Problems with Dual Boot

Question

I am trying to install XP Home so I can dual boot to Vista and XP.  Here is my system   E521 w/ Vista Premium pre installed 250 Gig HD w/ 182 Gig free 200 Gig HD w/ 180 Gig free 2Gig RAM   I found instructions on this board on how to prep mt pc for dual boot. Followed them and all was good until installing XP.  I created a partition on my C drive, popped in my XP disc and instal was grayed out.  Restarted pc with disc in drive and found out I had to go into set up and change the system to boot from CD drive first.  Restarted PC and started installing XP.  All was going good until it wanted me to re start computer.  Since I had it set to boot from CD that is what it did and I wound back up at the XP install screen asking me where I wanted to install to. Canceled out of that screen and went into set up and changed to boot from hard drive.  Restarted and pc just sits there...no error no nothing, just a blinking cursor and a black screen.  Ctl+alt+del to restart, go back to boot from CD and I get the same cycle over.  So, I stuck in my Vista DVD, ran the repair wizard which took almost and hour.  Restarted PC and basicly it told me that my partitions became corrupt (thank god I backed everything up onto DVD's before starting this), and I had to reinstall Vista.  Everything good at this point.  What am I doing wrong?

dunedin · Answer

eichenberg :smileyhappy:

I`m not sure if there is a problem or if it is something you did.

Could it be this? Can you remember?

You wrote

"All was going good until it wanted me to re start computer."

While installing XP, sometime after the copying files is complete you see "Press any Key to Reboot"
When you see this "Press any Key to Reboot" do not Press any Key. This will reboot the CD again. The machine will reboot itself. Do not do anything. If CD boots anyway, remove CD and reboot. If it need it again it will ask for it

This holds true for every XP install

eichenberg · Answer

That could be, I can not remember.  I have a new problem now.  I tried again and now when I get to the part in the XP set up when it asks me where I want to install it. It is giving me 3 options.  The partition I created (E), My C drive, and my D drive (back up drive).  No matter what drive I chose the next screen tells me C needs to be formated in order to install the software.  If I choose to continue it formats C not the partition (E) I want XP to be installed on.  Any thoughts?

kirkd · Answer

Normally XP needs to be installed first, then Vista. This is because XP is ignorant of Vista, but Vista knows about XP. However, there are ways to load XP second. Search the web and you should find them.

Dimension 9100, Dual-Boot Win XP / Vista Home Premium, 3.0 GHz P4, 2 GB DDR2 533 MHz RAM, 160 GB SATA II Samsung (XP), 300 GB SATA II Seagate (Vista), 250 GB SimpleTech USB (WD Drive), Nvidia Go 6800 (425/825 MHz), Dell 1901 UltraSharp FP

Inspiron E1705, Win Vista Premium, T7200 Core 2 Duo (4MB, 2.0 GHz 667MHz), 2 GB DDR2 677 MHz RAM, 2 GB Transcend 150X SD ReadyBoost, 120 GB Samsung HD, Nvidia Go 7900 GS - 101.19 WHQL Driver, 17” Sharp UltraSharp TrueLife Wide-Screen WUXGA

dunedin · Answer

Read this and see if it helps http://www.pro-networks.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=88231

eichenberg · Answer

Those are the exact directions I have been following.

dunedin · Answer

Post#1
Restarted PC and basicly it told me that my partitions became corrupt (thank god I backed everything up onto DVD's before starting this), and I had to reinstall Vista.

You should really have just installed XP first when you had the chance.

Maybe the problem now is to do with the message that the partitions became corrupt.

Have a look what it says in Disk Management

Right click Computer/Manage
Left hand side click Disk Management.

Do the partitions show properly here?

Windows General

Problems with Dual Boot

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