Cai I install Windows on a storage disk that has folders...?

[DarkEdge]

Hi all.

I have a strange question. I have a storage disk (just folders in it) and wanted to know can I install xp on it but still have the folders safely there...so the Windows XP and the folders would co-exist?

Or would it also be possible to install Windows XP on a hard drive (e) if the computers main drive (c) is installed with Windows xp pro x64? (2 different os)

The reason I ask is that I have some applications that just won't run on x64bit but they operate flawlessly on regular Windows XP.

Any ideas, linkys, etc?
Thanks

[CrowdAds]

[zman88]

If you have enough space on the disc where 64 bit is you can partition it and install windows in that new partition. Theres more to it but to answer your question, yes it is possible.

Actually, It is possible to do it on the other storage drive also. You need a partitioning program running on the OS you have installed now.

[ctal]

Yes, as ZMan says you can create an additional partition on your main os drive and install the second os onto that drive (assuming there is room). You can then use a boot manager program to choose which os gets booted at startup. Having both os's on the same hdd avoids the necessity of repeatedly going into your bios to choose which hdd is used to boot.

You can do the partitioning work with a bootable cd containing a free program called GPartEd: GParted -- Welcome. Or, you can buy a commercial program called PartitionMagic.

XP has the capability of automatically installing a boot manager, if when it is being installed it senses the presence of another os. A lot of people do that, but I would strongly recommend that you DO NOT use that approach. See the following reference, especially the paragraph near the middle of the page called "What's Wrong With The Microsoft Way": Multi-Booting with Windows in an Extended Partition

I use Terabyte Unlimited's BootItNG boot manager, which is not free but costs very little, and works very nicely: TeraByte Unlimited :: Boot Manager :: Partition Manager :: Drive Image :: Disk Copy :: Drive Wipe :: Hard Drive Utilities. It includes a partition manager and a drive imaging function as well, and is a remarkable value.

Regards,
-- Al

[zman88]

I told you there was more to it . As ctal has eloquently explained.

[DarkEdge]

Great, thanks for the help!

[DarkEdge]

If I may ask another question please:

What I did was install on another hard drive as installing both on the same drive would have been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much work for me, just operating 2 proggies off of the other drive os.

So my question is this, can I save a bios startup settings?
What I mean is using xp pro I slightly overclock my system and make it so that I can see all 4 gigs of ram, but when I occasionally go to my other drive, just regular xp, I need to go to default bios settings for it to work. So instead of having to manually set all of my overclock settings I could just select "this" bios setting. Does that make sense?

Also, I noticed when I was on my xp pro hard drive and tried to oc' and my system wouldn't take it, probably because I have reg xp on the other drive. I can get around this just by unplugging the cables. Is there another way other than putting both os on 1 drive...which I'm not going to do.

Thanks!

[ctal]

Some bios's allow creation of multiple "profiles," each of which would contain a complete set of bios settings that could be selected at startup. Check your mobo manual to see if it has that capability.

I'm not sure why overclocking would be affected by the presence of an os (that is not booted) on a second drive. Not sure what to suggest there.

Regards,

-- Al

[zman88]

Since you said "when I occasionally go to my other drive" , I would just go into the bios and change the boot order temporarily.