Can i install windows xp on 2 partitions

Whenever you install another operating system, e. This is called a dual-boot or a multi-boot configuration. A system partition will contain the hardware-related files. You can identify which partition is a boot partition or a system partition, in Windows Vista and Windows 7, using the Disk Management wizard:. You can create a new partition on your PC if you have unallocated space disk available on the hard disk.

The reserved partitions or the system partitions do not have a letter assigned to them. Press "Enter" when you reach the Windows XP welcome screen.

Follow the onscreen guide to configure XP's language and software settings. Enter your Windows XP product key into the boxes, then click "Next. Enter your computer name, administrative password, date and time and connection information to finish configuring Windows XP.

Continue following the onscreen guide until you reach the "Welcome to Microsoft Windows" screen. Enter information about your network settings, then click "Next. There's no CD, no floppy, nothing external. Only HDD. What I need to do is manually place the needed files onto these partitions in order to install XP onto partition 1.

From this partition, I have to run the "winnt. Then I copied the 3 necessary XP boot files to the active partition, which let's the system know something is there. My thinking is that somehow I can edit boot. And then Xp setup will start from there.

So then, how can I, by manually placing files directly on the partitions, get XP to install? I know it can be done, it's the same concept as OEMs putting "Recovery Console" or a system image to a 2nd partition and letting you reload Windows from there.

I just don't have a way to see how they did it. Any ideas? Hook the lap to a Network wth Admin rights and operate from there???

Finish copying all XP setup files to that second small partition. Put the HD back in the laptop. Wonder if that would work? Otherwise, worst case scenario, how can I, or what program can I use, to force the 9x boot sector info into that HDD? Assuming XP will let me "directly access" the drive to do it. Thanks PS, Laptop doesn't have network boot capability. Uh oh, I think I solved my own problem.

But the second time when I re-formatted the drive and copied the "system" files 9x and started setup again, it went much smoother with smartdrv running. Also different is that, before running setup, I added all the drive letters and the i folder to the PATH variable.

And pointed Windows setup to "d:i" instead of just D: like the first time. Take the HDD and set it up from a 9x box. Make the first partition the "active" partition and make it about 1gb less then the total space.

I want to clean install windows xp on my PC, cos its running so slow these days and has millions of unnecessary programs on it that I cant remove. Probably also some virus etc. I have an old Hardrive F: called old PC , then my new Hard drive is partitioned into my system drive C: and my data storage drive, Now the problem: When I run windows setup disc, it comes to where I must delete or add partitions to install xp on, but I can only see 2 partitions, the one is my old pc Strangely called C: and one more small device mb big called F: this can be my cameras SD card I cant see my real C: drive where I want to install my windows on, also cant see my real which I dont want erased.

What is wrong and why cant the setup see these partitions? Thanks a lot. Share Flag.