Hi all, Next to my Windows 8 and 8.1 systems I want to install Windows XP Pro. I know of the risks as of 8 April 2014, so please don't remind me of that. I tried to install XP on a separate partition, but I didn't succeed. I discovered that XP copied the necessary files boot.ini, bootmgr, io.sys, msdos.sys, ntdetect.com and ntldr to the hidden primary system partition that has the status active and boot. Of course I chose to install XP on another partition, not this hidden system partition. I tried to change the XP-partition to the boot-status, but then I couldn't boot Windows 8/8.1, so that didn't bring a solution. Anyone knows how to make it possible to install Windows XP onto my computer?
I would install each OS onto a totally different drive altogether. In the BIOS choose the main OS as first boot, default. Then when wanting to boot into a different OS I would press F8 at boot and select my desired OS. ( your board may well differ to F8 ) Making sure to only have one drive plugged in when install each OS. Bit long winded but once setup it works a treat. Having said that I have only tested it with 7x64, 7x32, 8.1x64 and MAC OSX. Not played with XP but I don't see why it would not work. Only thing I can think of is having to change AHCI and Legacy mode.
Thanks for both replies! In fact I don't want to make such real big changes to my system; I wonder if changing some of the flags would be enough to make it possible. Is it possible to load Windows XP without being installed on a primary partition? Is it possible to load Windows XP without being installed on a non-active partition? Is it possible to load Windows XP in case I would just unhide (how to do?) or to give it a label? Some questions: I hope without doing big changes to enable to install XP.
Thank you, LatinMcG, but I already know that it is necessary to run bootrec/ fixboot and bootrec /fixmbr, in order to restore the boot routine of Windows 7/8/8.1. My question is how to get around the situation/my partitions that disable(s) me to install Windows XP, without adding loaders and that kind of solutions. I wonder if someone knows how to change my partitions in such a way that it enables me to install Windows XP.
Is it possible to load Windows XP without being installed on a primary partition? Yes. Xp can be installed on logical partition but boot files will always be installed on active partition. Is it possible to load Windows XP without being installed on a non-active partition? yes Is it possible to load Windows XP in case I would just unhide (how to do?) or to give it a label? I have done this with 3 OS on single HDD (vista & win7 already installed,added Xp as 3rd OS) 1. Convert your k drive to primary. 2. Set k drive as active,reboot and install Xp (this way both boot and system files will be loaded on k drive.Also after installation you can boot only Xp) 3.After installation of Xp set your 1.28 gb drive as active and reboot.You will be presented with old boot menu with 7,8 a 8.1 OS. 4.With easybcd add Xp to boot menu.This way you will be able to boot into any 5 OS. Note-Make sure you set the k drive active only when sure about installing Xp as changing the active partiton will make old boot files unavailable i.e you will not be able to load installed OS)
Jassi, thank you very much! This kind of solution I was looking for! I just read it and I didn't try it yet, but I will print your step-by-step-plan and then execute it. Of course I will let you know if this really worked out as you described. But for now: great that you really dived into my problem, and gave this plan! Till later.
Jassi, I followed your instructions exactly as you described, and it really worked out! Again: thank you very much for your solution: this is what I was looking for! The only thing - though it is an esthetical one - is that in EasyBCD I have some leftovers of former installations, but for me it's difficult to trace the exact obsolete Windows installations, as their real installation drives don't match with those indicated by EasyBCD! E.g. it indicates there is an old Windows installation on C:, but this is incorrect, because that is the current one, which of course isn't obsolete at all. Is there a way how to be very sure which drive letter indicated by EasyBCD relates to which drive letter indicated in Explorer?
Hi LatinMcG, It is not that easy: just look at the attachment. I am in Windows XP on drive C:, but according to EasyBCD it is located at drive E:! And Windows 7 is located on drive C:, but there is Windows XP installed on! So how to know which installation is which entry in EasyBCD?
while in xp..change the name of "c" drive to win_xp.. and it will make it easier to see what you have and where when you boot into other OS
ahh i thought easybcd showed guid of disks.. mountvol does. drive C = the booting os becomes Drive C when u boot it... boot xp and see if it says its instaled to drive F .. its says C
It only becomes C: if the partition it is on is Primary*. OS on logical drives (on the Extended partition) usually keep their drive letters. Additionally, how drive letters are actually assigned has changed over the years. A real mess (that will end with GPT as there are no Extended partitions anymore). *multiple Primary partitions on same disk, dunno how it looks with separate disks
Win xp will show a partition as drive C only if it is marked as active(and active partition needs boot files to succesfully start windows). I think easybcd shows windows xp on E and not K because Xp boot files are also present on E partition.(may be from old install).In Control panel>folder options>view and put check mark on hide protected operating system files and then check in drive E.
Jassi, this is exactly what is the case! Do you know which files I could easily remove, without any risks, because these files on E: are of no use, being part of an old installation of Windows XP?