Windows 7 dual boot with win xp and win 7

[greendesert]

Hi All

Does win 7 run (see) on fat32 file system ? If not, I am in good luck.
I have installed dual boot with win xp and win 7 on c and d drive respectively. Both of them are ntfs. Now, what happens, most of the device driver softwares for win 7 install by default on drive c: So, if I convert c drive to fat32, win 7 can't see it and it would not mess with win xp installation on c: drive.

How else could I stop win7 from seeing the c: drive ?

 

[Mitchell_A]

So you mean you want the default installation directory to be on your other partition?
You'd likely have to configure that during program installation.
For devices, there isn't much you can do, though the drivers should be installed to whatever partition you're currently booted to.
As for the file system - don't convert them. NTFS is more efficient and will provide performance benefits compared to FAT32.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Download and check out a program called EasyBCD.
It is a easy to use boot manager that will let you change your boot setup.

Download EasyBCD For Windows 7

This may solve your problem, I have only used it when I went from running dual XP 7 setup but I think it will do what you want.

When I was dual booting my computer using the same set up that you are, it kept the drivers separate for XP and Windows 7 with no input from me.

Mike

 

[Joe S]

I think all you just have to watch carefully where it installs and most do use c by default. Just change to whatever letter your Windows 7 is.
Joe

 

[Mitchell_A]

Also, I found this registry tweak that may very well help. Though it appears to be for XP it should work for Windows 7 as well.
Link Removed - Not Found

 

[dmillerhsv]

The booted OS becomes "C" for that boot cycle.
If you boot win7 then win7 partition is "C".
if you boot XP then the XP partition is "C".

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi again.

I have an observation that leads me to ask a question.

When I dual booted with XP and Windows 7 with each operating system on a separate drive, which ever operating system I booted into became drive C:\.

When I booted into Windows 7 (which was the operating system added to XP and installed on my D: drive) drive D: became drive C:.
It then showed the former drive C: as drive D:. I was surprised when I first discovered this but that's the way it worked and I used it that way for almost a year.

That's why my drivers all installed themselves on the correct drive.
The two operating system didn't mingle at all.

Isn't this the way it always works?
I didn't do anything special during the install just direct it to install Windows 7 on drive D:.

Any one have any ideas about this?

Mike

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi dmillerhsv

We must have been posting at the same time, and yes that's what I have experienced.

Mike