BleepingComputer.com: Trouble Setting Up Vista (+xp) Dual-boot System

Hello esteemed helpers of the woefully betrounced victims of 'snazzy' new OS's... I'm a bit newbish when it comes to this stuff, but I'll try to be thorough:

Goal: Dual-boot OS option upon startup; one being XP and the other Vista
Computer: HP Pavilion Elite m1977c, Intel Quad Core Duo Q6700, 3GB RAM, 320 GB HD (x2)
Factory Installed OS: Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)

Status -

*Of the two HDs only the first one has been used, the second is entirely untouched
*The 0 location HD came from HP with Vista on the C: partition, and System Restore on a 10GB D: partition
*I've currently backed up all necessary personal files
*I've also burned a backup set of Vista system recovery disks
*I have a new Windows XP Pro SP2 install disk, with product key
*I have 'shrunk' the C: partition that Vista is located in to make room for 40GB of unallocated space (future home for XP)

Where it stands -

My plan, after reading up on the process at apc.com and a few other sources, was to partition some space on the 0 location HD where Vista is currently located for XP to reside. Then was going to install XP into that unallocated space, formatting it (etc) during the XP setup process. When I tried to install XP from CD while in Vista (i.e. from desktop environment), the option to "Install Windows XP Professional" was 'greyed out' and unable to be clicked. After monkeying around with it I was finally able to select the "install" option, but shortly thereafter received an "incompatible with Vista" message; the install was aborted by Vista. It wouldn't allow the install to continue because it deemed XP incompatible with itself. SO... then I just tried to restart the computer with the XP install CD in the DVD drive to boot straight from the disk... at that point Vista kept firing right up as if there were no disc in the tray. I restarted a few times to no different result. Then I checked the boot priority settings during another restart, which after verification were in the appropriate order - Floppy > CD > HD. I restarted again, this time going into either 'boot settings' or 'setup' (I can't remember which) and was able to force it to run the disc. I got the message on a black screen: "Press any key to boot from disc..." and did so; the Windows Setup blue screen opened, and files etc began loading. Things seemed to be going well. After that had been going on for a short while, maybe a minute at most (well before I had any options to format, install, setup partitions, etc), it would stop the process and yield me a blue screen message that says something like: "this process has been stopped to keep you from harming/damaging your computer, if this is the first time you've received this message try again." I tried it again, to the same result. Rinsed and repeated several times. Argh!

At this point I'd be happy to wipe my HD and start over with XP, then install Vista - the installation sounds much easier that route... but it doesn't even appear that I can uninstall.


Questions -

*Is my strategy sound? Should it work?
*Is it possible that my new XP disk has some error even though it has appeared to be functional?
*Should I just give up? Getting XP on my compy for some of my most important programs is pretty key for me... but I'm at wits end

Hi, no doubt you will get plenty of help with this, I bought this mag in Aus a few months ago and had a great article on daul boot with Visat and XP lucky they posted it on the web so I hope it helps http://apcmag.com/5485/dualbooting_vista_and_xp

Thanks for the response Monty!

I'd actually discovered the apcmag article about the dual-boot setup, unfortunately following their directions was unsuccessful at the point where I needed to boot from the XP disc to install, and I may have discovered the reason why. I had a short conversation at the bus stop with a Computer and Information Sciences student from my school today - it was a quirky chance meeting so it's unlikely I'll get to talk to him again, but maybe you folks can help me understand/remember what he was telling me.

After telling him about my situation (as laid out in first post), he asked if after attempting to boot from the XP disc I got the BSOD. Apparently that's "Blue Screen of Death" for the uninitiated like myself! I guess tech guys gotta have a sense of humor or they'd go insane. Anyways, next he asked me when I purchased my computer; which was about a month ago. Then he said, "a-ha! I know what it could be."

He said something about newer Vista computers HD controllers (?) only coming setup with SATA or AHCI (?) compatible drivers preactivated/installed, and that XP from the install disc doesn't have SATA compatible drivers (rather uses IDE?) so it won't be able to read the HD when I try to boot from XP disc; hence, BSOD. He said the solution would be something like this:

1) Device Manager > Storage Controllers (I think?) > of the options available then enable a "Standard" IDE & SATA compatible driver or controller which should be there.
2) Restart the computer and go into the BIOS > Advanced > Drive Config > enable IDE/Legacy/similar > Save changes & exit
3) Restart computer and boot from XP disc.
4) He said this should allow XP to read the HD and move forward with the XP install.
5) Then he said the dual-boot option should be available, but that if I immediately booted into Vista it wouldn't be able access the HD now and that some further IDE driver loading may need to be done. (this point is a bit fuzzy... I'm trying to do this all from memory from a quick conversation...)

Current situation:
I tried to enable a "Standard" IDE compatible driver under Device Manager > Storage Controllers... alas there isn't one there to enable, so I'm dead in the water again.

Does what this guy told me make sense? If so, does it sound like I forgot a step somewhere? If my computer doesn't have said "Standard" IDE & SATA compatible driver, can I download one from somewhere? (I looked a bit, but couldn't find one - but might not know the best way to look)


Thanks for your response, the help is really appreciated!

PS - I just realized I typo'd my type of comp in the original post, it's an actually a m9177c (not 1977); probably doesn't matter.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/documen...335&lang=en

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/prodinf...mp;lang=en&

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwar...335&lang=en

after you research it for a while you might find all the xp drivers somewhere?

I'm late for an appointment now, but Vista's installation of SATA drivers is much more mature than that of XP's. I'd suggest locating the SATA drivers for XP and slipstreaming them into your XP installation CD per these instructions: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/How-To--S...XP-installation

Don't have the time to look for the drivers right now. If you can't locate them, post back here and we'll see what we can do.

Excellent, I'll look into it as soon as I'm able. I guess I get to learn what slipstreaming is, wewt! (at the very least it sounds cool, haha!) I'll post back with an update when I have something new. Thanks folks!

-Katakisan

Well, I appreciate the suggestions... but at this point I've beat my head against the wall too much, I haven't a clue what to do and nothing I've been able to find online (via my still functioning laptop) has been any help at all. Vista... I hatechu...

I was finally able to get the XP install well underway on a secondary partition, with a fresh Vista installation in the primary partition. However, after the XP installation reached the point where it restarted itself I received a black screen with the ominous message "Error loading operating system" or "Failed to load operating system". This screen appears to be unshakeable. I have no options that I know of now... the computer is most recently freezing on boot up at the initial BIOS screen with the F key options listed.

If my computer hadn't cost $1500 I'd seriously be considering unloading some 12 gauge into it.

I have always installed the oldest OS first on a dual boot system, that way the newest knows to leave the first install in the boot files