Windows Dual Boot Config Help

**o1generallee4130** · #1 27th Nov 2007, 08:48

Hello everyone! I bought a new computer a few months ago from the good ole best buy. However, they never did give me a reformat disk for vista. This is a problem because I really want to dual boot xp and vista because I really want to just wait until vista comes out with SP1 until i use it. In the mean time my buddy brought his vista home premium disk over to my place and I pretty much just copied all the files from the disk to my pc. But how can you make this into a disk which can be used to dual boot windows. Oh and I have the XP Pro disk from my older computer I dont use anymore. Any help in this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

**Axegrinder** · #2 27th Nov 2007, 10:30

You cant copy files from a vista disk...and expect it to work as its going against copyright. MS have very tight restrictions, you can only install vista on 1 PC from 1 key. Same goes with XP.

**o1generallee4130** · #3 27th Nov 2007, 11:02

Well it will only be on one computer (the dual boot one). I will use my friends files but use my key which is printed on the side of the computer case. And for the Xp Pro that computer doesn't work so that particular copy of xp will only be on one computer as well.

**Gazmondo** · #4 4th Dec 2007, 11:27

So you are wanting to install a legit copy of Vista and XP Pro to one hard drive? Or to different hard drives?

**o1generallee4130** · #5 4th Dec 2007, 17:15

I will probably just be using one hard drive. Here is what I was thinking so let me know if this is going to work or not. Ill use one of the many partition creators to create two separate partitions. Install my copy of windows xp on BOTH the partitions and only upgrade to vista on only ONE of the partitions. Would that work?

**Gazmondo** · #6 4th Dec 2007, 18:11

It would but it would be pointless.

Install XP on one partition then simply install Vista on the other ... no need to install xp twice then upgrade one of them.