options running XP on newer PCs?

I guess I should have just bit the bullet and got an external hdd, backed up, then tried the installation methods or separate partition/installation method (and perhaps not need to re-copy the data files back). Of course if I bothered to backup the data files, it might be better to do a factory reset.

I just got a shipping confirmation for the Dell hdd - maybe I can send it back.

That would do it. When installing Win7 Home you'll get the option of repairing or custom install. I normally wipe the drive as part of the custom install but it isn't required. You can install Home over Pro, but I think you'd get better performance from a "clean" install on a wiped drive. In any case, I'd still copy the data to a second drive or partition, for safety even if you installed over the old. All it would take is one stray click in the setup to erase your hard drive and your data. The screen where you tell the setup where to install Windows includes a button to format the drive/partition. I always tread lightly on that screen, since if I click wrong I could wipe out my data drive. :-)

Uninstalling Windows in the same sense as uninstalling a regular program isn't done. It leaves you with nothing to run your computer. The standard way to "uninstall" an operating system is to simply wipe the drive and install what you want.  If you upgraded, you sometimes have the option of undoing the upgrade and reverting back to the previous OS, but it's not always available and doesn't always work - for one thing it's common to remove the backup files to recover space. That's one reason I do the 2 drive setup, so I can easily redo the system drive if I need to.

Windows 7 disc management can resize the partition so you have room for another, as long as there's a large enough block of free space. It's a reasonably safe thing to check (backup still recommended!) and it won't let you do it if there isn't enough open space.

An OS can access any partition it sees, as long as it's in a compatible format, and it won't create a drive in a format it can't use. And it can access partitions on other physical drives as well. I've used multiple physical drives and partitions (logical drives

• all on the same disc) for years. As long as you use the tools Windows comes with, you don't have to worry about it accessing the partitions.

a few days ago, a Dell or Microsoft tech said that I should be able to do a custom install of W7 Home (over the W7Pro) and keep my files. A Dell repair guy told me something similar - files should be kept even if I uninstall W7Pro and install W7Home. Both recommended backups first, of course, but they didnt say my data files would definitely be erased (like this 3rd tech said).

Because both procedures above involved installing, I would have thought just uninstalling W7Pro would be a less risk to data loss.

I wish I had made a partition to begin with, assuming an OS on one partition can access data on the other.

It seems odd that you couldn't just delete the Windows directory from the old installation, but I've never had any cause to try it.

As long as you can shrink the existing partition, and there's enough space on the one you create for your files, creating a second partition for your data should work just fine. The only trick is it's not always possible to shrink the existing partition enough. You won't know until you try. (Again, a data backup before messing with the file system is a very good idea.)

You could move your files to the new drive, reformat the old and put 7 Home on the old reformatted drive. Just check the permissions of your files before you blow anything away - make sure "Everyone" has full control just in case. If you make your username on the new install the same as the old, you should avoid any problem with permissions, but it's best to be on the safe side. You want to be certain you can access the data after you reinstall.

Of course, the rights problem I'm concerned with here only happened on my Win7 to 8 migration, but I'd rather not see you unable to open your files. I actually had no problem at all accessing my data (on it's seperate partition) on my laptop when I had to reinstall Windows 7. Since I made the username the same as before, I had no problems. You'll probably be ok.

Just out of curiosity, why are you determined to stay with XP? Is it just that you prefer XP, or do you use software that won't run on 7 or 8?

I phoned Dell to make sure this would all work. They checked with their techs, said yes, and because they sell hdd, I decided to get one like my current one (apparently a Seagate) for the same money as the WD (except Dell charges shipping). Figured any warranty issues would be easier thru them.

Then they switched me over to a tech supervisor, which seemed odd since I thought we were done, and he said that the only way to remove the OS on the old hdd was to reformat and lose all my data. I cant just remove the Windows folder, or uninstall W7Pro.

The only option is move my data to the new hdd (and if I've loaded W7 on it, I need to create a separate partition for this situation - my PC doesnt have RAID settings that allow two hdd with an OS on each to access each other). Then I could reformat old hdd to eliminate W7Pro...and move the data back if I wanted. But it defeats the purpose of my goal - downgrade W7 while leaving data untouched. If I wanted to backup a TB of data, I could buy an external, and I'm thinking maybe I should cancel the order and do that instead.

I guess someone would have suggested this if it were possible: make a partition on the old hdd for the data, then remove and/or reinstall the OS.  Is the problem that the new partition must be initially empty memory (rather than contain the files you want to save), and that you cannot simply drag files from one partition to another?