Datasheet

36 Chapter 1
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Installing Windows 7
Supporting Multiple-Boot Options
You may want to install Windows 7 but still be able to run other operating systems.
Dual-booting or multibooting allows your computer to boot multiple operating systems.
Your computer will be automatically confi gured for dual-booting if there was a dual-boot-
supported operating system on your computer prior to the Windows 7 installation, you
didn’t upgrade from that operating system, and you installed Windows 7 into a different
partition.
One reason for dual-booting is to test various systems. If you have a limited number
of computers in your test lab and you want to be able to test multiple confi gurations, you
should dual-boot. For example, you might confi gure one computer to dual-boot with
Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
Here are some keys to successful dual-boot confi gurations:
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Make sure you have plenty of disk space.
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Windows 7 must be installed on a separate partition in order to dual-boot with other
operating systems.
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Install older operating systems before installing newer operating systems. If you want
to support dual-booting with Windows XP and Windows 7, Windows XP must be
installed fi rst. If you install Windows 7 fi rst, you cannot install Windows XP without
ruining your Windows 7 confi guration. This requirement also applies to Windows 9x,
Windows 2000, and Windows Vista.
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Never, ever upgrade to Windows 7 dynamic disks. Dynamic disks are seen only by
Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista,
and Windows 7 and are not recognized by any other operating system, including
Windows NT and Windows XP Home edition.
Only Windows NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 4), Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows
Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 can recognize
Upgrading to Windows 7
Another important decision that should be considered is whether to upgrade your
Windows XP clients to Windows Vista fi rst and then upgrade the machine to Windows 7.
As you have seen, you can migrate your users’ data, but let’s say you have software
installed and you can’t locate the CD/DVD for that software package. If so, it may
be benefi cial to a user or your organization to upgrade the Windows XP machine
to Windows Vista. After that installation is complete, upgrade the Vista machine to
Windows 7.
This is just another option that is available to you when migrating your users to the
Windows 7 operating system.
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