Dual Booting

[azrael78]

Hey there,

 

I'm looking at giving Windows 7 a try, however I'd like to be able to switch between 7 and XP on my laptop before I decide to jump to 7 full-time.

 

I know I can dual-boot between the OSes but I'd like something a little different.

 

I want to clone the XP install and upgrade from XP -> Vista -> 7 on one of them, keeping the other seperate.

 

I don't want either install to be able to 'see' or affect the other.

 

I'm sure I need a Boot Manager for this - but I have no idea of which ones are good/bad or how I'd actually accomplish this.

 

I know how to clone XP to another partition without issue, it's just the whole 'boot manager' process that confuses me a little.

 

Any help or advice here would be appreciated.

 

Az

[whitenight639]

Hey there,

 

I'm looking at giving Windows 7 a try, however I'd like to be able to switch between 7 and XP on my laptop before I decide to jump to 7 full-time.

 

I know I can dual-boot between the OSes but I'd like something a little different.

 

I want to clone the XP install and upgrade from XP -> Vista -> 7 on one of them, keeping the other seperate.

 

I don't want either install to be able to 'see' or affect the other.

 

I'm sure I need a Boot Manager for this - but I have no idea of which ones are good/bad or how I'd actually accomplish this.

 

I know how to clone XP to another partition without issue, it's just the whole 'boot manager' process that confuses me a little.

 

Any help or advice here would be appreciated.

 

Az

 

 

 

I wouldnt bother upgrading XP to vista as it can cause lots of problems. If i was you I would simply boot gparted disk make another partition and install windows 7, then transfer what files and setting you need via a usb drove or you could create a swap partition that both OS's can see.

[_techie_]

Could virtualise it? Or use RIS/WDS to image the XP machine, then RIS a new partition with XP on again, then upgrade the new partition to Windows 7?

 

Try Virtual PC for Windows if you want to try Windows 7 virtualised.