Dual boot XP question

[HMHB]

Hopefully a quick and easy question !
One of my computers has windows ME on. If I install XP on this drive, will it give me the option of creating a dual boot system ? I don't want to start the installation and find that it automatically upgrades the ME to XP.
P.S. I need to keep the ME system on as some of the driving games I have don't work properly with XP.

 

[KraGorn]

I don't think XP will allow you to install on to the same drive as ME, ie. you'll need to use a different partition, but it will certainly detect ME and set up a boot-menu option to select either O/S as you want.

 

[gab2001uk]

You must use either a different partition or drive, and if setting up from existing Windows (Rather than booting from CD) during the setup choose the option for New Installation and in the next couple of dialogs there is an "Advanced" button which allows you to tick a check-box to enable you to choose the installation partition during the setup process.

The boot menu is created automatically and can be altered from within XP if you want to default to a previous OS on boot-up.

Care if you re-partition your existing drive as you could lose data. Partition Magic can do it, but not without risk.

You might want to check out HyperOS, which allows you to install up to 20 OS of different flavours and switch between them at will. It also allows you to back up an entire OS and re-install it if you trash it in about 5 mins flat.

 

[HMHB]

Thanks chaps - God it's never easy is it !!
I've got something called partition commander 6 which was free on the front of a mag, so I may try to split the 40GB hard disk into 2 20GB partitions. Is XP OK booting from a non C: drive ?

 

[gab2001uk]

The booting is done from C:, but a small file on the boot drive swithches it to the chosen partition , so you can put it where you like.
Here is what you can do with HyperOS:
http://www.gab2001uk.com/images/hyperos.jpg

 

[HMHB]

I think I'd be better off with something like that mate to be honest. The other option would be to put 2 different drives in removable drive drawers and swap them over when needed.

 

[KraGorn]

Partition Commander sounds it'll do the job of splitting up your disk and then XP will be happy to install on to D:. It'll set up the boot blocks on C: and also BOOT.INI which is where the boot menu is held, but the rest of XP would go on to D:

IMHO HyperOS is overkill for what you want and in any case doesn't obviate the need for you to have multiple partitions.

 

[HMHB]

Thanks for the info. I've gone for the dual boot option and so far so good. It wasn't as much trouble as I thought it was going to be and it doesn't seem to have knackered anything on the ME drive.