCD 2.0 Beta (Forum Registration Required)
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