How to dual boot when Windows XP was installed after Windows 7?

One of the big benefits to creating a dual-boot system is that it gives you the opportunity to get up to speed with the new operating system, while still maintaining access to the old one. It also keeps all of your apps and data files intact while you migrate them over to the new OS at your own pace.

It seems pretty straightforward to dual boot those versions of Windows (windows 7 & windows Xp) when the newest is installed after Windows XP. But the inverse isn't happening on your machine? I think you tried even editing the BOOT.INI file, but the boot just freezes or displays that a file is missing when you will try to boot another partition.

So I am discussing here very common Windows 7 problems like how to dual boot when Windows XP was installed after Windows 7 -

Step1: NTLDR can't boot Windows 7 operating system so you need to reinstall the boot manager.

Step2: Run Windows 7 install CD and choose "Repair" and "Command Prompt".

Step3: At the prompt, do a "bootrec /RebuildBCD" to write down a new bootloader. 

Step4: After that you can get Windows XP back into the boot manager manifest.

I can't promise that this is going to keep Windows XP in the boot order, but it will restore the ability to boot Windows 7. (also find here how to dual boot with windows 7 and windows 8 on a computer)

Partitions of Disk:

If your computer is outfitted with XP and you plan on upgrading it to Windows 7 operating system, you have essentially only two ways to go about it. You can wipe your system's hard drive and perform a clean install of Windows 7 (what Microsoft also calls a "custom installation"), or you can partition your hard drive and install Windows 7 in its own partition, leaving XP intact in its own partition.

Each operating system must be installed on a separate partition. When installing Windows XP as the first step, do not use all of the existing available disk space. Leave at least 20GB of free hard disk space, or ensure that another partition exists that is at least 20GB in size. This is the minimum recommended disk space for a Windows 7 installation, but it should ideally be larger.

Feel free to get online technical support to fix your computer problems. Just Call on Toll-Free number(1-866-541-1792) & get 24*7 expert help for online diagnostic and troubleshooting.

See Also: Troubleshoot "Boot Device Not Found" Error Message on HP Windows Vista or Windows 7 Computer >>