Welcome, this is my first post and sure, I'll admit my novice (i.e. n00b) expertise with technicalities. But here it goes: I have Windows Vista laptop I just purchased. But before I go ahead and decide that dual boot is right for me, id like to know a few more details about the kinematics of the partitions.

Ok, so I shrink my current drive by 8gb. This becomes an additional primary drive for XP to run from.
So now i have :
8gb for XP (E
8gb for Vista (D
220 gb for (C

Now lets say after dual boot works, I save a file in Vista, lets say test.doc. This file is being saved to C: correct? Ok, now lets presume that i log off Vista and enter XP os. Will I find test.doc using this os? In other words, will files be available across all os or only the os that i saved from?

Am i right to think of C: to be a global drive, one that can be used by any os and accessed by any os?

And finally, where the hell do i get an Xp CD and a Vista CD? Vista came stock on my laptop with a backup cd from hp, however will this work to readjust the boot issues? Thanks a WHOLE lot anyone who cares to help! Hope to hear from you soon!

H4x0r

Vista will still see the drive you just wont be able to go into account information for XP. The file will still be there as long as you don't save it in My Documents. Create a separate folder that you can share info between the 2 OSs. C: can be your global as long as you install an OS on it. I have XP running on Drive I and Vista on C: The reason its on C: is because i was going to use that partition anyway. You can use any drive for OS install.

If you dont have XP CD get one they are much cheaper now. Just make sure you also dont have the upgrade version of vista. You will need full vista to make the dual boot work.

8gb XP
220gb Vista

You will have to look into install order of which OS to install first. Reason being is that you might have to take different steps in each.

wow, great information. Ok so i have vista on my laptop, however i want xp available as well in dual boot. So I do or dont need the vista cd that is already on my computer? I wanna keep learning until im confident that i'll get it to work flawlessly. Thanks again in advance

Ok you already have vista good. Now what you need is XP.
1. Fire up XP set up and install it into an unoccupied partition.
2. Once you finish XP instal you will not be able to get into Vista.
3. XP will write its own MBR (Master Boot Record) Which is still completely different from vistas so you don't have to worry about losing the Vista boot info.
4. No pop in you vista CD and go to repair mode.
5. Once there you will se the option to fix boot record for vista. Run it.
6. Restart you PC it will boot vista only (unless it somehow detects xp)
7. Once in Vista download a program Called VistaBootPRO.
8. Open VistaBootPRO, ignore the prompt to backup your BCD. Go to the System Bootloader tab, select "Windows Vista Bootloader" in the first section and "All Drives" in the second section and then click Install Bootloader . Next, go to the Diagnostics item on the menu bar and select "Run Diagnostics". VistaBootPRO will default back to the Manage OS Entries page and you will see that you now have entries there for "Earlier versions of Windows" as well as "Microsoft Windows Vista".
9. Restart and you are done.

thanks for the info, however its not gunna work since when trying to load the xp files, it doesnt detect my harddrive. I looked elsewhere to learn that i need to use the f6 trick (whatever that is), or i need to find the hardrive controller driver which enables my comp to recognize my harddrive. HP doesnt have one, any oother way for my comp to recognize the sata harddrive?

its called a sata hardddrive controller driver if thats helpfulal;kfja;lkfja;lkfja