Need advice (2-partition XP/Vista)

[Fazzi]

I need some advice from people who have experience in the following......I am running a great windows XP Pro box which boots from a 150GB raptor. I want to try Vista, and eventually move to Vista - but - only and only when I am happy that all my necessary peripherals and devices run smoothly.

Here is what I am planning to do.

1. Use a partition (disk manager) like Partion Magic to break 150 into two 75 Gig partitions - maintaining the exisiting XP.

2. Install Vista on the empty partition.

3. Test and optimize Vista's software and device settings until I am happy with it.

4. Move the XP files and folders to the Vista partition.

5. Expand the Vista Partition to cover the entire 150GB.


Please feel free and let me know if my plan is flawed in anyway? What partition manager would you recommend? Is something like the above possible? Any risks to my existing setup? and what's the scoop with the dynamic versus static partitions (If I should I be worring about at all)

Thanks in advance...

 

[Trashman]

IMO, it would be much easier to install Vista on a 2nd HD, assuming you have a spare drive laying around, or buy if need be. That way you avoid screwing up your XP drive.

 

[Fazzi]

Trashman - thanks for the tip - yes a separate drive would be better, however, I really want to endup with my 150GB raptor booting up with Vista on it and I can't really cough up for another raptor - so it brings me back to the original question. Thanks anyway....

 

[mancunian]

I really wouldn't bother resizing partitions while your data is still on them. Sure, there's a chance it'll work. But there's also a chance you'll be starting a thread on here saying "Partition Magic couldn't complete a task and now all I see is unallocated space." Aside from that, your MBR would reside on your C partition, where XP now is and where it would always be given that you install the oldest OS first. I'm not sure how PM would treat that MBR were you to want to wipe out that XP installation using Partition Magic. I certainly wouldn't chance it if there's any valuable data on that Raptor. If there isn't, start afresh with partitions, make 2 and then install XP onto C, followed by Vista on D.

Safe way would be to redo your partitions while not in a Windows environment and go from there.

Just my opinion.

 

[Trashman]

I wasn't suggesting you to buy another Raptor, that would be kinda foolish, on what you want to do.....any drive would do, you can pickup spare drive for 80 bux or less.
When you want to make the big switch over to Vista, then transfer Vista to your Raptor.

 

[Fazzi]

Originally posted by: mancunian
I certainly wouldn't chance it if there's any valuable data on that Raptor. If there isn't, start afresh with partitions, make 2 and then install XP onto C, followed by Vista on D.

That is what I was afraid of. I am actually installing a brand new machine and that is what I will do.

Safe way would be to redo your partitions while not in a Windows environment and go from there.

Thanks good advice. I was planning to use a bootup application (like partition magic), any other good ones you know?

 

[mancunian]

Originally posted by: Fazzi

Originally posted by: mancunian
I certainly wouldn't chance it if there's any valuable data on that Raptor. If there isn't, start afresh with partitions, make 2 and then install XP onto C, followed by Vista on D.

That is what I was afraid of. I am actually installing a brand new machine and that is what I will do.

Safe way would be to redo your partitions while not in a Windows environment and go from there.

Thanks good advice. I was planning to use a bootup application (like partition magic), any other good ones you know?

No probs.

In this instance, Partition Magic would be fine. It only tends to have a chance of messing up when people start it up from within Windows and let it reboot to do its stuff.

If there's nothing on the disk, then using a PM boot CD is fine.

You only have a chance of trouble when you go merging partitions that have data on them. That can sometimes cause problems. The chance is very slight, but I always feel it's too risky myself.

Edit: I prefer less fancy partitioning utilities than PM. You might want to google a few and see what there is, various Linux bootdisks usually contain good stuff for this.