putting 2 or more OS in one laptop

[hawil]

as the titles goes is it possible? if yes, how can i do that?

 

[Geoff]

Yes it is, you just need to create a separate partition for each OS.

 

[hawil]

there is already a partition but it has files in it. and i think it will be needing drivers.. my laptop runs windows vista and if example i install windows xp in the other partition, wouldn't it need xp drivers?

is there any other way?

 

[Quiltface]

yes the best way to do it is to have 2 partitions you will need drivers for both OS

if you only have 1 partition you will either have to use a program like partition magic or gparted and make 2 partitions out of the free space you ahve or blow everything away and start fresh.

if you have a 2nd partition already but have files in it i would suggest moving the files and then installing although it is possible to install windows without formating the partition as long as it currently has a file system it can read (FAT32 or NTFS)


you can go to the manufacturers website of the laptop to download all the drivers you need.

 

[hawil]

but if installed the xp drivers, willl the vista drivers still be there?

if i do this successfully, will this slow down my laptop?

 

[Geoff]

but if installed the xp drivers, willl the vista drivers still be there?

if i do this successfully, will this slow down my laptop?

They are two different partitions, completely independent of each other, so you don't have to worry about installing different drivers.

 

[laznz1]

If your just doing this to see what a second OS is like or just to muck around or if your and amateur instead of playing with partions try installing the OSs on a flash drive or try Virtual PC

 

[hawil]

If your just doing this to see what a second OS is like or just to muck around or if your and amateur instead of playing with partions try installing the OSs on a flash drive or try Virtual PC

yah. i'm still not that good with that stuff with partitions but one still a good idea though.

so the flash will work like a HD? and how about the drivers? still at the flash to be installed?
virtual PC? how does it work?

 

[danthrax]

Have you considered creating virtual machines on your desktop?

www.virtualbox.com

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/default.aspx

With a virtual machine you do not need a partition, you start up your computer normally with its existing OS. Then, open a program (VirtualBox or Virtual-PC are reputable virtual machine programs) and you can have whatever OS you decide to install on your virtual machine running in a window on your desktop (it can also be in full screen mode).

Depending on what OS you decide to use on your virtual machine you'll have to have the install disk. If you use something like Ubuntu you can download the full OS from their website for free. There are plenty of free tutorials online with directions for using VirtualBox or Virtual-PC.

Edit: I personally have installed Ubuntu using VirtualBox and it is extremely easy and pretty self-explanatory. In some regard, virtual machines are the "partition" of the future, but so much easier...

 

[hawil]

nice.. i'll be trying this..

but the OS will only be needed for installation? after that, the OS installer can be disregarded? does it need drivers? is there a limit in using the OS in Vbox?

 

[Geoff]

nice.. i'll be trying this..

but the OS will only be needed for installation? after that, the OS installer can be disregarded? does it need drivers? is there a limit in using the OS in Vbox?

Yes, you only need the CD to initially install it, unless you decide to install additional features later on. Why would you disregard the CD though?

There are limitations with using a virtual PC setup, you can't use 3D games or programs <well>, and generally performance is a bit lower.

 

[thevil1]

I highly recommend using a virtual machine, b/ if something were to happen to that OS that's un-fixable, you can delete it, and make a new one in five minutes. I have it, and I find it very useful. It's complicated to learn at first, but I learned it very quick from DIY YouTube vids. Virtual Box acts as your system Bios, so any changes that you do will not in any affect your main OS or system in any way.

 

[danthrax]

The other thing is that you can have multiple virtual machines with whatever OS you want using VirtualBox, and they can be ran simultaneously.

 

[thevil1]

The other thing is that you can have multiple virtual machines with whatever OS you want using VirtualBox, and they can be ran simultaneously.

Like running Snow Leopard in XP which is running in Lunux which is running in Vista which is running in 7.

 

[hawil]

how cool is that. i'll really try it.

actually my purpose is before using/installing new OS into my laptop, i would try it first to see if i'll like it without changing my current OS. somewhat like beta testing. that's applicable with virtual machine right?

 

[danthrax]

how cool is that. i'll really try it.

actually my purpose is before using/installing new OS into my laptop, i would try it first to see if i'll like it without changing my current OS. somewhat like beta testing. that's applicable with virtual machine right?

Yes. The only thing is, depending on what OS you try out, you will have to pay for it and get a product key and have the install disk. So unless you're serious about switching OS's or using one on a virtual machine, it might not be worth your money.

If you wanted to try Ubuntu you can get that for free though.

 

[bkribbs]

Yes. The only thing is, depending on what OS you try out, you will have to pay for it and get a product key and have the install disk. So unless you're serious about switching OS's or using one on a virtual machine, it might not be worth your money.

If you wanted to try Ubuntu you can get that for free though.

Yeah, Ubuntu is great for free. I have it dual booting on my old desktop, and have a separate hdd for my laptop with it.