Need help adding an existing xp partition to a vista installation

[DrSatan316]

The topic may make this seem like a dumb question but it's seems a little complicated to me.

Here's the situation:

Had XP installed on a RAID 1 setup where C was xp and D was my media and files.
Well my RAID controller was listed as unsupported with no plans of ever being supported so I removed the controller and was left with:
drive C XP, drive d media, drive g xp, and drive h media.

Now I went to install vista on the D drive so I could have C as XP and D as vista but messed up and vista was installed on H.

So now I have two separate boot setups, one consisting of XP and another a dual boot of XP and vista.

My problem is the XP that is dual booted with vista isn't working and I am stuck switching the hard drive to boot off of in the bios to choose between my working XP and my vista.

I would like to be able to add my working XP to the boot selection of my vista/XP. I could care less if the messed up XP is replaced or not because I definitely don't need both and that one doesn't work.

If anyone can help me out with this I'd be very grateful.

Thanks!

 

[DrSatan316]

Well upon furthur investigation it sounds like the troubles I am having are most likely linked to the 2 copies of XP which is messing up the one version I want to use. I would just format the XP that is working now if I knew that that would solve all the problems with the other version but I don't know if I'm ready for that yet without a second opinion. And I'd just format the XP that isn't working but I don't think vista would boot then since xp was installed first.

Help?!?

 

[Zoron]

When working on dual-boot setups with Windows, you should always install the old Windows first and the new Windows second. Which XP works... the one on the primary drive or the secondary drive? If it's the primary, wipe the secondary and install Vista. Since your secondary drive is a mirror of the primary, you won't lose any data. However, try just disconnecting the secondary drive and booting into XP as a precaution... to make sure you're still bootable if you wipe the other drive. Once you've established you can still boot, format the drive in Windows and assign drive letter D: to it... unless of course Windows has already done it for you. Then, install Vista on the empty secondary drive and you should be good to go.

 

[DrSatan316]

The working XP is on the primary drive and the non working xp along with vista are both installed on the secondary.

I realize I could just whipe the entire second hdd and install vista at that point but I'd rather not reinstall everything since I already have it installed and set up unless that is the only way that will work.

 

[Zoron]

It's probably the best way to accomplish what you're trying to do. It's better to wipe the drive and ensure any vestiges of the old non-working Windows is gone.