Partitioning hard drive for dual-boot Winxp and Win7

paromlin · Sep 23, 2014

Hello,

I have two partitions; a smaller one, C: , listed as "primary partition" and a "logical drive", D.
Windows XP is installed on C.

I plan to install Win7 on D and preserve all the data on it.

Could I split drive D, with Partition Wizard, making a new 3rd partition and then install Windows 7 on it? Since drive D is "logical" I assume this newly created partition will also be; do I need to convert it to primary and only then install Win7 on it?
If I allocate 130 GB to this new partition for Win7, for instance, will that be all the space that I'll be able to use (games etc.) when operating in Windows 7?

Thanks.

Mike_Tech · Sep 23, 2014

It is best to use an unallocated partition for installing a new version of Windows. This article from MS covers it all for you:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/create-boot-partition#1TC=windows-7

However, since XP is end of life, why don't you simply back up all your data to D:, and format the C: drive to install a fresh copy of Windows 7?

paromlin · Sep 23, 2014

This is a guide for Win7 (I'm on Win xp) and it also doesn't answer my questions.

Because that isn't what I'm planning to do.

Mike_Tech · Sep 23, 2014

I thought that may have made it clearer for you, evidently not.

You will need a blank partition, shrinking your D: drive to create space for a new partition for Windows 7 will work, and it doesn't matter if it's a logical partition or not.

Your Windows 7 partition will be able to use the other partitions if required, although you may need to take ownership of folders to read them if needed.

paromlin · Sep 23, 2014

So I can use this split function to make a new partition out of D:

http://partitionwizard.com/video-help/split_partition/split_partition.html

?

And I don't need to then convert it to "primary" before intalling Win7 on it?

If I can simply use all the other partitions in Win7 after installing, it doesn't really matter if I make it 20 GB or as large as 120 GB?

paromlin · Sep 23, 2014

About the "it doesn't matter if it's a logical partition or not" part...

I've been reading the following: "Windows can only be installed on a logical drive if the boot files are located on a primary partition" on quite a few places.

PS. D: is also an "extended partition".

paromlin · Sep 23, 2014

No definitive answer on this?

I want to prevent any potential problems...

paromlin · Sep 23, 2014

So I used partition wizard to create a third local disk; I have C: (primary) D: (logical drive) and F: (logical drive).

F: is the new one. I plan to install Windows7 on F: and keep WindowsXp on C: to be able to dual-boot.

Do I need to convert F from logical to primary partition (so I have 2 primary + 1 logical - D ) before I install Win7 on it? There's an option for that in that program.

Please, help.

mitch9894 · Sep 23, 2014

Problem with dual booting XP if you have to have your SATA Mode set to IDE or XP wont boot but depending on how you installed 7 it might on IDE or AHCI or RAID

paromlin · Sep 23, 2014

Could you expand a bit on that? I intend to install Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.

mitch9894 · Sep 24, 2014

Yea so because of windows XP's age it only supports IDE Sata mode (which is essentially compatibility mode) so in order to boot windows 7 and XP they will both have to be installed on IDE mode when installed for the first time. unless you want to go into the BIOS every time and change it in which case go ahead. however windows 7 can run in IDE it just limits performance and especially with SSD's if you are running an SSD you want to be in AHCI.

paromlin · Sep 24, 2014

Thanks.

It's a HDD.
SATA 6Gb/s
7200 RPM

Does IDE/AHCI affect gaming?

mitch9894 · Sep 24, 2014

For an HDD na you will be fine in IDE but AHCI will have faster boot times but apart from that your not missing out on a whole lot with a an HDD

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