Bootcamp: Installing Windows over a previous Windows installation?

whitesaint · #1 April 7th, 2008, 10:51 PM

Hi all,

I have Windows Vista installed on a Bootcamp partition. I was wondering if I install Windows XP on the same partition, will there be any issues? I've tried partitioning the drive once and it really screwed up the hard drive, to the point where the only option I had was to reinstall Leopard, so I want to avoid partitioning it again. I want to use the same partition and just format it as FAT and install XP over Vista. Anybody tried this? Any advice? Thanks in advance.

whitesaint · #2 April 11th, 2008, 04:16 PM

Hi all,

Just wanted to let you know I got it working. It was really simple. Here's how:

1) Open Bootcamp Assistant and start Windows Installation
2) Partition the original Windows Partition as FAT (full not quick, and make sure it's the right partition, choosing the wrong partition could erase Mac OS X)
3) Install Windows, Windows will restart, when this happens hold down the ALT/Option Key and choose the CD
4) Windows will continue installing and it will restart again, hold down the ALT/Option key and choose the Windows Partition to boot off of
5) Windows XP installed over Windows Vista on Boot camp!

DeltaMac · #3 April 11th, 2008, 08:41 PM

Vista would be gone before you started installing XP, so you didn't actually install XP on top of Vista.
Your first post appeared to ask about installing XP in addition to Vista (keeping both on the same partition), which wouldn't happen.

harrisp9 · #4 November 10th, 2008, 09:17 PM

I had xp installed on my bootcamp partition on my macbook. Of coarse it got a virus so i deleted the partition. Now my disk is damaged? and needs to be repaired. It tells me i need the original boot disk to run the repair, but i dont have it. I'd like to get xp back on bootcamp too, what should I do?

-Paul