Probably the easiest way to do it correctly is to install a blank hard drive as the second hard drive, install WinXP on it from the install CD, remove it, and install the "old" hard drive in its place as the second hard drive. But the old hard drive won't have WinXP drivers for the new hardware, so you are going to have to provide them. Likely to be a difficult job. They may or may not come with your Dell. Be sure to specify that you want them.
I've read that Vista doesn't use boot.ini for its dual boot selector, but maybe it will recognize one if it is provided manually. What are the URLs you have read about this? boot.ini is the boot selector used by WinXP, Win2K and WinNT. It's a simple text file with a straightforward format, that you can create/edit with a text editor (after removing the system/hidden attributes). Fred Holmes At 09:12 PM 12/8/2007, Michael Wosnick wrote: >Thanks to Tony and John for answers to my previous question. A related >question as a follow up, please. > > > >Next week I am going to take delivery of a new Dell XPS with Vista >preloaded. I want to drop in a second hard drive from my current machine >that drive happens to be my current XP boot drive. > > > >I want to create a dual boot system, and I have read many articles about how >to dual boot Vista and XP whether Vista is already on the machine first or >vice versa. However, every method I have read depends upon actually actively >installing the second OS. In my case, I want to know if there is some way to >configure the dual boot WITHOUT actually reinstalling XP, since in effect >when I drop the old hard drive in, XP will essentially be preinstalled, just >not recognized (I presume) Is it possible to force Vista to recognize that >XP is there on the second drive and allow me the choice of booting from XP. > > > >In other words, is there a simple way to make the Vista bootloader know >about XP already installed on the second drive? > > > >Michael ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************
