Windows Vista & Windows XP

[#1]

My satellite L355D-S7829 came with 64 bit Vista.  I have a lot of software I ran on 32 bit XP.

What are my options for insatalling two OS's on the laptop to run my legacy software?

Earlier in the messages users were dual booting XP and Vista to test them, If someone could give me step by step on the best was to achieve this I would appreciate it.

Message Edited by Bob-Retired on 12-19-2008 11:12 AM

[#2]

See these web pages, Bob. 

How to dual boot Vista and XP (with Vista installed first)

Install Windows XP in a Dual Boot with Pre-installed Windows Vista

But you need to be sure that the necessary XP drivers exist. That's the real hooker.

[#3]

Found the first link online after posting and tried it.

Option 3 was my preferred choice, using Vista Disk Managemnt.

Kept getting an "Access Denied" red box error message.

I'm the only user/admin.  Can't figure out why.

Second link uses this option to Shrink Volume/Partition.

Once I get past this point, I'll need the 32bit XP drivers for my L335D Satellite.

Or, will it be impossible to install 32bit XP on an AMD 64bit system?

 Also, the first link has a step that calls for the Vista DVD to boot from.  Can I use the Toshiba recovery DVD for this, or do I need to purchase a Vista DVD?

[#4]

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Kept getting an "Access Denied" red box error message.

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When? You should have UAC turned off. Best to start things (e.g., diskmgmt.msc) with a right-click and then Run as administrator. It really means run with even still more elevated privileges.

It talks about a Vista installation DVD. Toshiba does not supply that. If you don't have one lying around, get the Windows Vista Recovery Disc Download.

As I said at the outset, the real challenge will be locating XP drivers for that machine.

[#5]

UAC and creating a new adimin user does not work.  Still the same error.

Toshiba says it is an OS issue and that MS will support OEM installations.

With the holidays, MS has very minimal staffing, so it will be a while before I can let you know how this turns out.

It's just a few games and applets that I would like to use, nothing critical.

I even got Acrobat 9 since all the version 7 "fixes" on the web didn't work getting the PDF printer to install.

Just a little disappointing that a feature in Vista (shrink volume) is unusable with no clear reson why or solution available.

I figured that MS would want to make it easy for XP users to upgrede/switch with no regrets.

Merry Christmas!

[#6]

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Still the same error.

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Bob, are you talking about an "Access Denied" red box error message before or during the shrink process?

If so, exactly when? Give us a step-by-step. And the precise message on a line by itself. Or maybe a link to a picture of the message.

[#7 · Accepted solution]

You ain't gonna believe this...it worked.  Have no idea why.  Maybe I was too fast to hit the shrink button before.

Here are the differences as best I can figure.

I was connected to the internet with IE and Outlook running.

Did a defrag this morning after deleting a bunch of files.

I was replying to your lat message and making a pdf (attached) for screen shots.

When I went to get the red framed error box, I hit shrink, and there was no spinning blue wheel, but the drive was running, and lo an behold! There it is...a 2.6GB unallocated partition, just like I always wanted.

We could spend months figuring this out, but I'm ready for phase two, loading XP Pro.

Once thats done, I'll kick back and find/load drivers.  

Jerry, you've been super helping me with this, thanks,....and Jerry, please, enjoy the holidays...I got time.

C:\Users\Dad\Desktop\Why cant I shrink volume.pdf

[#8]

Happy to hear you're progressing now, Bob.

Too bad this forum doesn't support attachments. I'd love to see Why cant I shrink volume.pdf.

[#9]

First of all, sorry about the delay but everything worked out great and I was busying uploading and updating xp.

And a big thanks to Jerry and all the forum folks who helped me.

The links to the Xp install after Vista do work.

But here are some lessons learned by me.

1. Get all software and discs ready before you start.  Image burn and uTorrent work as in the links, but uTorrent seemed to have completely dnld'd when it really didn't, so I made another dvd coaster.  It is a big big file so don't think you got it in a few minutes, even though the file in the directory says the right size...its just a place holder.

2.  Check the Vista recover disc BEFORE loading XP, and check your HDD bios setting and make sure to change it from HCDI to Compatibility mode, or XP may not see it.

3.  If you want to do a full XP load, with SP3.  Create a partition no smaller than 5GB.  I did 2.7 (cause thats all I could do in Vista) and after SP2, I couldn't get .netframe 2.0 to load because of insufficient disc space.  Which i needed for the ati video drivers.

4.  Check your mfg restore discs, my toshiba l355d was super cool by giving me a bottom list option to do a factory restore AND create an other partition!....I said heck yeah...do it baby!  So now I have a dual boot system with 200GB in vista64 (right out of the box) and xp at 30GB with all my stuff that won't or can't run in vista64, like my canon lide30 scanner.

Like Jerry warned me, "good luck finding the drivers".  So far the only one i'm craving for is the Realtek HD Audio driver, would be nice to have sound in xp, but since I got the ati display going, I ok with that.  Especially the atheros wireless, software activation and updated would have been a real hasel without it.

And the HDD in cmpatibility mode rally doesn't affect vista's permformance, so says the performace chart.

Thanks again to all, I'll check back in case there are any more questions, or if someone finds an audio driver for Realtek HD for XP.

Bob-Retired