Dual Boot Windows 7 and XP the EasyBCD way in 4 steps.

[LeetPirate]

Firstly you might have a situation where you want to install Windows XP after you already installed Windows 7, in which case you can read this link.

I tend to do it the easier way which can only be done if you are using 2 physical drives; install one OS on hdd-1 while the sata-2 cable is unplugged from hdd-2, then unplug the sata-1 cable from hdd-1 and replug the sata-2 cable into hdd-2 and install the second OS. Each drive will be unaware of the other during installation, the reason I do it this way is to keep each drive bootable on its own without having the boot files from the second OS be installed all over the boot partition on the first hdd. I used numbers 1 and 2 there just to distinguish between different cables and hdd, they mean nothing other than my naming convention.

Now that you have both XP and Windows 7 installed you can proceed to making your system dual bootable in 4 easy steps using EasyBCD 2.0 beta. You have to register at their forums to download v2.0 beta but I will provide a mirror here. I used EasyBCD v2.0 beta build 82 for this. Download and install, during install you can uncheck the box for the tweaker crap addon unless you plan to use it.

Assuming you are in Windows 7, once you have EasyBCD 2.0 installed and running:

1. Click "Add/Remove Entries" on the left.
2. Set "Drive" to the letter that contains XP installation and set "Type" to "Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3". You can modify "Name" if you want. Selecting the Drive letter is optional I think but I added it in here in case it was needed.
3. Click the "Add Entry" button on the bottom right corner.
4. A dialogue box will popup with Automated NTLDR Configuration, click YES.

EasyBCD v2.0 beta mirrors:

http://www.multiupload.com/IIKGOVTF4U

Let's hope the creators of EasyBCD don't mind that I mirrored their app. :)

See screenshots for more details.

[HX1]

This looks useful..

[Karlston]

Each drive will be unaware of the other during installation, the reason I do it this way is to keep each drive bootable on its own without having the boot files from the second OS be installed all over the boot partition on the first hdd.

IIRC, the drive that's higher in the BIOS boot sequence at OS install time is the one that has its MBR tweaked with the multi-boot stuff.

So setting the the Win 7 drive higher in the boot sequence than the existing XP drive before you run the Win 7 install, and the XP drive's MBR will be untouched.

Nice post BTW...

[Bizarre™]

This might prove useful ^_^

[Atasas]

If I will ever, Need/would want go back to multiboot- That's it!

nice! TY LeetPirate!

[DKT27]

Thanx Leet. Would be very useful when I'll transfer my data to new HDD when I get a new PC.

Any suggestions for above? :rolleyes:

[shought]

Nice guide Leet :)

+rep for you ;)

(People should really make more use of this rep system)

[DKT27]

I was gonna do that but then I forgot. Better late than never. ^_^

[HX1]

Yeah.. and then you see how many Rep points he has.. :huh: Well deserved nevertheless.. :unsure: LOL ^_^

EDIT: No wait.. I think it was mara- or box.. that had/has like gazillion Rep points.. Can't remember but I was like .. 'Lala-la.. see what their profile looks like.....' and like 'WOH..' That was when my head deflated about my 19.. LOL

[DKT27]

:lol:

Box has more than 100 Plus reps. And I was the first one to wish him when he reached this milestone. :P

I spy on profiles. :sneaky:

Leet deserves each and every plus rep he has got. ^_^