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Dual Boot Windows setup

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Why do you need to dual boot ?

I'd install vmware server, it's free and you run whatever you like simultaneously or when you choose.
 
What is it you are wanting to do in XP.
VMware is excellent for low resource tasks and saves rebooting but if you have a need for anything graphics intensive (or even to span 2 monitors - though that bit could be just my old gfx setup) it can be problematic (well more dog slow).

But other than that and provided you have a reasonable spec PC it is defiantly the way forward!
 
VMWare is good but it is not free. Only player is free and you can not set-up an OS using only their player.

Meanwhile dual-boot could be achieved easily by using partitioning tools like GParted. Because Windows is not a "secure" OS, installing both versions on one partition is not a good idea. Therefore you should create 3 partitions Vista, XP and shared. On a shared one you can keep common files and docs. Then a small program (bootloader, there are lot's of them around) would handle initial boot sequence (e.g. hide partition, make primary, etc.). To be honest I've never made dual Win boots but tons of Win/Lin dual systems. The idea is always the same.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Yes, I know that the Sever is free but why it is free? Because it has certain limitations and eats-up lots of CPU.
 
VMWare is good but it is not free. Only player is free and you can not set-up an OS using only their player.

Meanwhile dual-boot could be achieved easily by using partitioning tools like GParted. Because Windows is not a "secure" OS, installing both versions on one partition is not a good idea. Therefore you should create 3 partitions Vista, XP and shared. On a shared one you can keep common files and docs. Then a small program (bootloader, there are lot's of them around) would handle initial boot sequence (e.g. hide partition, make primary, etc.). To be honest I've never made dual Win boots but tons of Win/Lin dual systems. The idea is always the same.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Yes, I know that the Sever is free but why it is free? Because it has certain limitations and eats-up lots of CPU.

Incorrect - Vmware server is most definately free.
 
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Sure vmware server (free) has limitations. However I doubt Alan is looking for enterprise class datacentre virtualisation features, (ESX / Vshphere). eg. Vmotion, HA, DRS, DPM, Fibre Channel / ICSI SAN connection and a cloud infrastructure.

He simply wants a way of running XP on a Vista machine. Vmware server is the best solution, dual booting is nothing buit old school aggro.

Alan, if you're running reasonably recent tin (decent dual core chip, SATA disk and 3GB of RAM) you'll have no problem.

The paid for VmWare product for worksations is Vmware workstation 7, hardly worth spending the money unless you need the very specific features worksation gives over vmware server.

Also there isn't a virtualisation product on the planet (paid for or free) that does not place load on the host.

If your machine isn't that new the biggest resource hog by far is Vista. Before you even install vmware server, if I was you I'd be flattening the machine, putting Win 7 on and then VmWare server. Win 7 is infintely less resource intensive than Vista and will prolong the life of your machine.
 
You're right I did see the end of your post, hence editing it, despite your opening incorrect line "vmware isn't free".

As I said vmware server is free and a way better solution than messing about with multi boot options.
 
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