[Carbon]

Will it mess with or delete the files I already have on that HDD? It said something about how there might be old files from Windows on that disk that will be moved or something so I aborted installation. Should I make another partition or can I just tell it to install on the (only) partition on my second HDD that has all my data files on it safely?

[Aners92]

Hey

If it's your old PC with a OS installet already. do not boot from CD
Turn on the Computer and log in, and then set in the CD, now you will have the option to install the OS where it will create an folde called Windows.old. in here all files, programs you have installet and so on, will be stored, also include yoru old OS.

Now when your then finished installing the new OS, you will be able to get to the old files, and programs.

[Carbon]

That's not really what I want to do, but my fault for not being clear in the OP.

I have XP right now. I also have a copy of Vista. I have two hard drives:

1. 80GB, holds Windows, some programs
2. 500GB, holds a few programs, some files

I want to dual-boot XP and Vista, I don't want to "upgrade", just test out Vista to see if I like it.

What I want to do is install Vista on the 500GB hard drive (#2) so that I won't have to mess around on partitions with the 80GB. What I'm afraid of, however, is that if I install Vista on the 500GB, which holds all my important documents, that it will format or delete all my files on it before installing itself if I don't create a new partition for Windows to use. It might be a crazy fear, but that 500GB holds pretty much every work project I have and so I don't want to take any chances.

So, I want Windows Vista to install like any other program and not mess with anything but itself (though I don't mind it moving my Program Files directory to a windows.old folder because I can pull that out so the shortcuts work right in XP). Will that happen?

[philthomas]

If I'm reading you right, your 500GB drive is one partition.

If so you will need to resize it and create a new partition to install Vista on (maybe 50GB), otherwise you will overwrite youre data, during the installation.
You can then use VistaBootPro or similar to control the dual boot defaults etc.

[Carbon]

Got it! That's what I needed to know. Good thing I didn't go for it, I even freaked out when I accidentally put the 500gb ahead of the 80gb in my boot order after messing with the CD boot options and got NTDLR is missing ;)