Can I run windows xp seperate to my windows 7

Sorry if this is not in the right forum but here goes-

my computer is running windows 7. I recently got a 5d and 1d2 and would like the options xp gives for personal functions on the 1d specifically. Of course windows 7 doesn't support the 1d so I am wondering is it possible to have 2 operating systems on one computer and alternate between them? XP mode doesn't work with my windows 7 as it is not a high specced enough edition. Thanks

i have win7 32bit and 1dmkII with no problems.
and yes you can make a dual boot with win xp and 7.

Mozes wrote in post #16075062
i have win7 32bit and 1dmkII with no problems.
and yes you can make a dual boot with win xp and 7.

Thanks Mozes. I cant find any driver for the 1d mark ii for windows 7. Does it make a difference that my computer is running 64bit?

jep, you need a other driver, and for what i now, it dosent excist.
check the 1dmkII thread https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1095553

If you have Windows 7 Pro, Enterprise, or Ultimate you can run XP Mode. You could also just set up a virtual machine to run XP with VirtualBox or VMware. I like that better than dual booting since you still have access to all your files on your Windows 7 account and you don't need to restart the computer to switch the OS.

For dual booting, you'd want to install XP first, then install Win7 after since its boot loader knows about older versions of Windows. Getting XP drivers for a Windows 7 PC will not be easy and may not be possible for every device in your PC.

Windows 7's XP mode requires Windows 7 Pro. You likely have Home Premium. They have a process called "Anytime upgrade" which lets you enter a key code which will upgrade you to Pro without having to reload Windows.

Win7's XP mode has a really nice feature in that the guest OS (XP) can use a USB device that can't function in the host OS (win7) due to lack of drivers. I haven't seen any other virtual environment pull off this trick.

Upgrading to Win7 Pro, then installing XP Mode is by far the easiest way to do what you want.

As klr.b said, you can try running the program, if it is a program you're running, in compatibility mode in windows 7. Alternatively, you can create a virtual machine running windows xp which would allow the transfer of files between xp and 7 without much hassle since they're both concurrently running. The third option would be to dual boot both operating systems.

The tools necessary for all three options are available in windows 7 so you wouldn't have to buy any new software.

If you have a disk for XP, look up VirtualBox and load a XP virtual machine.

No need to go through the hassle of dual boot anymore!

cbowlsby wrote in post #16076283
If you have a disk for XP, look up VirtualBox and load a XP virtual machine.

No need to go through the hassle of dual boot anymore!

But does Virtual Box pass control of a USB device to the virtual OS without the host OS having a driver for it?

jaomul wrote in post #16075059
Sorry if this is not in the right forum but here goes-

my computer is running windows 7. I recently got a 5d and 1d2 and would like the options xp gives for personal functions on the 1d specifically. Of course windows 7 doesn't support the 1d so I am wondering is it possible to have 2 operating systems on one computer and alternate between them? XP mode doesn't work with my windows 7 as it is not a high specced enough edition. Thanks

Yes. It's quite easy.

Download and install EasyBCD from NeoSmart Technologies on your Windows 7 system. There's a free version for home users.

Install XP on a second drive. If it makes you feel safer, disconnect your windows 7 drive while you install XP.

Now set your BIOS to boot from the Windows 7 system and then run EasyBCD. It will let you update the Windows boot manager to be able to boot from either drive, and switch back and forth.

I use this all the time on a dual boot machine -W732 and W764. It also has an XP system on it, but I use a different Boot Manager to access that system.

But I'd use a virtual machine if I could. That's a little more difficult to set up, but much more transparent in use.

mike_d wrote in post #16076667
But does Virtual Box pass control of a USB device to the virtual OS without the host OS having a driver for it?

yes. as does vmware player

Hen3Ry wrote in post #16076720
Yes. It's quite easy.

Download and install EasyBCD from NeoSmart Technologies on your Windows 7 system. There's a free version for home users.

Install XP on a second drive. If it makes you feel safer, disconnect your windows 7 drive while you install XP.

Now set your BIOS to boot from the Windows 7 system and then run EasyBCD. It will let you update the Windows boot manager to be able to boot from either drive, and switch back and forth.

I use this all the time on a dual boot machine -W732 and W764. It also has an XP system on it, but I use a different Boot Manager to access that system.

But I'd use a virtual machine if I could. That's a little more difficult to set up, but much more transparent in use.

Huh? Your dual boot suggestion is far more complicated than a VM. Plus, in order to dual boot the OP needs to actually already own XP, which he may not. Using Win 7's XP Mode grants the rights to XP.

CincyTriGuy wrote in post #16077830
Huh? Your dual boot suggestion is far more complicated than a VM. Plus, in order to dual boot the OP needs to actually already own XP, which he may not. Using Win 7's XP Mode grants the rights to XP.

I didn't say it was easier. I said it was easy. And it's far more straightforward to have a single system running than to have a system running under an OS to run another OS. This requires machine resources the OP may not have. And if he doesn't have XP, why is he asking if he can use it?