Dual booting XP and Vista?

When I bought this PC it came pre-installed with vista. I'm fed up with vista, and want to go with XP, without uninstalling vista. I have all the XP install discs, but can't figure out how to do this. Can anyone help me?

Maybe you should buy a MAC?

I've used macs all my life, until recently. I couldn't afford to BUY a new computer, but Dell had a great monthly plan.

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_vista_and_xp_with_vista_installed_first__the_stepbystep_guide.htm

Seems you need a Vista install disc for this method, which requires a tool on the disc to re-size the Vista partition.

There are other tools available to do that if you don't have the Vista disc. A GParted LiveCD should work.

Personally, this sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen, but good luck and report back.

OnEdit: I don't know how well that method works. I just googled it.

:yoiks:

The worst train wreck of a long Clinton/Obama thread in DU's GD: P forum isn't so bad as that.

I looked for other guides, and that was the only one that really had a step-by-step that seemed to make some sense. 'Course I didn't search for a really long time.

Anyway ...

I bought an antenna in order to increase the wireless internet signal. It works like a charm on my laptop (which uses XP), but when I try to use it on my desktop, I get the blue screen of death every time I try to access the internet.

You might want to stay away from that, then.

I've known people who have XP and put Vista on their machines for a dual boot configuration, but I don't personally know anyone who has done it the other way around. Those I've known with Vista who wanted XP just wiped Vista and started from scratch.

I don't want to lead you astray with this, so I'll defer to my betters. Dealing with Vista at such levels is in no way my area of expertise.

trust me this will never work, well it's a long shot. been there done that and it was ugly.

Either via VM,or the Microsoft version.

I got my mother a computer (or. more properly, replaced her outdated one).

It came pre-installed with Vista.

I'm a software developer and normally run XP Professional.

I thought Vista sucked. It's pretty, but how many times can you be asked if you REALLY REALLY want to install some program?

There are partitioning programs, or if you have a system disk you can do it yourself. Under DOS we had things like System Commander where we could load multiple operating systems (or more commonly, multiple versions). I don't think it's around any more (you could look, maybe it is) but you can repartition the drive for that. Basically it did the repartitioning and then shoved an up-front boot menu there for you.

Frankly I'd go to XP and screw Vista. If you want to keep it around, I think you'll have to do some partitioning magic, since each requires their own boot sector, and you can't really fake that out. You sort of have to know what you're doing.

Hell, I know what I'm doing, since I theoretically do this for a living, and I'd be kind of touchy trying to get both on. At a minimum, I'd be prepared for the machine to be wiped and have to replace everything. This is why I asked if you had disks.

The OTHER thing you should keep in mind - I learned this on a piece-of-crap Compaq that I owned - is that some install disks are images, and are meant to go on a certain disk size. If you've repartitioned it, it may not go. Just an FYI.

Well enough said i guess.

User account control was introduced with Vista.

I don't personally care for Vista myself. But feel free to guide the OP to a solution.

The people bitching and moaning about this annoyance are the same ones that shout about the superiority of Linux security, which prompts for credentials the same way. I am skeptical that their annoyance is valid. I assume their hate is more of a factor.

What if i came on here and said i hate Vista because is makes me be more secure? How much credibility would there be in what i post? If you have a problem the way NOT to fix it is bitching about how it sucks.

The UAC is one of the few things about Vista I haven't ever bitched about. :)

Just sayin ...

the trick to turning off UAC is this:

Go to Control Panel, and click User accounts. There is an option there to turn off UAC.

We got a x-mas laptop last year with Vista, after I removed the stupid pre-inatelled crapware and turned off UAC, it did get better.Not good enough for me.
Intel 2.2g should fly.

Anyhow, First thing I did was, I copied Laptop drivers onto a memory stick (it didn't come with CD's), then I removed my "Vista HD" and put in a new harddrive and installed WindoesXP SP2. It works great. Faster than Vista. The only thing that is giving me problems is the built-in wireless. I finally gave in and installed some network wire.

If(!?!) I ever want to play with Vista all I have to do is swap drives.



BTW: I tried to put Linux on it but my SO won't have it. Come to think, when I tried Linux, I was dealing with wireless problems, hhmmm, maby I'll sneak it in when he's not looking.