[memory]

I don't mean to hijack this thread but do you lose any information when you dual boot? I have Windows Vista installed and want to dual boot with Windows 7. I just don't feel like backing up everything right now.

[darsunt]

It is best to make a separate partition for the second operating system. To do it right I've read you need to get software specialized in creating new partitions on an already set up disk, and I suspect that software can protect your data. But it is a bit of trouble.

[carnageX]

Use a GParted LiveCD to make a new partition easily. It's no trouble at all... I've done it to dual-boot Vista/Ubuntu on my laptop, as well as made partitions on my desktop with it. No harm done to any of my OS's, but its always recommended to back up data before doing anything like this.

[memory]

Instead of using Gparted or some other software to make partitions, couldn't I just use Vista's partitioning tool? Why download a program when Vista has the software to do it?

[carnageX]

GParted is much easier as its a graphical LiveCD. Mak, I, and several others all use it all the time. Plus its free, so why not?

[darsunt]

I believe the partitioning tool in Vista has limitations and one can lose data. For example, if your disk is one partition, vista can only shrink that partition maybe 20% and that is all the space you can use for another partition.

From what I have read, the only safe way to partition, outside of special partition software, is to do it on installation.

[carnageX]

Which is also another plus to GParted, because it runs a Chkdsk on the partition before and after you resize it.

[memory]

Okay, quick question. What if I wanted to remove Windows 7 all together and keep on using Vista? Would it be as simple as deleting the partition that Windows 7 was on?

[Mak213]

Memory did you bother to read anything that is posted in the Win7 sticky? I gave out almost all of this information there already. Along with answered just about every question you have asked here, multiple times. I know for a FACT that i have answered that removal of Win7 question and what can happen. I had a big back and forth on it with several people in the Win7 thread. Please READ that topic to get answers. They are there.

Darsunt,

Vista is known to be a resource eater. But it can be tamed.

Hibernation turned off by the run prompt
Shadow Copies turned off
Ssytem Restore points limited to 5
Pagefile on a separate partition and many more tricks will cut the cost of using Vista down greatly.

Win7 is not as intensive as Vista. I have 18GB of space used up. For Win7 and all of my main programs. this includes 5 browsers and Office 2007 Ultimate. My XP install has 32GB of space used. Which does include my Steam games as well. But even if you take those off i highly doubt you will make up the almost 16GB of space difference in space used from XP to Win7 when i have the same set of programs installed on each. Including Office.

So Win7 is by far less intensive. It is even starting to get more slim than XP.

[darsunt]

Thanks for the tips.

This is my first foray into vista, and I hope to see the good side of the system. Also I have high hopes for 7, which I plan to use when I build my film editing computer.