A Dual-Boot Debacle with Windows 7 and XP
I know that many folks look to us for mobile tech insights, tips and tricks — that’s definitely appreciated. But we don’t always get things right and I think it’s important to share those learning experiences as well. I had one today. It’s nothing that can’t be fixed, but it’s causing wasted time. In fact, it’s an issue that I could have easily avoided, had I been paying attention.
Late last night, the Windows 7 RTM download finally completed, so I burned a DVD from the .ISO file this morning. While prepping for our podcast, I decided to start setting up a dual-boot environment on my Toshiba NB205 netbook. Originally, I had planned to use Windows XP for a week or two and then install Windows 7, but why not take the Windows 7 plunge early with a dual-boot solution? Although I could partition directly in XP to prepare for the install, I like to use GParted on a LiveCD. I did that without any issues and basically split the size of the 160GB hard drive into equal sections.
As we were recording the podcast, I fired off the Windows 7 DVD and the install went without a hitch. Except for one problem: I had inadvertently wiped XP from the first partition. Now I’ve set up a dual-boot situation dozens of times and never had this issue. And the problem isn’t with Windows — it was caused by my inattention. Usually, I install the new OS from within the old OS once I have my partitions ready. However, in my haste while multi-tasking, I installed Windows 7 by booting with the DVD — not by installing from the DVD within XP. That’s the only difference in my normal routine and I suspect contributed to the cause of my issue.
Again, this is easily fixable, but it’s going to take time to restore XP first and then re-install Windows 7. Not a problem, just time consuming. Anyway, the moral of the story is to really focus on the situation when playing with OS installs and drive partitioning. And a corollary to that: we make just as many mistakes as most other folks when using mobile tech. ;) For what it’s worth: the few minutes I played with Windows 7 on the Toshiba netbook with 1GB of memory were pretty amazing. It’s way too early to make any assumptions here, but I gather that Windows 7 on a netbook — even with 1GB of RAM — ought to offer Windows XP speed with the new look and feel of Windows 7.
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Haha, I’ve been there and done that myself on several occasions! Too easy to get in a hurry or distracted and blow away a partition without even noticing until it’s too late.
Although, in recent years, I’ve learned to always take a Ghost image of my system BEFORE install/reinstall of a new OS.
Thats odd. I started this morning installing Windows 7 on my tablet pc (Acer C302), booted from the DVD to begin the install, and had no problems installing windows 7 to the second partition on my hard drive. The original Windows Vista is still there and I can dual boot into it.
Scott, that could be due to your having Vista on the first partition and not XP like I have. Remember that Windows moved away from the boot.ini method in XP to BCD in Vista. I’m theorizing here, of course, but there is a difference in the boot architecture between what you did and what I did. Then again, since I wasn’t paying full attention to my installation this morning, I could have done something else to cause my issue…
Were you using your Home Server to back XP up? If so you should be able to restore in about 15 minutes.
I had to put my WHS project on hold to get caught up on some other things, so no such luck. However, the Toshiba Recovery Utility worked like a charm. XP and all Toshiba software was restored from the hidden partition in < 40 minutes. Not the same as a personalized restore in 15 from WHS, but good enough to keep me moving along.
Tut, tut. Let that be a lesson to you old man :)
Lesson learned, young man. ;)
I got in the habit of installing Windows 7 from a non-bootable USB flash disk. That way the only way to install it is from the old OS. :-)
One advantage to the newer generation Z520 “netbooks” is the GMA 500 actually is doing a pretty decent job of supporting Aero under WIndows 7. Both my Acer Aspire One 751 and Vaio P look pretty sharp.
Kevin,
Can you explain the:
“Usually, I install the new OS from within the old OS”
Is that an option on the W7 DVD to install to
a particular partition?
My experience: I reinstalled XP from a Compaq
recovery DVD. It removes all current partitions and installs two partitions:
C:(system) and D:(recovery). I could
not figure out how to keep my other
dual boot partition. So I had to reinstall
it after the Compaq recovery install :-(
gordon
Here’s what I mean:
You can install the new OS in one of two ways. 1. Boot into your old OS (XP in my case) and then insert the DVD for the new OS. Initiate the setup from within the old OS. 2. Boot directly from the DVD of the new OS. That’s what I did this morning, but I didn’t mean to. I meant to use option 1.
Regardless of that, you have to create a new partition first, i.e.: before starting to install the new OS. Once you have the new partition, the Windows 7 installation process will allow you to install to it. Just choose the “custom” install option and you can choose the partition. In the situation you described, I don’t know of any way to get around that. Once you restored to the primary and recovery partitions, you effectively gave yourself no other partition to install another OS to. Therefore, you’d have to create a new one.
Well since you did split it into two equal partitions, maybe you told Windows 7 to install it onto the partition with XP? Because I followed almost everything the way you did it (the difference being I didn’t use gparted) the other day when I was installing Windows 7 to my 900HA and I can dual boot fine.
No, I definitely installed Win 7 to the 2nd partition. Unfortunately, I ended up with a blank 1st partition, Windows 7 on the second and no boot menu. :(
I’ve been running Windows 7 RC alone on my Lenovo X60 tablet for a while, and that has definitely been my experience: XP performance with Windows 7 look and power. Perhaps even better performance than XP, given that I was able to get rid of a lot of heavy Lenovo pre-installed apps. It definitely “feels” faster and snappier. The new taskbar is perhaps even better than Mac OS X’s Dock.
Win 7 is definitely “What Vista Should Have Been”. Microsoft would sell millions if they used that slogan, but of course they won’t.
You should not even compare Vista 2.0 (aka Windows 7) with the awesome MacOSX. One is totally secure while the other is …. NOT.
Kevin, I know this is to early to ask but when you get a chance can you see how much battery life it shows on the Toshiba NB205 with Windows 7. Can’t wait to install Win 7 on my NB205.
Kevin,
I also have a MSDN subscription and was wondering which version of windows 7 would be best for my Toshiba M200 tablet? I know windows 7 is suppose to be faster then Vista, but on a older notebook with 2gb of ram would it make a difference in speed if i installed Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate? Or will they all run at basically the same speed? I’d like to install ultimate, but i really don’t need all those features and if a lesser version will be faster i would rather choose that one.
Thanks.
To get the tablrt bits it will need to be premium or better. Even if you install ultimate you can turn stuff off later.
Gordon
I can confirm xp speed with Windows 7 look and feel on this Aspire One AOA150 Netbook.
I love the feel and how everything just worked when I installed Built 7100. While I had to forgo the half price sale on Win 7, I will be buying a copy or more next year.
You sure you didn’t do anything wrong while you were multitasking? because that’s what I did with my laptop when I installed win 7 beta. I had XP on 1 partition and I booted the beta ISO from a dvd and installed win 7 on the 2nd partition. XP was still intact.
Then when I got a copy of win 7 RTM, I burned the ISO again onto a DVD and installed using the DVD without booting into XP (or win 7 beta) first. When the win 7 installation fired up, I chose to format the win beta partition and installed win 7 RTM there. Again, XP was still intact afterwards
I too have successfully set up an XP/Windows 7 dual boot on a netbook, by booting from the Windows 7 DVD and a custom install on a separate partition. I wonder why it works this way for some and not others.
Hi. I just have a question. I had 2 partitions of my drive one having xp 32 and the other having xp 64. i whiped the xp 32 and installed windows 7 without preparing the xp and now i cant boot my xp… any ideas of how to fix it?
I think that dual booting Win7 and XP is pointless, Windows 7 RTM is as good if not better than XP and if changing over is the problem them work with it. Dual booting should be done with something like Win7 and Ubuntu, or Win7 and Mac OSX >>> Two completely different OS’s :)
Check out this link for more info…. http://hubpages.com/_xu7vv63x88ht/hub/How-to-Dual-and-Triple-Boot-Windows-7-Apple-Mac-OS-X-and-Ubuntu-910