Boot Manager

Does anyone have a suggestion for a "simple" easy to install, configure & run a Windows only boot manger software?

I have a need to Boot Win Xp Pro and Win 7 from the same PC several times a week, dual booting would save me 1 PC which I can use elsewhere.

The PC that I wish to use as a Dual Boot unit already has Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit OS installed.

Hardware spec's are: 5 year old P4, 2.8Mhz Hyper thread, 1.5gig DDR2 RAM, 3 IDE hard drives + 1 SATA HD, IDE DVD/CD, AGP 8X Video card with 256MB DDR2.

Any and all suggestions will be appreciated by the old bloke in Tassie. :P

The easiest way would be to just install them on separate partitions and by default you should get a screen about which one you want to load at start up. The only "boot loader" type programs I know of are the Linux ones but you could probably set them up with windows fairly easily.

http://www.techspot.com/guides/143-dual-bo...ows7/page2.html

If you really want a boot loader, this is probably the one to get:

http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/

If you do the dual partitioning - install XP first then 7.

AJ

The easiest way would be to just install them on separate partitions and by default you should get a screen about which one you want to load at start up. The only "boot loader" type programs I know of are the Linux ones but you could probably set them up with windows fairly easily.

http://www.techspot.com/guides/143-dual-bo...ows7/page2.html

If you really want a boot loader, this is probably the one to get:

http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/

Thank you rridgley & CTskifreak, I shall try the simple separate partition install as I do have 3 physical HD's, however Win 7 is already installed, will this matter?

Also I had a good read on Techspot, thanks.

Your best bet is to put XP on one of your spare hard drives however you must be careful not to corrupt the Windows 7 drive by making the mistake of overwriting it with XP boot loader.

So to be on the safe side I would temporally disconnect the Windows 7 hard drive until you have competed the XP installation.

To dual boot you have 2 possibilities: a) change the drive booting order inside the BIOS setup b) add XP to Windows 7 boot menu using bcdedit.

Installing XP with bcedit can be a little tricky however there is a freeware tool called EasyBCD which simplifies the process.

Make sure you download EasyBCD 2.0.0.77 beta there appears to be a bug in previous versions - http://neosmart.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5511

Richard S.


Make sure you download EasyBCD 2.0.0.77 beta there appears to be a bug in previous versions - http://neosmart.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5511

Richard S.

Thank you Redhawk, I shall take your advice and use BCDedit.

I have visited Neosmart.net forum, read all available info, joined the forum, downloaded EasyBCD build 2.0.0.79 (latest) collected some good info from "Saltgrass" who has completed exactly what I require to do, except he installed build 76. All good info. Re disconnecting the Win 7 HD, a good & basic suggestion, many thanks once again. I shall give it all a go in a couple of weeks, shall report back.

Your best bet is to put XP on one of your spare hard drives however you must be careful not to corrupt the Windows 7 drive by making the mistake of overwriting it with XP boot loader.

So to be on the safe side I would temporally disconnect the Windows 7 hard drive until you have competed the XP installation.

To dual boot you have 2 possibilities: a) change the drive booting order inside the BIOS setup b) add XP to Windows 7 boot menu using bcdedit.

Installing XP with bcedit can be a little tricky however there is a freeware tool called EasyBCD which simplifies the process.

Make sure you download EasyBCD 2.0.0.77 beta there appears to be a bug in previous versions - http://neosmart.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5511

Richard S.

Well redhawk mission completed and all is OK thanks to your advice. Downloaded EasyBCD and notes from "Saltgrass" forum member of Neosmart, who has just completed what I was about to embark upon except using 2.0.0.76, he hit a brickwall when trying to boot his XP Pro OS. I downloaded 2.0.0.79.

As my unit has 3 HD, 1 with Win7 and 1 data and 1 spare, I disconnected the Win 7 HD, (as you suggested) installed XP Pro SP2 (I'll do SP3 tonight), shut down, reconnected Win 7 HD as primary and the XP HD as slave, boot priority CD, HD (Win7), and fired it up.

Once Win 7 was up I installed EasyBCD, performed the configuration, then commenced 4 cold reboots, 2 for Win 7 and 2 for XP.....magic........all works.........I have now installed all of my Apps SW with several reboots, all OK....many thanks.