Can I have XP and Vista installed?

S

somebody else

New Member
I recently got a new computer that has Vista on it. Vista is trash when it comes to using my audio production programs, but I don't want to completely get rid of it.

Is it possible to install windows XP on a machine that already has Vista installed? Vista uses a ton or RAM just to run itself (about 700mb on my PC). If this is possible, will booting with XP have the same RAM usage issue just because Vista is still installed?

I've heard that this isn't possible from most people, but some say it is. I can't install it on the same harddrive. But if I have an external hard-drive, can I install XP on it, and somehow boot XP from the external?

And if none of this is possible, do you think that installing Vista's SP2 will help with my skipping audio problems? (i've already done all the "Vista tweaks" that i've heard of (which helped, but not enough)) My new PC with Vista hasn't been connected to the internet yet, it was supposed to be a "work" machine, and my old one could use the net. Could I download the Vista SP2 from the microsoft site, put it on a jump-drive, and install it on my new PC?

Any help would be very much appreciated.
 
I cant remember if its vista or 7 but one or both offer a tool to shrink the current partition which will open up space for another, or you could try gparted, then you could install xp on that extra space. As far as on an external im pretty sure that hasnt been able to be done properly.
 
My hard-drive is already partitioned actually. When I first turned my new PC on it automatically did it. I think it gave me around 100gigs for the main one (that vista is installed in) and about 200gigs for the second part.

So if i decided to try to do this XP-and-vista thing, i would try to install XP on the second partition (that doesn't have vista)?

I've been hearing a lot about this being able to happen though. dgrevillious, you were able to install vista and xp? which did you have installed first. i hear that if you had xp at first then it's OK, but if you had vista in the first place then it won't work. is that right? anyways, in your case, when you boot XP, do you have a nig RAM load like you would have had if you booted with vista?
 
Installing Vista after XP is easy.

Installing XP after Vista is more challenging.

Installing XP after Vista will corrupt the boot manager.

Read step 4 BEFORE YOU BEGIN.
You will lose Vista if you don't have the disc, because the boot manager will be hosed, and XP cannot fix the Vista loader.

1. Download EasyBCD and install it on your Vista partition.
2. Begin your install of XP as normal, selecting the partition of your choice. (the empty one)
3. When XP reboots after copying the initial files, it will fail to reboot.
4. Insert your Vista disc and do a Repair. *this will fix the corrupt loader*
4. Boot into Vista and run EasyBCD.
5. Add Windows XP to the BOOT.INI using EasyBCD
6.Restart and choose an "Older Version of Windows"
7. The XP install will finish as normal.

On a side note, Vista Ultimate is currently using 936MB of my 6GB of RAM. (15%)
Vista utilizes RAM much more effectively than XP.

When you click a program in XP, you get...cruncha cruncha cruncha, splash screen, cruncha cruncha, open program.
When you click a program in Vista, you get...splash screen, open program.
 
Last edited:
Bodaggit23 said:
Installing Vista after XP is easy.

Installing XP after Vista is more challenging.

Installing XP after Vista will corrupt the boot manager.

Read step 4 BEFORE YOU BEGIN.
You will lose Vista if you don't have the disc, because the boot manager will be hosed, and XP cannot fix the Vista loader.

1. Download EasyBCD and install it on your Vista partition.
2. Begin your install of XP as normal, selecting the partition of your choice. (the empty one)
3. When XP reboots after copying the initial files, it will fail to reboot.
4. Insert your Vista disc and do a Repair. *this will fix the corrupt loader*
4. Boot into Vista and run EasyBCD.
5. Add Windows XP to the BOOT.INI using EasyBCD
6.Restart and choose an "Older Version of Windows"
7. The XP install will finish as normal.

On a side note, Vista Ultimate is currently using 936MB of my 6GB of RAM. (15%)
Vista utilizes RAM much more effectively than XP.

When you click a program in XP, you get...cruncha cruncha cruncha, splash screen, cruncha cruncha, open program.
When you click a program in Vista, you get...splash screen, open program.
Click to expand...

Step 4: Insert your Vista disc and do a Repair. *this will fix the corrupt loader

there is no repair console on vista. can you provide the steps to go about it using dos?.
 
eckx said:
Step 4: Insert your Vista disc and do a Repair. *this will fix the corrupt loader

there is no repair console on vista. can you provide the steps to go about it using dos?.
Click to expand...

You boot from the install disc, as though you were going to install it.

Select Repair.
 
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