Dual Boot

Can I install Windows 2000 alongside Windows Xp without formating?

 

Suggest you install another disk drive on which to install it. Your drive is borderline in size, and you'd best make a new partition for 2000. I don't think it's wise to install 2 OSs on the same partition.

 

Thank you sparrow,was considering a 40 GB HD anyways

 

You may be surprised, 'cause you may need to run a repair of XP from the XP CD, after the install, to dual boot. If you don't have an XP installation disk (only a repair disk that re-installs the factory installed image) you have another problem, that will require help from someone here to get dual boot going, because you're installing an OS that doesn't know about XP and can not arrange to dual boot (and will wipe out XPs boot process). In that case, suggest you unplug the older HDD while you install 2K. Then when you plug in the older HDD, you'll probably have to delete 2K's boot files and edit XP's boot.ini.

The best way to arrange to dual boot is to install the older OS first, then the newer. If you have an XP installation disk and do the repair after 2K is running well, then doing the repair is about the same thing.

I think it can be done, but may require some help and experimentation.

 

Id better format and start anew.Thanks for your advice.

 

Dual Boot XP and 2000

Yes:

http://www.k1ea.com/hints/dual_boot.htm

and from Microsoft:


http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306559

I know some people with older computers that stuggled with xp and yet had specific software ( say satellite decoders) that needed 2000 or xp and 2000 was much less demanding hence better results

as long as you have the device drivers and windows 2000 sp4 really does not matter in most cases.

 

Win 2000

You have too have windows 2000 install first, then XP.. I used Partition Magic.
I am running three OS's Win 98 /Xp and Vista.. But they have to be install in that order and in there own partition.

 

Thank you all for your advice