Restore XP Backup to New Vista System & Dual Boot

Good morning all,

I would like to make a backup image of my XP system and restore it on a partition on a new laptop that comes with Vista and then setup it up as a dual boot on that machine (not erasing the Vista system). Is that possible If so how?


Thank you in advance,

Charlie Dunn

 

I can see a problem with bring an XP Image, presumably from another computer and restoring it to another computer. You will need to have the Universal Restore option together with a version of True Image Workstation. UR does not work with the standard Home versions.

Then, too, I believe in order to do any kind of dual boot, both of the OS's have to go through their individual installation processes on the computer, but I may be wrong on this and there may be third party software that will allow dual boot in the manner you want to do it.

 

Hello,

I think there are a few ways of doing what it is you wish to do. It all depends on what you have to work with. For my comments I will assume you have one labtop with a single hard drive. I will also assume your hard drive is let's say 160 GB and that this hard drive has only one partition now and that partition has XP on it.
You say you want to store the image of XP on the hard drive and make a duel bootable system.
The way I would do it is to first install Acronis on XP. Then I would make a secure zone with Acronis using approximately 40 gb of the drive. What XP will show after I have made the secure zone is one active partition of approximately 120 gb. The 40 gb secure zone as far as my computer is concerned is hidden and will not show. I would then make a complete backup of the XP partition with Acronis and store the image in the 40gb secure zone. This would leave me with approximately 120 GB to make two partitions for the duel boot I wish to make. Now if 40 gb is not enough room to store the whole 120 gb partition because of all my data I would do one or two things. Ether move some of my data off the computer or increase the size of the secure zone to fit my needs.
After I have backed up my XP system and data and have it stored in the secure zone, I would use whatever partitioning software I have available to split the XP partition into two partitions. The first partition will have to be XP because that is what it is now. The second partiton will be Vista. I would then format the second partition approx 60 GB and install Vista. After I get Vista installed and operating I now have all kinds of different options that I could try or if I know what I want go ahead and do.

 

Opps! I reread your question and it appears I have read it wrong. If what you really wish to do is move your XP to the new computer I would agree with what DwnNdrty has said. You will have to reinstall XP on your new computer because the new computer is probably different (more powerful). MS will allow this however you will either have to remove that same installation from your old computer or purchase a new XP to install on your new computer. The rest of what I commented on above applies except your first boot would be Vista.

 

Thank you Uptone and DwnNdrty for your suggestions and comments. I was afraid of that. I think I will try the installation of Xp only on the new computer (I really didn't want Vista anyway).

Thanks again,

 

FWIW, I installed Vista Ultimate Sp1 on an underpowered (for Vista - 1.6GHz, 512mb ram) laptop (some will say even that is underpowered for XP. ). And I am surprised to see how well it runs. Granted it takes longer to boot up and shutdown than XP, but once it is up, it runs just as well as XP.

I had tried the Release Candidates on that system before and while it loaded without errors, the browser will intermittently lockup without any pattern to it. But with Sp1, there are no lockups whatsoever.

The fact that BartPE with the TI 9 build 3677 plug-in handles Backups and Restores on both Vista and XP, I have no qualms about switching from XP to Vista Sp1 on that computer.

But having said that, I see no advantage of Vista over XP. Vista, like a new car, just looks fresh and nice.

 

Before destroying your Vista installation, be sure you have a way back with either OEM restore disks or a TI image.

Check your manufacturere's web site to be sure there are XP drivers for your computer. Some new systems that come with Vista, especially notebooks, have no XP drivers for the video, sound, motherboard or other hardware. That makes XP installation much less satisfactory.