how do you do that?

from WinCustomize Forums

MJ posted this reply in another post. "I have no idea how to make my desktop dual boot for both Vista and Win7."

I don't either, how would one set their computer up to select the OS to be used. doesn't seem like it but, is there a limit on the number of OS's that can be installed.

I'm using vista but have my XP disc around somewhere and when win7 comes out...(didn't pre-order, shucks)

45,964 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Don't quote me on this, but I believe I have read here in the forums that once you set your system up for dual boot it asks you, as part of the boot up, what OS you want to use. 

Having a system with three OSs, I suppose if you had enough HDD space you could do it. 

Lets see how the people who know respond.

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

When you install Win7, it will show a screen when you boot up to select an OS. I have XP, Vista 64, and Win 7 64.

If you install XP after having Vista installed, it usually screws up the booting and will only boot up XP. You will need to put your Vista disc back in and have it repair boot options...easy to do, it gives you that option and you'll be all set. :)

Groupy 2 - Organize multiple applications into grouped tabs on your Windows desktop
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

yeah, and you can always install a boot mananger/loader.....

http://gag.sourceforge.net/pics.html

The first sector on a hard is called the Master Boot Record (MBR). This sector is only 512 bytes long and contains a small piece of code (446 bytes) called the primary boot loader and the partition table (64 bytes) describing the primary and extended partitions.

By default, MBR code looks for the partition marked as active and once such a partition is found, it loads its boot sector into memory and passes control to it.

Och lite mer intressant läsning om boot :)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa468626.aspx

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I have dual booted forever. If you have Vista installed, and you dual boot 7, Windows 7 will be the default OS. You can change this by installing VistaBootPro (free) on the Vista side and it will allow you to choose which will be the default OS. For me, this is good, because I usually power up my rig, then go to the bathroom, or go for coffee. When I return, the correct OS is booted!!

Also, if you ever decide to get rid of one OS, VistaBootPro helps you to correct the MBR. Thus bypassing a lot of aggravation for the novice user to have to repair the MBR.

 

VistaBootPro  :thumbsup:

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting voidcore, reply 4
yeah, and you can always install a boot mananger/loader.....
End of voidcore's quote

I personally would never recommend using third-party bootmanagers, having had some bad experiences with such in the past.
One caused me not to be able to enter any of the OS's installed. Another nuked the MBR.....

Safe to says that I haven't used any third-party managers since ;)