Page 2 - Installing windows 7 64bit and XP Pro SP3 on a laptop

If you have a version of W7 that includes XP Mode, try that first, It's a tightly-integrated virtual XP within windows 7. I haven't tried on 64 bit but on 32 bit W7 Ultimate XP mode is excellent.

Just as a note on the original problem, back when I worked at my previous employer in IT we installed XP on all our corporate laptops. All the laptops were HP's and at some point the newer ones stopped taking the xp install and crashed like described above if I remember right.

In the BIOS, they had an option relating to a mode the hard drive ran in. I cannot remember what it was called or the settings for it, but the default mode shipped with the laptop caused the problems. Going into the BIOS and changing the mode allowed XP to install fine on the laptops.

You may poke around in the BIOS and see if you can find any setting like that and try changing it if you want to try and dual-boot still. I'd probably agree with the others though, a virtual machine would be far easier to manage if you can get it running properly with the devices you need.

Do not touch Virtual Box with a barge pole.

I have never met such rude, obnoxious , head up their own *** forum moderators and members in my whole life!

I tried it, had a few issues, went to the forums, and wish I'd never heard of Virtual Box.

VMWare forums members are far nicer, friendlier, and more helpful!

Virtual Box = Nothing but trouble & rudeness!

VMWare = Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!

You only want to run a virtual XP to unlock mobile phones, you're not running the Kenedy space centre!

Of course YMMV, but personally I'd avoid them like the plague!