How to perform a parallel installation of Windows XP

How to perform a parallel installation of Windows XP
Solution:
SUMMARY
This step-by-step article describes how to perform a parallel installation of Windows XP and how to revert back to the original installation after you perform a parallel installation.

Before you perform a parallel installation of Windows XP to resolve an issue that may occur if you upgrade the operating system, make sure that you perform the troubleshooting methods that are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
How to troubleshoot Windows XP problems during installation when you upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows Me

How to perform a parallel installation
To perform a parallel installation of Windows XP on the same partition, you need to either start the computer to the Recovery Console or start the computer from a boot disk that allows you to gain access to the partition so you can rename the Windows and Program Files folders. Note If you are using a FAT16 or a FAT32 file system, you can use a Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me) Startup disk to gain access to the partition. If you gain access to the partition, proceed to step 4.
1.
To gain access to the registry, start the computer in either Normal Mode or Safe Mode.
2.
Turn on the functionality of the set command in the Windows XP Recovery Console. To do this:
a.
Click Start , and then click Run .
b.
In the Open box, type regedt32 , and then click OK .
c.
Locate and then click the SetCommand value under the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Setup\RecoveryConsole
d.
On the Edit menu, click Modify .
e.
In the Value data box, type 1 , and then click OK . NOTE : The default setting in the Value data box is 0 .
3.
Start the computer to the Windows XP Recovery Console, type the following command, and then press ENTER :
set AllowAllPaths = true
4.
Type x (where x is the drive letter in which Windows is currently installed), and the press ENTER to change to the appropriate drive.
5.
Type cd \ , and then press ENTER to change to the root folder of the drive.
6.
Rename the Windows folder, the Documents and Settings folder, and the Program Files folder. To do this, type the following commands, and then press ENTER after each command.
rename windows winold rename docume~1 mydoc.old rename progra~1 progra.old
7.
Start the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, and then start Setup. Windows is installed in the same partition, and the file system remains intact.
After you determine that the current installation is the installation that you want to leave intact, delete the remaining Win xxx folder and the Prog xxx folder that are no longer being used. Your documents from the prior installation will remain available in the mydocu~1.old folder. Note If you receive an 'access denied' message when you try to view or open files on an NTFS volume that were created in the old installation, you must take ownership of the files in the new installation.
How to revert to the original installation
In some situations (for example, if you want to determine if certain hardware is compatible with your computer), you may want to revert the computer back to the original installation. To do so, you need to either start the computer to the Recovery Console or start the computer from a boot disk that allows you to gain access to the partition so you can rename the Windows and Program Files folders. Note If you are using a FAT16 or a FAT32 file system, you can use a Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Me) Startup disk to gain access to the partition. If you gain access to the partition, proceed to step 4.
1.
To gain access to the registry, start the computer in either Normal Mode or Safe Mode.
2.
Turn on the functionality of the set command in the Windows XP Recovery Console. To do this:
a.
Click Start , and then click Run .
b.
In the Open box, type regedt32 , and then click OK .
c.
Locate and then click the SetCommand value under the following key in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Setup\RecoveryConsole
d.
On the Edit menu, click Modify .
e.
In the Value data box, type 1 , and then click OK . Note The default setting in the Value data box is 0 .
3.
Start the computer to the Windows XP Recovery Console, type the following command, and then press ENTER :
set AllowAllPaths = true
4.
Type x (where x is the drive letter in which Windows is currently installed), and then press ENTER to change to the appropriate drive.
5.
Type cd \ , and then press ENTER to change to the root folder of the drive.
6.
Rename the Windows folder, the Documents and Settings folder, and the Program Files folder. To do so, type the following commands (press ENTER after each command):
rename windows winnew rename docume~1 docnew rename progra~1 prognew rename winold windows rename mydoc.old 'documents and settings' rename progra.old 'program files' After you determine that the current installation is the installation that you want to leave intact, delete the remaining Win xxx and Prog xxx folders that are no longer being used.
Details:
REFERENCES
For more information about how to use the Windows XP Recovery Console, click the following article number to view the article in the Knowledge Base:
How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
For more information about how to install Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Knowledge Base:
How to install or upgrade to Windows XP
The information in this article applies to:
?
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
?
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Symptoms:
Keywords:
howto perform parallel install installation Windows XP
Applies To:
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Audience:
Support Analyst