It's NTFS alright. Question is what version and if that version differs too much from the XP version.

If I would be you I would take on this step and install everything from scratch, first XP then Vista. You don't need to backup all your data on the HD though, just defragment the drive and see if you can "cut off" some smaller part of your HD for a second partition without losing the data on the HD, before beginning with re-installing everything. If successful, all you need is just to delete all system and other folders that have to do with Vista, keeping all files in your own documents folder and everything else. Then install XP first and Vista after.

The advantages of re-installing both operating systems anew are:
- A fresh installation of both, not burdened with all installed programs and countless registry entries yet.
- Best guarantees of both operating systems working well together after such step, without need to worry about "re-animating" Vista after Windows XP has been installed

The disadvantage is clear - takes much time, work and patience. But maybe still worth it.

I think NTFS is one and the same... I'm no expert though. I only forgot to say that what you've been said is a guess, you should inform yourself preferably from Microsoft.

I mean, it's known that this can be done installing Win95 then Win98 then WinXP etc... The most recent version detects the older one and installs a boot manager, that's why you must do it in the right order because an older version cannot detect a more recent version. So (I heard) Win98 detected Win95 and gave you the option to keep it, WinXP detected Win98... BUT nobody here has positively assured that Vista does the same with older versions. It's a fairly reasonable assumption but in my opinion you should inform yourself at Microsoft itself before starting to hack at your hard drive.

bah you can always use LILO or something like that for bootloader...

i had WIN98 and then i installed Red Hat linux. Worked ok.

1. defrag (so you don't lose any data
2. make partitions on emtpy space using a program like Partition magic (doesn't format the drive). whaever pleases you Fat 32, Fat 16, NTFS...
3. install desired system on the newly created partition.

item 3 - see my post above: system should be placed on first 5 or 6 GB of HDD. at least that goes for linux. but you can always check on microsoft how does that go for Win XP.

SOLVED:

Partition: NTFS (actually, XP will format the partition if it's not)
Installed XP and drivers
Downloaded .NET 2.0 from Microsoft (needed to run VistaBootPRO)
Ran VistaBootPRO (free) via XP and fixed Vista
(the next steps "shouldn't" be neseccary if only everything worked. Of course it didn't, so: )
Copied NTLDR from Vista to the root of the XP partition
Copied NTDETECT from Vista to the root of the XP partition

Works like a charm and I have full access to both partitions in both Vista and XP.

Well done. After hearing about your experience with vista I am going to stay awayfrom it no matter what.

Same here :P
I don't see any need to install Vista as I have no troubles with XP. And with Vista come more then enough troubles. I would be stupid to want Vista :whistling:

Agree that you don't need/want Vista, but I'll keep it since it's a legal version and MS will check your OS when you visit them. Beside: I don't know for a fact they won't fix the problems, and so I'll keep it waiting for any patches/service packs.

Yeah I heard next year they are going to try and release a vista service pack. So maybe I will look at getting it again then.