XP/Vista dual boot question - XP on later partition

[DavidO]

I want to install Vista and keep a smaller XP install on the computer in case I find something that does not work as well yet.

I want to create 3 partitions on my hard drive. I want to leave the first two empty and use them for Vista. First I will need to install XP before Vista. Will XP let me install it to the third partition like that???
I want the XP to be on the last partition so after Vista is compatible with apps and other issues are resolved in the future I can just delete the last partition and recreate it in Vista (so I want Vista to be on the first partition).

Thanks

 

[cockeyed]

I'm running a dual boot setup with XP/Vista. I originally only had a C: Partition with XP. I backed up C:, then used Seagate tools to setup my drive into 2 partitions. I restored the backup of XP onto C:, then installed Vista in E:. It boots to a menu to allow me to choose which OS to start.

I've been testing drivers and software on Vista. Every so often, I do a backup image of Vista in case something goes wrong. It is faster to restore a backup image then it is to re-install the OS. So far, this method works well for me and I've had to restore several times.

Once you have Vista installed, it has a built-in partion manager, that will let you create, size and delete partitions. This being the case, I think you could do what you suggest.