installing vista onto new clean hdd

Hi:
New to dual-booting. Before I install Vista Beta2, I'd like to make sure I do it properly.
My Main System (XP Pro SP2) uses 2 500GB 7200.9 3GB/sec Barracuda HDDs. I am going to add a third identical new HDD and install Vista to dual-boot.
From reading other posts, it seems the best way to do this so that Vista will know it is the second system and properly set up the dual-boot, I should:
Shut down the computer and attach the 3rd SATA HDD. Boot to BIOS Setup. Enable the SATA[3] port. Make sure the new HDD is detected. Save & Exit to XP Normal. Load the Vista disc. Point Vista installer to the new HDD. Create an active Primary partition [V:] then format & install. Partition/format the rest of the HDD later from within Vista.
Anything special I have to do to insure that [V:] will be a second active/primary on the system?
As I understand it, after doing things this way, when I boot my system I will get a screen asking me to choose between default XP Pro SP2 [C:] or Vista Beta2 [V:].
Any bad news concerning some of the rest of this system's gear? Athlon64 X2 4800+| Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe (nForce4 SLI X16)| Corsair XMS-3500LL PRO 2GB kit| Plextor PX-716AL Double/Dual DVD±R/RW internal E-IDE slot load| FDD| ATI Radeon X1800XT| 2xSamsung SyncMaster 213T Black 21.3" TFTs| TB Montego DDL 7.1 sound card| Canon D1250U2F USB2 scanner| Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 3100.
The only Vista specific drivers I've been able to find are for the ATI video card.
I have a Lynksys 4 port wired router that I use to connect to the net and connect 2 other systems; an MCE2005 box and an XP SP2 Home system. Printer sharing (Epson 300 USB2) is enabled and all 3 share files. Anything to watch out for there?
Thanks in advance for any help,

After you are satisfied with your new hd, name it so that it is easy to recognize when Vista wants to know what volume to install to and then begin the installation. You can install by inserting the dvd while running XP or by booting with the dvd. The result will be the same.
Your system will have a boot options screen. Vista will be the default choice but you will not see "Vista" or "XP". You will see "Microsoft Windows" and "Old Version of Windows" (or something to that effect). To rename the boot options to something easily distinguished, set the timeout, and change the default OS consider downloading VistaBootPro http://www.pro-networks.org/vistabootpro/ It can be run from either XP or Vista. It is a GUI editor for the Boot Configuration Store (Vista does not use boot.ini).
wrote in message

Hi:
New to dual-booting. Before I install Vista Beta2, I'd like to make sure I do it properly.
My Main System (XP Pro SP2) uses 2 500GB 7200.9 3GB/sec Barracuda HDDs. I am going to add a third identical new HDD and install Vista to dual-boot.
From reading other posts, it seems the best way to do this so that Vista will know it is the second system and properly set up the dual-boot, I should:
Shut down the computer and attach the 3rd SATA HDD. Boot to BIOS Setup. Enable the SATA[3] port. Make sure the new HDD is detected. Save & Exit to XP Normal. Load the Vista disc. Point Vista installer to the new HDD. Create an active Primary partition [V:] then format & install. Partition/format the rest of the HDD later from within Vista.
Anything special I have to do to insure that [V:] will be a second active/primary on the system?
As I understand it, after doing things this way, when I boot my system I will get a screen asking me to choose between default XP Pro SP2 [C:] or Vista Beta2 [V:].
Any bad news concerning some of the rest of this system's gear? Athlon64 X2 4800+| Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe (nForce4 SLI X16)| Corsair XMS-3500LL PRO 2GB kit| Plextor PX-716AL Double/Dual DVD±R/RW internal E-IDE slot load| FDD| ATI Radeon X1800XT| 2xSamsung SyncMaster 213T Black 21.3" TFTs| TB Montego DDL 7.1 sound card| Canon D1250U2F USB2 scanner| Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 3100.
The only Vista specific drivers I've been able to find are for the ATI video card.
I have a Lynksys 4 port wired router that I use to connect to the net and connect 2 other systems; an MCE2005 box and an XP SP2 Home system. Printer sharing (Epson 300 USB2) is enabled and all 3 share files. Anything to watch out for there?
Thanks in advance for any help,

Too stupid for a beta OS.
When you help someone like this they will just be back in a few more days with more stupid question.
This group is being flooded with moronic questions: How do I get a product key Where do I get a driver for xyz hardware Won't install on my lapotop Won't install on my computer circa 1968 My crappy video card won't run aero glass (the sky is falling) My crappy sound card doesn't work Can't figure out how to activate Will my 16 bit program from 1992 run on Vista How long can I use Vista Beta How do I dual boot I NEED STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO GET XP BACK cannot delete windows.old file
Ignore them, children should only listen to adult conversations, not be incouraged to join in.
On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 14:13:51 -0400, rflynn_nospam@sympatico.ca wrote:

Hi:
New to dual-booting. Before I install Vista Beta2, I'd like to make sure I do it properly.
My Main System (XP Pro SP2) uses 2 500GB 7200.9 3GB/sec Barracuda HDDs. I am going to add a third identical new HDD and install Vista to dual-boot.
From reading other posts, it seems the best way to do this so that Vista will know it is the second system and properly set up the dual-boot, I should:
Shut down the computer and attach the 3rd SATA HDD. Boot to BIOS Setup. Enable the SATA[3] port. Make sure the new HDD is detected. Save & Exit to XP Normal. Load the Vista disc. Point Vista installer to the new HDD. Create an active Primary partition [V:] then format & install. Partition/format the rest of the HDD later from within Vista.
Anything special I have to do to insure that [V:] will be a second active/primary on the system?
As I understand it, after doing things this way, when I boot my system I will get a screen asking me to choose between default XP Pro SP2 [C:] or Vista Beta2 [V:].
Any bad news concerning some of the rest of this system's gear? Athlon64 X2 4800+| Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe (nForce4 SLI X16)| Corsair XMS-3500LL PRO 2GB kit| Plextor PX-716AL Double/Dual DVD±R/RW internal E-IDE slot load| FDD| ATI Radeon X1800XT| 2xSamsung SyncMaster 213T Black 21.3" TFTs| TB Montego DDL 7.1 sound card| Canon D1250U2F USB2 scanner| Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 3100.
The only Vista specific drivers I've been able to find are for the ATI video card.
I have a Lynksys 4 port wired router that I use to connect to the net and connect 2 other systems; an MCE2005 box and an XP SP2 Home system. Printer sharing (Epson 300 USB2) is enabled and all 3 share files. Anything to watch out for there?
Thanks in advance for any help,

If you are adding a new drive just to run Vista then make sure that you plug that drive into SATA 0 and the other two into SATA 1 and SATA 2. Vista will install the boot manager onto what is effectively the master drive regardless of what drive it installs the OS to. Therefore, to preserve the XP boot loader you want to make the Vista drive the master drive for the system. In SATA based systems the SATA 0 connection is the master.
"Colin Barnhorst" wrote:

After you are satisfied with your new hd, name it so that it is easy to recognize when Vista wants to know what volume to install to and then begin the installation. You can install by inserting the dvd while running XP or by booting with the dvd. The result will be the same.
Your system will have a boot options screen. Vista will be the default choice but you will not see "Vista" or "XP". You will see "Microsoft Windows" and "Old Version of Windows" (or something to that effect). To rename the boot options to something easily distinguished, set the timeout, and change the default OS consider downloading VistaBootPro http://www.pro-networks.org/vistabootpro/ It can be run from either XP or Vista. It is a GUI editor for the Boot Configuration Store (Vista does not use boot.ini).
rflynn_nospam@sympatico.ca> wrote in message Hi:
New to dual-booting. Before I install Vista Beta2, I'd like to make sure I do it properly.
My Main System (XP Pro SP2) uses 2 500GB 7200.9 3GB/sec Barracuda HDDs. I am going to add a third identical new HDD and install Vista to dual-boot.
From reading other posts, it seems the best way to do this so that Vista will know it is the second system and properly set up the dual-boot, I should:
Shut down the computer and attach the 3rd SATA HDD. Boot to BIOS Setup. Enable the SATA[3] port. Make sure the new HDD is detected. Save & Exit to XP Normal. Load the Vista disc. Point Vista installer to the new HDD. Create an active Primary partition [V:] then format & install. Partition/format the rest of the HDD later from within Vista.
Anything special I have to do to insure that [V:] will be a second active/primary on the system?
As I understand it, after doing things this way, when I boot my system I will get a screen asking me to choose between default XP Pro SP2 [C:] or Vista Beta2 [V:].
Any bad news concerning some of the rest of this system's gear? Athlon64 X2 4800+| Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe (nForce4 SLI X16)| Corsair XMS-3500LL PRO 2GB kit| Plextor PX-716AL Double/Dual DVD±R/RW internal E-IDE slot load| FDD| ATI Radeon X1800XT| 2xSamsung SyncMaster 213T Black 21.3" TFTs| TB Montego DDL 7.1 sound card| Canon D1250U2F USB2 scanner| Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 3100.
The only Vista specific drivers I've been able to find are for the ATI video card.
I have a Lynksys 4 port wired router that I use to connect to the net and connect 2 other systems; an MCE2005 box and an XP SP2 Home system. Printer sharing (Epson 300 USB2) is enabled and all 3 share files. Anything to watch out for there?
Thanks in advance for any help,