Want to try Win 7 RC

I'd like to try Win 7, so my question is, should I add a third partition to my hdd seeing as how it already has two, 1. C: and 2.E:?

C: has xp installed and E: is where I keep all games. One reason for the interest in win 7 is the desire to run 64 bit to take advantage of all four gigs of ram.

 

Yes, you need another partition on your hard drive. I would recommend using Gparted, a free software tool that can change your hard drive partitions without erasing the hard drives first

WARNING: I cannot be held responsible for any data loss due to the use of any program.

 

Unless you want XP removed and Windows 7 in its place you will have to create a new partition. It will probably set up a dual boot with XP, overwriting any MBR you have at present. If you have installed a boot manager of any description ensure you've got it backed up first and are able to restore it.

I take it you have an x64 capable cpu?

 

The advisor listed my system as win 7 ready with one driver update suggestion and two program concerns: Physx and ESET.

Thanks for every ones' input.

 

e8400 c2d.

 

Dualbooting W7 7100 with a Linux distro. W7 creates 2 partitions as of the RC, the smaller one first (100 MB) with the boot folder and bootmgr. Am using grub to dual boot after telling the installer where the windows boot partition was, the default was the 2nd partiton where the remainder of W7 is installed. Tried EasyBCD that was used with W7 Beta 7000 but didn't realized the loader was on a separate partition. After installing PCLinux 2009 the W7 System Reserved partition was on the desktop, mounted it, saw what was there, and told GRUB I was booting Windows from that partition. Personally I wouldn't install it on that system unless I was prepared to back it up entirely before hand and had the resources to easily reinstall XP with games(C & E).

 

@ Bugballou. W7 only installs the 100MB partition when it's the only Windows OS, since the OP already has XP then the mini part won't be created.