How To Live With Windows 7 And XP or Vista At The Same Time
Written on by Kay
How to Dual Boot Windows 7 with either XP or Vista with 3 Easy Steps
Even though Windows 7 was just recently released, it is already proving to be a successful improvement from Vista. In fact, even a few XP users who would not touch Vista with a ten-foot pole are gearing up for the upgrade. Due to all the concerns, complaints, and problems Windows Vista had, you might be a bit unsure about relying so heavily on Windows 7 (despite the positive reviews so far). In that case, you want to opt for a dual boot.
A dual boot gives you the opportunity to test out Windows 7 without having to delete Vista or XP as your operating system just yet. The good news is that setting up a duel boot is easy. If you want to get started, please continue reading on for the three steps you must take.
Step #1: Create or Obtain a Windows 7 Installation Disk
While many motherboards enable you to boot from a USB flash drive, this process is a lot for most average PC users to handle. You either purchased a Windows 7 DVD or have acquired as ISO file. If you have that ISO file, you can skip to step number 2. To get started with creating a Windows 7 disc, put a blank DVD into your burner and burn an image file with the different apps that can handle an ISO. A few of your options include ImgBurn, CDBurnerXP, and the Ashampoo Burning Studio Free.
Step #2: New Partition Creation
Before implementing this step, it is important to backup your computer’s files. If you follow these steps properly, you should not experience a corruption of data; however, there is always the risk. Right now, it is time to create unallocated disk space; you can do this by resizing the partition on your hard drive and then creating a new partition with space for Windows 7 to operate on. Most PC users only have one existing partition, which is dedicated to the Windows operating system you are using right now.
How to Create a New Partition for Windows Vista
Luckily, you can use built-in tools to edit and modify your hard drives. There is also a third-party tool known as GParted that is best for XP users. If you are an XP user, you can skip this step and move to “How to Create a New Partition for Windows XP.”
Returning back to Windows Vista, click ‘Start’ and type “diskmgmt.msc” into your search bar. A new window will open and this should be titled “Disk Management;” it will contain the basic information about your PC and all attached drives.
You should right-click on the “Disk 0” partition and then choose the “Shrink Volume” option. This will give you information on the drive capacity and the option to shrink your partition by any amount. The recommended minimum partition is 16GB for Windows 7, so choose that or a larger figure.
Since you just resized your original partition, you should see unallocated space on your hard drive. Before taking the next step, it is advised that you redo your optical drives to the next letter down. Your new empty partition should have a letter that follows your first and main partition, which will likely end up being “D.”
Now, you want to right-click on the new unallocated space and select the “New Simple Volume” option, which will open a new screen. This screen is a wizard you want to follow. You will be asked to define a volume; you should let it occupy all unallocated space, name it the letter you just freed up, and format the volume using the default allocation unit size and a NTFS file system. The label can be anything, including just Windows 7. Now, move onto step number 3.
How to Create a New Partition for Windows XP
The steps to creating a new partition for Windows XP are pretty much the same as with Vista, but you aren’t using the Windows Disk Management utility. Instead, you will be using a third-party program and we recommend GParted. Get started by downloading the latest edition, and burn it to a disk.
Once your image of GParted has been downloaded, you can reboot your computer after placing the disk in your optical drive. After booting, you will need to select your language, screen resolution, and keymap.
Once the software has loaded, right-click on the partition you want to resize and select “Resize or Move.” This will provide you with information on the drive capacity; enter in the new size. As mentioned above, it is recommended that you have a minimum partition of at least 16GB for Windows 7.
Now, you will see unallocated space on your hard drive, click on that new unallocated space and select “New.” You will then be asked to request the free amount of space you like before and after the new partition, as well as its new size. Enter 0 for both; then, designate it a “Primary Partition” and begin formatting by using NFTS. You should now have a healthy partition with the free space you dedicated in the steps above.
Step #3: Install Windows 7
Place the Windows 7 DVD into your optical drive, reboot the system, and press any key when prompted to do so. You will get the installation wizard that is very easy and straightforward; follow the directions on your screen! Just ensure you choose the custom or advanced installation so that you can have the installation run on your new partition, as opposed to installing overtop of Windows XP or Vista.
