Quick tips for creating Dual-Boot PC for Vista or XP

I have been wanting to share a few tips on creating dual boot for Windows Vista, for sometime now. So here goes:

Backup your files
Creating a new partition on your hard drive
Adjusting your BIOS boot settings
Booting to windows Vista DVD
Installing Vista in the new partition
Finally, choosing Windows version you want to boot.

Backing up files:

Always before tampering your hard drive, it’s important that you backup your files so that you won’t lose your data. In Windows XP, this can be done by simply click Start, then All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Backup and finally running the Backup wizard. So always protect your files by backing them up. For more on backing up files click here.

Creating partition:

Every copy of windows needs to be installed on its own partition or internal hard drive. Now, if you are having a single partition, then you may have to split the partition. There are many softwares which are designed for partition purpose. There is Paragon Partition Manager, Partition Magic, Disk Director etc. I personally use Paragon Partition Manager. This software is suitable for professional as well as home users. Basic partitioning operations are: create, format, delete, resize, copy, and mount partitions. Try partitioning using it. You can download the free trial version here.

BIOS Boot settings:

Now to set your BIOS settings. Run your Vista DVD and reboot the system. Remember to press the designated keys when going through the boot process in order to access the system BIOS. Once done, set the optical drive as the first/primary boot device.

Booting Vista DVD:

Once you save changes and exit, your pc will reboot and then for a few seconds it will prompt you to “press any key to boot to CD/DVD”. When prompted, do so to launch the installation. Click here for more on installation

Installing Vista in the new partition:

Installation process is simple as Vista introduces an easy-to-use installer interface. Just follow the on-screen instructions to keep going and choose the newly created partition once you are in the below screen.

Choose the version you wish to boot:

When installation, your pc may reboot twice. After rebooting it may display the new boot manager. This screen will provide you with the options to choose which OS you want to load each time when you start your pc.

Alright, guess I have done my job. If you implement the above steps, do let me know your experience in the comments section. I would love to know how you went through it.

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December 25, 2007 | Filed Under Software, Tips n Tricks