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Options for config multiboot Windows OS on two-drives (Win7 64bit and XP 32bit)

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Trivius

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2012
Location
Fresno, CA
I am in the process of revamping my Dell E520, after wasting my entire weekend attempting to clone my multi-partitioned 1Tb HDD onto a 240Gb SSD (with every attempt resulting in a failure to create a bootable drive and my XP install disk only crashing with a BSOD), I decided to use the SSD to install Win7 64bit and keep my XP 32bit on its original HHD.

The system is now running under either drive, but I am now having to manually unplug the HDD when I want to use Win7, so I am hoping to devise a way to make a keyboard selection during bootup or otherwise set a timed default. After searching a bit on the subject from my understanding the best option is to use EasyBCD. Thus, I would just like to confirm that is the best option in my case and that it will not cause any issues between the drives or when running programs; and also that I will still have access to either drive while operating the opposing OS?
 
Good news, I installed EasyBCD v2.2 and both OS versions appear to be working, boot-up is a bit slower to load though, but with the menu and default setting it is better than I could have hoped for. In Win7 I can see the drive for Win XP and all paritions, but when in Win XP I cannot see the drive for Win 7 however, can see its second partition.
 
Did you go to disk management and see if the Win7 drive is showing, but without being assigned a letter, in XP?
 
You could have just used the boot devices selector (usually f5 on most boards I think). That way you could leave the MBRs alone, and it would have booted whichever OS was on the first boot device by default.
 
Yea but it's so much easier to do this, simply CHECKING default Operating System - saves default OS. There is no need to click on Save Settings to change default OS.
 

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