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[EFSEAR Profile]

Hi there.

Just thinking of installing Win7 on another HD, right now I only have XP on my main. As my motherboard allows you to choose which device to boot from, but just wondering if this will alter the MBR. I tried this once before on an older computer and it wouldn't boot the original operating system, just the new one recently installed. That time I left the old HD installed while installing the new HD and operating system.

So what I would like to know is, on this new computer if I temporarily disable the main HD whilst installing the new HD and OS, will it still alter the MBR when I power both HD's, or will both HD's have and keep their own MBR's? I really don't understand how it works.

Thanks.

[shreader]

W/ XP already installed you can install 7 but will need to modify the XP boot.ini to be able to boot into XP again.
Chech the PROnetworks Guides section for more info on this.

[EFSEAR Profile]

Thanks.

Which guide is it though? Sorry to be a pain. The nearest one I can find to my situation is for installing XP on a machine with Win7 pre-installed. It's the other way around.

Edit: Think I found it, is this the correct one ? Just making sure.

http://www.dualbootpro.org/index.php/si ... parate_hdd

So I won't actually need to use DualBootPRO?

[EFSEAR Profile]

Is that correct then? I won't need to use DualBoootPro if I install Win7 on a second HDD without messing the MBR on the XP HDD using the steps in that guide and still be able to boot from both HDDs? I just want to make sure before I commit.

[jbullard]

That guide should work. In looking at all of our guides I couldn't find one specifically to installing Win7 after XP. This is due to the fact that you are installing a newer operating system in conjunction with the older one. Since you already have XP installed, once you install 7, there won't be any issues with booting to either one. Windows 7 will automatically detect the XP installation and add to your bootloader. If it doesn't, then you can use DBP to install it.

[EFSEAR Profile]

Ok thankyou for the reply