[CharlieBrown5]

I had Windows XP Home Edition installed in a two partitions HD, one partition labeled "SYSTEM" for the OS and programs and the other labeled "DOCS", for all the data created by myself.
I installed Windows 7-32bit Ultimate to a new HD, also with two partitions (Seven SYSTEM and Seven DOCS), and during installation Windows 7 created a dual boot configuration.
After that, I downloaded and installed DualBootPro to change the OS name and boot sequence.
This setup works fine but I'm having trouble when I try to create a backup image, using Acronis True Image.
My intention now is to uninstall Windows 7-32bit, install Windows 7-64bit, maintaining XP and 7 totally independent from each other and thus being able to backup and restore each partition independently, with no interference with any other partition or OS, using DualBootPro to manage the boot.
The problem is that I don't really know how to do that, can anyone help?
CB5.

[Grav!ty]

When you boot to XP is that XP drive tagged (System) in Disk Management? If it is that is going to make things a whole lot easier - I'll get to the steps necessary once I get your response.

Come to think of it, please post a screenshot of your disk management (My Computer>Manage>Disk Management) so that we can see what is going on there and also please post the text of your boot.ini for XP

[CharlieBrown5]

Thank you Grav!ty for the quick response:

The answer to your question, is YES, as you can see on the Screenshot of Computer Management, included below.


The boot.ini text ( excluding a couple of Warnings that precede it ),is pasted below.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition"/NOEXECUTE=OPTIN/FASTDETECT

Thanks again,
CB5

[Grav!ty]

There doesn't appear to be an image attached Charlie.

[CharlieBrown5]

Re: How to dualboot WinXP-32bit and Win7-64bit, keeping them totally independent?

Complementary Information.

Hi, Grav!ty:
I'm writing down here two URLs where you can see the screenshot of Computer Management, for the case you have problems visualizing it in my previous post.

http://ScrnSht.com/qrukns
http://i51.tinypic.com/30hv2ud.jpg

Thanks,
CB5

[gries818]

Here's the image:

[Grav!ty]

This should be very straight forward according to your hard drive configuration Charlie Brown, run DualBootPRO and go to the System Bootloader page, then select Windows XP>All Drives and press Install Bootloader. This will get rid of the boot to Windows 7.

Next format the Windows 7 partition and then delete the folder Boot and the file bootmgr from the root of the drive tagged (System) which is your XP drive/partition. You may have to go to safe mode to be able to delete those items...you can get there by pressing F8 repeatedly immediately Windows starts loading.

Your boot.ini looks fine so that should not need any changing.

Once you have deleted those Windows 7 boot system files I mentioned above (remember you'll have to have set folder options to see hidden files and folders AND to unhide protected operating system files), you should have no issues at all installing Windows 7 64-Bit. A boot menu will be auto created when you install it which will include XP (do not unplug the XP drive and do not change your HDD boot priority) and you can then use DualBootPRO to make some minor changes like renaming the boot menu entries, setting the default OS and changing your boot timeout.

By the way, your HDD 0 (the one XP is on) looks a mess and I'd suggest moving whatever items you have in those secondary partitions and cleaning up the partition structure.

Let us know how you go or if you have any questions

[CharlieBrown5]

Hi Grav!ty:
I'll do as you say and soon I'll let you know the results.
Thanks,
CB5

[CharlieBrown5]

Dear Grav!ty:
Before doing anything, I read again your instructions and it gave me the idea that they only cover part of my issues.
If you read my initial post, you'll see that one of my problems, was how to have Win7 32-bit replaced by Win7 64-bit, in my current setup. You addressed to that perfectly in your instructions.
The second issue was the concept of the dual boot created by Windows. It maintains both OS's intertwined and won't allow me to backup or reinstall any OS individually later on (or even get rid of XP when I think I don't need it any longer), without breaking my boot.
I would like to have a boot system that would keep OS's totally independent and truly booting separate partitions. Windows XP installed on disk0, partition "C" and booting from there, Windows 7 installed on disk1, partition "C" and booting from there. During operation no OS sees the other one, they would be hidden from each other.
I believe that this may be possible with the use of a third-party boot manager, but I would not know how to do it without help. If you could help me out on that one too, I would greatly appreciate.
CB5

[shreader]

I quad boot having different OS's on different partitions.

When I want to replace a OS w/ another I just use the DVD/CD & format the 1- partition & install the new OS there, no problem. If its XP then one may have to mess w/ their boot.ini but Vista & Win7 new installs are very easy. A new entry is made automatically to the boot menu also that can be renamed using DualBootPRO (DBP).

You can use DBP also to set the first booting OS (very easy) so the PC will boot into that OS.

If you want to have both as "C" you'll probably have to unplug one or the other, then plug/unplug them to boot from the other.

HTH