Dual Booting XP and Windows 8/7

[montosaurous]

Windows 8 has been good, with the exception of program incompatibility and some instability. The instability I can live with, but for certain games that run fine on Windows 7 but not on 8, well that is a different story. Anyways, I've been thing about installing XP onto a small partition on my HDD and keeping Windows 8 on my SSD. I figure support for XP doesn't matter, since well I wouldn't be using it for newer things anyways. I know there may be issues dual booting with one OS overwriting the other, even on separate drives. So, is there any way to have the two dual boot peacefully, or is it impossible?

 

[c3h8]

If you've already installed 8, you will need to install XP with both drives fully-connected. Having a uniform MBR/PRB will be key. Set the MBR and PBR to Win 8's, and add an entry to the boot menu.
I personally like BootICE for setting MBR/PBR.
If you can find an old version of EasyBCD, it will config. BOOTMGR records for you (from a GUI).

 

[gomerpile]

use the built in hyper v in 8, if you need more info how to setup the network I can guide you through, currently I have 7 xvhds. Alterntive solution. Another great feature in 8, also you can place your xvhds and put them in skydrive cloud service, 8 is perfect for that. Now I was thinking about something, on multi installs of windows on a single machine and windows license. However I have not seen that it cannot be run in a xvhd

Example of dos, running qbasic. reflection of the past

 

[montosaurous]

Neither have been installed yet, it's just a thought as of now. I could install XP first, or Windows 8 first. It all depends on which is better (I assume XP would be the better choice to install first). I don't like virtual machines much, and I try to avoid them as much as possible.

 

[gomerpile]

I've installed windows 8 then win 7 after, I also installed the other way too. All I seen was the second OS was booted up first. That can be changed in the boot setting in windows 8

 

[montosaurous]

So it can be changed without software? I tried it before once and XP overwrote 8 and 8 overwrote XP. Can someone get me a link to a tutorial please?

 

[RetiredChief]

The method I've used (As I'm not a lover of software boot menus).
.. Install an OS on SSD or HDD with ONLY that drive connected. Does not matter which OS is installed first.
.. Disconnect that drive and connect the 2nd drive and install that OS.
.. connect both Drives and set the Boot priority to the OS most often used.
.. Want to select the 2nd OS, Thn during post hit the "hot key" that brings up the boot menu. For my Gigabye MBs it is F12 and f11 for my ASrock MB.
General comments.
.. Which ever OS is booted to will be the "C:" drive.
EXAMPLE: Win 8 installed on SSD and win7 (or XP) on small partition of HDD. Boot priority to SSD:
Normal Boot SSD (win 8)= C, Small partiton on HDD with XP or (win 7) = D and large partition of HDD = D. DVD drive = E (personnally I set DVD drive to "G" or even "I)
You boot, hit Hot key and select drive with XP (or Win 7). then
XP becomes drive C, Win 7 SSD becomes D, 2nd partition on HDD = E
NOTE - All drives are accessable which ever OS is booted to
NOTE: D and E may be switched depending on the Type of 2nd partition on HDD, Also I just set to what I want. 2nd Note: may see a SMALL system partition on SSD ie 100 mb) if it Has a drive Letter I just shove it up the latter to like M. Same same if HDD also has a smale system Partition.)
.. If you reboot you will auto boot to which ever OS was select in BIOS as first boot device.

NOTE Never had a problem with triple boot (XP/Vista/Windows 7 all three on their OWN Raid0 HDDs): However with win 7 and win 8 I have a MINOR problem. If I boot win 8 then boot back to win 7, win 7 requires Checkdisk to run - NO PROBLEMS found then continues win 7 loading process. Probably will be the same with XP + Win 8, BUT This does NOT occur with XP and Win 7
Sill prefer this method over Software method as There have been some problems with the software boot menu messing up and you can no longer boot to either drive.

 

[gomerpile]

The method I've used (As I'm not a lover of software boot menus).
.. Install an OS on SSD or HDD with ONLY that drive connected. Does not matter which OS is installed first.
.. Disconnect that drive and connect the 2nd drive and install that OS.
.. connect both Drives and set the Boot priority to the OS most often used.
.. Want to select the 2nd OS, Thn during post hit the "hot key" that brings up the boot menu. For my Gigabye MBs it is F12 and f11 for my ASrock MB.
General comments.
.. Which ever OS is booted to will be the "C:" drive.
EXAMPLE: Win 8 installed on SSD and win7 (or XP) on small partition of HDD. Boot priority to SSD:
Normal Boot SSD (win 8)= C, Small partiton on HDD with XP or (win 7) = D and large partition of HDD = D. DVD drive = E (personnally I set DVD drive to "G" or even "I)
You boot, hit Hot key and select drive with XP (or Win 7). then
XP becomes drive C, Win 7 SSD becomes D, 2nd partition on HDD = E
NOTE - All drives are accessable which ever OS is booted to
NOTE: D and E may be switched depending on the Type of 2nd partition on HDD, Also I just set to what I want. 2nd Note: may see a SMALL system partition on SSD ie 100 mb) if it Has a drive Letter I just shove it up the latter to like M. Same same if HDD also has a smale system Partition.)
.. If you reboot you will auto boot to which ever OS was select in BIOS as first boot device.

NOTE Never had a problem with triple boot (XP/Vista/Windows 7 all three on their OWN Raid0 HDDs): However with win 7 and win 8 I have a MINOR problem. If I boot win 8 then boot back to win 7, win 7 requires Checkdisk to run - NO PROBLEMS found then continues win 7 loading process. Probably will be the same with XP + Win 8, BUT This does NOT occur with XP and Win 7
Sill prefer this method over Software method as There have been some problems with the software boot menu messing up and you can no longer boot to either drive.

Best method here, done this too, worked like a charm

 

[montosaurous]

Alright, I guess I'll try that. I both both the X86 and X64 XP install disks. Is there any reason I should NOT use X86 other than I'd have less RAM (which XP doesn't need, really).

 

[montosaurous]

Best answer selected by Montosaurous.

 

[kyllien]

You can also run XP in a virtual machine. If you have Windows 8 Pro x64 you already have Hyper-V.

 

[oneely]

use the built in hyper v in 8, if you need more info how to setup the network I can guide you through, currently I have 7 xvhds. Alterntive solution. Another great feature in 8, also you can place your xvhds and put them in skydrive cloud service, 8 is perfect for that. Now I was thinking about something, on multi installs of windows on a single machine and windows license. However I have not seen that it cannot be run in a xvhd

Example of dos, running qbasic. reflection of the past

 

[oneely]

I just installed Windows XP Pro on my Windows 8.1 Pro machine using hyper V. It worked like a charm but several problems.
Most importantly, I can't seem to connect to the internet on XP from within Hyper V. I set up a virtual switch manager (External) using the default settings. The network connection wizard on XP doesn't seem to able to set up a LAN ethernet connection or I don't know what manual settings to enter.

Also the HyperV window for XP is rather small and I can't find a screen resolution setting that will fill the screen without cutting something off.