2nd partition

The Astroman

The Astroman

Active Member
Hey guys.
I wanna create a 2nd partition on my laptop's hard drive to install XP.

Now, I have an IBM Lenovo R60. So there is a hidden partition inside with the recovery files to reinstall the vista which is on it now with drivers etc...

1) Will I be able to use recovery files to reinstall Vista on a partition smaller than the one it was on OEM (cause if I create a 2nd, the 1rst will be smaller duh...)
2) If I install XP, how can I find the drivers for all of the R60s devices? Cause the recovery files have drivers only for Vista, or?

Thanks!
 
For XP drivers you would go to the manufacturer's support and simply the model you have there to choose the XP version of each. Adding XP into the Vista boot loader is not quite that easy. It would actually be easier to shrink the current primary, create a new primary for XP, and then simply reinstall Vista in order to have it add XP into it's own boot loader.
 
PC eye said:
For XP drivers you would go to the manufacturer's support and simply the model you have there to choose the XP version of each. Adding XP into the Vista boot loader is not quite that easy. It would actually be easier to shrink the current primary, create a new primary for XP, and then simply reinstall Vista in order to have it add XP into it's own boot loader.
Click to expand...

Uhhh.. What?

Could you clarify lol?

And I'm checking Lenovo's website to see if they do indeed have the drivers necessary for XP.

EDIT: They do, so that's OK.

Is it dangerous to mess with things like that on prebuilt laptops? I've never done it before, you see. Will it create problems after?
 
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If you leave the hidden recovery partition intact you can always later remove the XP and Vista partitions to create a new XP primary provided you have the oroginal Windows and other recovery disks that came along with it. If you don't...:eek: ! The main problem would be voiding any current service plan and dealer warranty tto some extent since the OS was preinstalled. To see that restored under warranty you would likely have to have them reinstall XP again for a service charge of course! :rolleyes:
 
So that is preinstalled there then. It's funny I just came across an MS link for solving problems when Vista won't run after installing an older version of Windows. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919529 One of the best articles seen on adding XP on a system with Vista already preinstalled is seen at http://lifehacker.com/software/dual-boot/dual-boot-windows-xp-on-a-pre+installed-vista-pc-248936.php

This will go into how to shrink the current Vista primary down in order to create a new NTFS primary for XP along with how to configure the dual boot. But instead of using the VistaBootPRO ripoff of EasyBCD 1.6 download the better free tool at http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,64565/description.html This is installed on Vista not XP for adding OSes into the Vista boot loader as well as setting the default OS to load.

What I found here was s need to reinstall Vista again after XP(two versions here) was all set(two installs on two drives) for the third copy of Vista. When XP was removed from the Vista boot loader it couldn't be added back in on one occasion. With XP Pro installed on the 1st sata after Vista replaced it on the second ide Vista finally saw a third install to include that in. After you shrink the current primary and create the XP partition and install XP plan on reinstalling Vista since it's the newer version.
 
Ok...

1) Will this rupture any warranty?
2) Are you saying I don't have to format to make a second partition, in order to install XP?
 
Once you start making changes to a preinstalled OS that part of any warranty is at risk then. Do you have the original recovery disks for Vista and any prepackaged softwares? If not you may want to contact the dealer. With GParted or another good drive partitioning tool you can shrink the size of an existing partition in order to allow for additional partitions to be created in the now vacant drive space.

The task will be getting the XP entry into the Vista mbr for the dual boot there since Vista is the newer version of Windows. Here XP is on a separate drive where mbrs can be rewriten for separation there. One thing that is not too well known about this however is how XP will effect the Vista system restore points due to the way it mounts drives and creates it's own. A good article on this can be looked over at http://bertk.mvps.org/html/dualboot.html

At this time there are several articles on how to dual boot Vista along with XP with few showing how to add XP to a Vista system. One article that includes some screens for this is seen at http://apcmag.com/5485/dualbooting_vista_and_xp

One thing to mention here was what was seen when rewriting the XP mbr for the primary drive here and even using a freeware called EasyBCD after first running across another "take the name and run" called VistaBootPRO. Once the primary's mbr was redone after the first Vista installation these tools as well as a step by step guide for a manual use of the BCDedit tool to add XP back in failed. Vista was reinstalled later to see XP added back in. You could run into a similar problem.
 
you can use gparted live cd to split your first partition to install the os instead of messing around with the recovery partition.
 
kof2000 said:
you can use gparted live cd to split your first partition to install the os instead of messing around with the recovery partition.
Click to expand...

You wouldn't split a partition with GParted but use it for reducing the current primary in size. Once done you then use it for creating a new NTFS primary type partition for XP installer to format and install Windows onto. That doesn't involve any hidden recovery partition separate from anything tucked away on the existing Vista primary.

If and When you use GParted you will see one thing that makes life easier once you have the correct Vista partition in view. In the center of that screen you will see a center scroll bar type indicator that shows how much of the drive is used by the partition(s) shown. You can click and hold onto the end of the indicator and slide the size lower or higher with clamps that will then be seen.

That will save time rather then clicking and holding on the arrow buttons for increasing or decresing the amount of space after not before the current primary. But expect it to take several minutes for completion once you click the apply button. Shrinking always takes quite a bit longer then simply expanding a partition.
 
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