Problem with Dual Boot Vista and XP with Vista already installed
 

Sir,

I am a bearer of Toshiba Laptop-Satellite with Vista installed.

I tried using Wilson Willam's solution as I essentially require a dual booting system with Windows XP Sp2. I followed the Step-1 and was successful to partition the drive to create a new one. But unfortunately when I booted with the CD it stopped the installation given an error.

Windows XP Professional Setup

Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed in your computer.

Make sure any hard disk drives are powered on and properly connected to your computer, and that any disk related hardware configuration is correct. This may involve running a manufacturer-supplied diagnostic or setup program.

Setup cannot continue, To quit Setup, press F3.

I am baffled, please provide me the appropriate solution at the earliest.

Regards & Thanks,

Santosh

That laptop uses a SATA controller for your harddrive...you must install the sata driver when you are installing XP during the set up proccess. Shortly after the 'press any key to boot to CD" prompt there will be another prompt about installing 3rd party drivers pressF6...you press F6 and have the SATA driver on a CD to be coppied in the set-up files.

Echo, Echo, Echo...

Sir, Many Thanks for your prompt reply. I assume this may be my problem. Now after going through your guide/tutorial, I am facing the biggest problem of a Vista CD/DVD since I have received only a Recovery CD/DVD along with my Laptop. If suppose I am successful to install Xp after your solution, will I be change the boot setup as for that I require the Vista CD/DVD? Can I try out finally with the EasyBCD s/w?

Kindly reply soon.

Regards & Thanks in advance,

Santosh

[QUOTE=smachari;11625]Sir, Many Thanks for your prompt reply. I assume this may be my problem. Now after going through your guide/tutorial, I am facing the biggest problem of a Vista CD/DVD since I have received only a Recovery CD/DVD along with my Laptop. If suppose I am successful to install Xp after your solution, will I be change the boot setup as for that I require the Vista CD/DVD? Can I try out finally with the EasyBCD s/w?

If you prepared Vista Recovery CD properly, then it should be enough. I tried in my laptop (Sony VAIO) with recovery DVD I made. It works well.

Once you successfully finished making dual boot, make an additional copy of your recovery CD's or DVD's.

Sir, I am glad if it works with the Recovery CD/DVD. But please make me understand your reply as "prepare the Recovery CD/DVD". What do I have to do with it. I am confused. Should I make a copy of it or what? Please clarify.

Regards,

[QUOTE=smachari;11648]Sir, I am glad if it works with the Recovery CD/DVD. But please make me understand your reply as "prepare the Recovery CD/DVD". What do I have to do with it. I am confused. Should I make a copy of it or what? Please clarify.

if you got your laptop with visa installed at a point where you proceed installation with your language setting or preferences, then after complete installation of vista, a user should make a recovery set of dvd's, usually 3 dvds including vista and other accompanying software. but you've mentioned that you've only one cd/dvd (please mention which one cd or dvd) and it is not clear that whether you've the correct recovery cd/dvd. anyway, you can try. you just leave that cd/dvd in the drive and restart pc. make sure that you put the correct order to boot in the bios or put cd/dvd drive in the top of the list. Now, if it is try to boot vista from cd/dvd, you will get screens to adjust the keyboard and when you press next button, vista will show available operating systems. it will show vista and there you click next you will get a window with many options. you can see there, startup recovery, system restore, command prompt etc. if you are getting these, then you can utilise this cd/dvd to make your system dual boot. just click shutdown from the window because you didnt install your xp. now remove the cd/dvd from the drive and start with installing xp with your sata drives installed as mentioned by lurkswithin. in my case, i didnt install any drivers seperately while installing xp. you check with your partitions that you made with vista. provide here details of the partition and how you made it.

Dual Boot SATA Driver
 

[QUOTE=sreejmen;11651]Sir,

I want to clarify myself what I understand from the previous conversations.

I have a Toshiba Satellite L40-18X, Pentium T2370, 2048MB Memory 667Mhz 200Gb HDD 5400 rpm SATA, Microsoft Vista Home Premium 32 Bit. I think this information about my system would be sufficient. The second point is that I have a Recovery DVD of Vista which is supplied only with Toshiba Laptop at a new purchase. Behind the DVD cover it is clearly written if the Recovery DVD is processed it would format the drive and all the data would be lost. And I have lot of data which should be preserved.

Now the next step.
I have C:\100GB & D:\100GB hence I followed step-1 from the tutorial and partioned D:\ to create E:\ of just 6GB for installation of Windows XP by the manage option of Vista. After that I inserted Win Xp CD and restarted following which I recieved an error which I had mentioned in my first query.

I read the problem with my SATA Controller and downloaded a file viz. iata82_enu.exe of Macrovision Corporation. Firstly I wanted to know whether this is the correct file for my configuration? Secondly, how is the usage?

I was afraid, even if I install Win Xp will I get dual boot. For this reason once I had rebooted my system with Recovery DVD in it. After the setup as you have mentioned in the previous reply, I receive a prompt for the current operating system as "Windows Vista" and after that I saw the, Startup Recovery, System Restore, Command Prompt etc. these 3 options clearly. As per your previous reply this DVD will be usable for dual boot.

Now, my worry is only for the SATA controller driver installation and the rest is understood by me. I have not clearly understood the method of using the SATA drivers. I would be grateful to you if you reply me with steps since I am an amateur user in harware maintenence but an expert in Autocad and computer applications. The above whatever I have written to you is my knowledge and experience.

Sir, please bear with me and finally provide the solutions step by step only regarding my problems. For the rest, I shall follow Willam Wilson's Tutorial.

Best Regards & Thanks
Santosh

[quote=smachari;11660]
You should have backed up any data files, and any pix that you have on the computer before you even have started this dual boot thingy.

I have an ASUSTeK M2N Sli Deluxe that does not require SATA drivers when installing Windows, unless it's going into a raid config then it does...

[QUOTE=smachari;11660]
Santosh, I'm really sorry because my net was damn slow since 3-4 days. Still it is slow.

First you make sure that you got the correct SATA drivers downloaded from concerned either your motherboard or pc manufacturer. You may find details on how to install drivers while installing XP. I never did this and so I am not sure. I think you've to extract the ata82_enu.exe to a CD. Reboot the computer with windows XP installation CD in the drive. Press F6 at the first setup screen. Now insert the driver CD and press ENTER. The setup lists the available drivers. Select the one that is suitable for your computer and press ENTER. Windows integrates the SATA driver and finds the hard disk in the next step. (The information about installing SATA driers were taken from CHIP India Magazine May 2008 issue (HANDS ON TIPS & TRICKS).

If you've valuable information on your hard disk, take a backup and then start to work with dual boot. Manytimes I've formatted my hard disk with the recovery CD. So please make sure about your data. Once you made the backup, then you can play with the tips available in forums.:)