Dual or Tri-Boot after installing Windows 7 Ultimate

Hi everyone. I partitioned a single 1T HDD as Drive C (70%) where Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit runs and Drive D (30%) where I keep data files and other programs ready to install if I format C at anytime. Windows also created a 100Mb system partition by itself. I now want to create another partition, or possibly two to dual boot and run other OS for testing purposes. The other OS will be Windows XP 64bit and possibly Windows Server 2008 64bit. How can I lever out extended partitions from Drive C, my primary partition? I can't seem to do it from Windows itself. What software will help me do this? Thanks.

 

The easiest way would be to first divvy up C say 50/50/600 and install in order of release so XP/.2K8 and W7 though you will lose the 100MB restore partition for W7. You can also shrink the W7 partition from within through disk management and then install the other two using dual-boot guides which are all over the net and if you can't shrink it down enough try disabling hibernate and restore.

As a third option, you can install the free VMWare Player and run the other two in a virtual environment,(my preferred choice) or since you have W7 Ult. you can download a virtual XP for free from MS with a one click install. I'm not too keen on it visually and I'm not sure how well it works either.

 

Are you talking about this?: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

 

Yes, Win XP Mode, now I remember. Thanks.