Windows XP and other Windows operating systems before Windows 7 do not have built-in partitioning support. Other operating systems may have tools available. The general best practice before repartitioning an existing hard drive with data is to ensure that the free space is available and defragment the hard drive before partitioning.
Additionally, it is best that the drive not be in use, with the current operating system running while the partitioning is being performed. Defragmenting the hard drive will move the data to the front of the drive, allowing the end of the disk to be partitioned into a different volume. Performing partitioning on a nonempty disk may be risky, and it is recommended that the drive be backed up before attempting this.
As Windows XP and other Windows operating systems before it do not have built-in support for partitioning, a third-party application is necessary. GParted is a free application that can perform this from a boot CD, meaning the operating system on the hard drive will not be running during the partitioning process.
GParted is available with detailed information and explanation on how to perform this process. Another application for partitioning is PartitionMagic. This third-party application is not free but is simpler and can be performed from within the running operating system.
Be sure to select the correct hard drive and partition that was created for Windows 7 and not a partition or hard drive with data that is not empty. Windows 7 Setup will also modify the master boot record to display the two operating system options during the startup.
Once Windows 7 Setup finishes, you will notice a choice during startup to boot the Windows 7 operating system or the other operating system on the computer.
The Windows 7 boot menu options are very simple. If multiple Windows 7 versions are installed, there is no way of telling which is which other than the install order. Sometimes nonworking operating systems are still in this menu as well. This is how to edit the Windows 7 Boot Menu:
1. Boot into the Windows 7 instance whose boot menu entry needs to be edited.
2. Start a command prompt by typing cmd in the Start menu Search. Rightclick and select Run as administrator. Click Yes on the UAC prompt.
3. Type bcdedit and press Enter. This will display the Windows Boot Manager and Windows Boot Loader on the system.
4. To edit the boot menu entry for the installation of Windows 7 currently running, type: bcdedit /set description "Boot menu text here".
5. Press Enter. The output should return with The operation completed successfully.
6. Perform the same steps for other versions of Windows 7.
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