How to switch 2 operating system??

[tausif_buet]

i first installed windows 7 ultimate in one drive & windows xp(sp-3) in another drive.
i have two operating system now but it does not show any option to switch one another when it boots/starts at the beginging??so how to solve the problem??

 

[mikey5802]

i first installed windows 7 ultimate in one drive & windows xp(sp-3) in another drive.
i have two operating system now but it does not show any option to switch one another when it boots/starts at the beginging??so how to solve the problem??

Download EASYBCD.

Normally, when you want to multi/dual boot a system, you should ALWAYS install the oldest operating system first. That way, the newer OS will recognize that an older OS is already installed and automatically give you the option to select whichever OS you want to run. You can also specify a deafult OS in system properties on the newest OS as well.

Easybcd is a program that will give you better control over your boot record.

 

[Ijack]

I presume that currently it's booting into XP as this was the last OS that you installed. (If not ignore step 1).

1. Do a repair install of Windows 7 so that it is booting again.

2. Install EasyBCD which will let you set up a boot menu.

 

[subaru41]

It doesn't matter which order you install the operating systems. Check out the link below. It will walk you through the steps and how to use EasyBCD. I installed Windows 7 first and then XP on a second hard drive. Scroll down half on the page where it says Windows 7 installed first. It will show you how to set up the boot menu for both operating systems.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

 

[mikey5802]

It doesn't matter which order you install the operating systems. Check out the link below. It will walk you through the steps and how to use EasyBCD. I installed Windows 7 first and then XP on a second hard drive. Scroll down half on the page where it says Windows 7 installed first. It will show you how to set up the boot menu for both operating systems.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html

Yes, it does matter, but there are work-arounds. If you install the oldest OS first, newest last, the boot loader for the newer OS will automatically setup an option to select which OS to boot into.

Using a program such as EasyBCD gives the user control no matter which OS was installed first, and there are other work-arounds.

I've been using multi/dual boot systems since the mid 90's, including Win 98, NT, Win XP and several different Linux distros.

 

[hasappra]

if you don't want to use any other software to control the boot option ... you must install windows xp first and then windows 7, and your computer will automatically make the boot option between XP and 7

 

[cassandraf_winteam]

Hi tausif_buet, These instructions from Microsoft will help you start over with the dual boot. You will have to have the original XP installation disk to follow these as XP will need to install before Windows 7. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Install-more-than-one-operating-system-multiboot

If you do not have the XP disk, you can try the instructions from the Seven Forum link above, or try the EasyBCD as it has apparently worked for others.

Hope this helps! And, let us know what works out for you.

Cheers,
Cassandra
Microsoft Windows Outreach

 

[tausif_buet]

Best answer selected by tausif_buet.