[urikorulzs2]

I just set up a dual boot machine, i installed vista on one hard drive while the other drives were unplugged, and went and installed xp on another drive while other drives were unplugged, now with both drives plugged in, when i turn on the computer, vista boots up first, and i want to be able to pick which os to boot, the only way i can pick is if i select the hd that xp is installed on. is there any way to creat a dual boot screen now?

[jbhardman]

Try this:

Plug in both HD's. Make sure the Vista drive is located on channel 0 and XP on channel 1.

Set your computer to boot from DVD (using the Boot setting in the BIOS), insert the disc and restart.

Vista will prompt you for language and keyboard layout options, then ask if you want to reinstall Vista or repair your installation. You want Repair.

You should then see a window with a few options. Select the option "Startup Repair". Follow the steps to repair your startup.

I'm not 100% sure this will work, but during repair it might recognize that you have two OS's and add them both to the boot list.

[BMR528]

I am not sure what the hardman says will work, I actually would think that having the O/S booting the way you do is a blessing, that's the way I have mine set up, Only I have Vista on both drives, I use the Second drive as a test platform to install drivers/ updates / SP first. then if all is OK I then do my main system drive. I use VMware as a platform to have multiple O/S running at the same time on my Vista system, as I have to use various different VPN typs and can use more than one at a time

[managed]

You could set this up by installing VistaBootPRO in Vista and using it to add XP as a second OS.

There is a problem dual-booting XP and Vista though, when XP boots it deletes any System Restore points in the Vista OS.

There is a workaround :- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926185

Basically you have to boot into XP and enter any Vista OSs drive letter(s) in the registry location mentioned, also you can't include any partition in both Vista's and XP's System Restore at the same time or the SR points in vista will still be deleted when XP is run.

Apart from that it works, almost makes me think M$ don't want us to use XP any more

[urikorulzs2]

i tried the first option, and that didnt work, and i dont want to reinstall xp again. i previously had them running on dual boot before i reloaded, but xp was instaled on 1 hd first, and then vista came later on while the xp hd was still connected, so everytime the computer restarted, it gave me a choice to pick windows vista, or other earlier o/s, so how can i put that option bak in there without reinstalling vista after xp.

[urikorulzs2]

is there anyway i can add a boot file on the vista hard drive to allow it to see the other os?