Am I able to dual boot vista and xp from two different hard drives at the same time? If so how do i do it?

Question

The reason I ask, is because I was running vista and my graphics card kept crashing and no matter what drivers etc I used still got the problem. I had a spare sata drive and loaded xp on it, but still wanted to keep my vista. Essentially what I want to do is run vista for day to day stuff and play games via xp.

Answer 1

I think Dewcoons has the information to what you mean...

But your question asks; 'Can I boot them both at the same time'?

...and the answer is YES!

You need a piece of software called VM Ware...and it is not the the faint-hearted of computer literacy.

Answer 2

Since you already have Vista installed on the primary drive you are half way there.

Now add the second hard drive into the computer, and then boot from the Windows XP CD. Let it start the Windows setup. Right after you do the F8 to agree you will be promoted for where you want to install XP. Select the second hard drive.

Because your computer is designed to always boot from the primry drive, the Windows install will add a file to the primary drive (where Vista is) that loads a menu every time you boot up. That menu will give you the option to let it boot from the primary drive (Vista) or or the second drive (XP). If you do not select one, after 15 seconds it default to the primary drive (Vista).

It is very simple to set up as the Windows installer does all the work for you.

Answer 3

On a single motherboard, no.

It's one or the other.

You may be able to install some kind of Virtual Machine software to allow it but you'd still be emulating XP through Vista and the graphics card problem is still there.

Or you'd be trying to run Vista via XP and well, you just wouldn't.

Good luck trying to get it to work ... some major tweaking fiddling and finagling is called for...

Answer 4

Simultaneously? No.
One at a time? Yes.

Install XP. Then Install Vista. It will give you the option to boot XP or Vista at power-up.

Just be careful of where you are installing to during the installation process.

Alternatively, check your BIOS to see if it can force the system to boot from alternative hard disks.

Answer 5

change bios settings each time u boot up for ex c is vista d is xp that's the only way you cannot run side by side
sucker for buying vista so early like xp every bit of software will now slowly be updated and patches will come should have waited a year
as always Microsoft to busy making money than caring for the user who payed shed load of money for vista

Answer 6

You cannot run vista and XP at the same time on the same computer...
But you can have vista and xp installed on your hard drive, and boot with either one, just not at the same time

Answer 7

dont know but i know you can boot from one off the hard drive and one off the cd rom,
my friends an IT worker-person-thing and he boots XP from his hard drive and vista off the disc, im pretty sure that he would boot both from seperate hard drives if possible.

isnt it something to do with only having one master drive and the others slaves?

personally i think vista is a piece of sh1t, but thats me.
dont listen to me........

Answer 8

sure this is achieveable, the 1st factor to do is deploy the domicile windows Xp, once you completeley deploy all drivers and utility in xp. deploy domicile windows vista, in basic terms replaced the path of the domicile windows. or you could usecontinual d: on your domicile windows vista.

Answer 9

no it's an either or not an and situation. only way to run both at the same time is on 2 separate computers.

Answer 10

Both at the same time NO because even though you have two harddrives...you only have one processor that can read 1 O/S at a time the shared files,Registry and IRQ would be at a conflict


CHEERS!!!