Need advice about dual booting please

Hi,
I've been preparing my XP system for Vista which I'll be getting next
weekend. I'm intending to dual boot installing from the DVD.

I've used Partition Magic to create a second partition which I'm going to
use as the Vista drive. But I'm confused if the partition should be 'Primary'
or 'Logical'?

I've read in this forum that it must be 'Primary', but also read in
"http://www.istartedsomething.com/20...l-boot-with-xp/" that it must be
'Logical'!

Quote "In the install, make sure you select Custom (advanced). And then
select the newly created partition, ensure it is a Logical� drive.

What should it be and why (what is the difference?)

Many Thanks

Steven...Chigwell Essex

Hi Steven,

Primary is the preferred method, though you can also install to a logical
volume on an extended partition provided there is a least one primary
partition somewhere on the system (boot code gets written to the active
primary partition regardless of where the OS files are installed). A primary
partition is simply space carved out on the hard drive that contains a
single volume. A logical volume is encased within an extended partition that
may have one or more volumes. In general (though this is not hard and fast),
an OS is installed to a primary partition and data is held on a logical
volume.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

"Steven M" <> wrote in message
news:512285F1-925C-49D4-8B35-...
> Hi,
> I've been preparing my XP system for Vista which I'll be getting next
> weekend. I'm intending to dual boot installing from the DVD.
>
> I've used Partition Magic to create a second partition which I'm going to
> use as the Vista drive. But I'm confused if the partition should be
> 'Primary'
> or 'Logical'?
>
> I've read in this forum that it must be 'Primary', but also read in
> "http://www.istartedsomething.com/20...l-boot-with-xp/" that it must be
> 'Logical'!
>
> Quote "In the install, make sure you select Custom (advanced). And then
> select the newly created partition, ensure it is a Logical� drive.
>
> What should it be and why (what is the difference?)
>
> Many Thanks
>
> Steven...Chigwell Essex

Primarily the only reason to use logical partitions is if you are going to
want/need more than 4 partitions on a HD. Otherwise stick with primary
partitions.

"Steven M" <> wrote in message
news:512285F1-925C-49D4-8B35-...
> Hi,
> I've been preparing my XP system for Vista which I'll be getting next
> weekend. I'm intending to dual boot installing from the DVD.
>
> I've used Partition Magic to create a second partition which I'm going to
> use as the Vista drive. But I'm confused if the partition should be
> 'Primary'
> or 'Logical'?
>
> I've read in this forum that it must be 'Primary', but also read in
> "http://www.istartedsomething.com/20...l-boot-with-xp/" that it must be
> 'Logical'!
>
> Quote "In the install, make sure you select Custom (advanced). And then
> select the newly created partition, ensure it is a Logical� drive.
>
> What should it be and why (what is the difference?)
>
> Many Thanks
>
> Steven...Chigwell Essex