Need advice about dual booting please

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" <StevenM@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:512285F1-925C-49D4-8B35-C4EF8D3224F4@microsoft.com...

> 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