softwere info: How to Setup a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP Towبسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

When Windows 7 is Installed First

Warning

If you have a RAID setup, you will need to have the XP RAID drivers on a Floppy disc available to select and load at the F6 prompt while installing XP.
If you have a SATA drive, then you will need to do either one of these options to load the SATA drivers for XP.
- How to Slipstream SATA drivers into Windows XP setup CD with Dual Boot of Windows 7 or Vista
- How to Load SATA Drivers in Windows XP Setup on your Dual Boot PC with Vista or Windows 7 for how to load your SATA drivers from a Floppy disc at the F6 prompt while installing XP.

1. To Create a New Partition from the Windows 7 Hard Disk Drive
NOTE: If you want to install XP on a separate hard drive instead, then skip this step and go to step 2.
A) In Windows 7, select and shrink the Windows 7 volume in Disk Management by how many MB (1024 MB = 1 GB) you want to have for this XP partition. (See screenshots below)
NOTE: You would do all of Method One at that link.

2. Insert your XP installation disc, then restart the computer and press any key to boot from it when prompted. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Make sure that the CD/DVD drive is selected first in the boot order in the BIOS.

3. From XP Setup, Press Enter. (See screenshot below)

Warning
If you have a RAID setup, you will need to have the XP RAID drivers on a Floppy disc available to select and load at the F6 prompt while installing XP.

If you have a SATA drive, then you will need to do either one of these options to load the SATA drivers for XP.
How to Slipstream SATA drivers into Windows XP setup CD with Dual Boot of Windows 7 or Vista

How to Load SATA Drivers in Windows XP Setup on your Dual Boot PC with Vista or Windows 7 for how to load your SATA drivers from a Floppy disc at the F6 prompt while installing XP.

4. Press F8. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: On some multimedia keyboards, you may need to press the F-Lock or Function key before pressing F8.

5. Select the partition (step 1) or hard drive that you want to install XP on using the arrow keys and press Enter.

6. Finish installing XP.

Tip
If you get Error loading Operating System after XP restarts:
Using your Windows 7 installation disc, boot to the command prompt at startup.

Type in these comands below, and press enter after each one.
bootrec /FixMbr

bootrec /FixBoot

bootrec /RebuildBcd

Exit the command prompt and restart the computer.

At this point, Windows 7 should boot up the same way before trying to install XP.

Continue to step 8 below and run EasyBCD from Windows 7 instead.

7. In XP, download and install .Net Framework 2.0 (32-bit) verison or .Net Framework 2.0 (64-bit) version and EasyBCD for your 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x86) XP.
NOTE: In XP, Net Framework is required to be installed to run the free program EasyBCD.

8. Run EasyBCD.
NOTE: This is required to repair the Windows 7 boot file and add XP to the Windows Boot Manager list.

9. On the left side of EasyBCD, click on the Add New Entry button. (See screenshot below)
A) In the top section under Operating Systems, click on the Windows tab. (See screenshot below)

B) To the right of Type, select Windows NT/2k/XP/2k3 from the drop down menu. (See screenshot below)
WARNING: Be sure to leave the Automatically detect correct drive box checked.

C) To the right of Name, you can leave the default Microsoft Windows XP as the name to be displayed in the Windows Boot Manager, or you can type whatever name you would like to have instead. (See screenshot below)

D) Click on the Add Entry button. (See screenshot below)

10. On the left side of EasyBCD, click on the Bootloader Setup button, select (dot) the Install the Windows Vista/7 bootloader to the MBR option, and click on the Write MBR button. (See screenshot below)

11. Close EasyBCD.

12. Restart the computer to have the option to boot from Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 7. (See screenshot below)