The PLoP Boot Manager is a small program to boot different operating systems. You can boot the operating systems from harddisk, floppy, CD/DVD or from USB. You can start the boot manager from floppy, CD, network and there are many more ways to start the boot manager. You can install the boot manager on your harddisk. There is no extra partition required for the boot manager.

PLoP Boot Manager Features:
1. CD/DVD boot without BIOS support
2. USB boot without BIOS support (UHCI, OHCI and EHCI)
3. Floppy boot
4. Different profiles for operating systems
5. Define up to 16 partitions
6. No extra partition for the boot manager
7. Hidden boot, maybe you have a rescue system installed and the user should not see that there is another system installed
8. Boot countdown
9. Hide partitions
10. Password protection for the computer and the boot manager setup
11. Backup of partition table data
12. Textmode user interface 80x50
13. Graphic user interface 640x480, 800x600, 1024x786, 1280x1024
14. MBR partition table edit
15. Start of the boot manager from harddisk, floppy, USB, CD, DVD
16. Starting from Windows boot menu
17. Starting from LILO, GRUB, Syslinux, Isolinux, Pxelinux (network)
18. It can be used as ISA/PCI option ROM
19. The boot manager is freeware

The PLoP Boot Manager is freeware.
* The Program is free to use for personal and commercial use.
* The Program may not be sold.
* The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be appreciated but is not required.

Windows XP and Windows Vista dual boot with hidden (cleared) partitions:
The goal is to install Windows XP on the first partition and Windows Vista on the second partition. I want that no windows has access to the partition of the other Windows. There should be a third partition that will be used as shared partition. Both Windows have access to this partition.

Dualboot Windows XP and Windows 7
Here are short instructions for a complete new installation of your pc with dualbooting WinXP and Win7. It doesn't matter if you use 32 or 64 bit versions. Take care, all data on your pc will be deleted!
Boot the Win7 install DVD. Remove all partitions from the harddisk. Create a partition for Win7. The install program will create 2 partitions. One with about 80MB for the Win7 boot files and a second partition with the Win7 files. Create an additional partition for WinXP. Now you see 3 partitions. Install Win7 to the second partition. After the Win7 installation is complete, install the PLoP Boot Manager. After the Boot Manager installation go to the Boot Manager Setup, then Profiles, then "OS HARDDISK 1". Change the name to "Win7". Go to linked partitions and press enter on the first position of HDA and select HDA1, on the second select HDA2 and on the third press "c" for cleared. Now leave the profile settings for Win7. Use now an empty profile to create the WinXP profile. Give it the name WinXP, visible in main menu "yes". In linked parttitions select for HDA on the first position HDA3, press "b" to set the bootflag on the first position. On the second press "c" to set it cleared. On the third press "c" to set it to cleared too. Go to the main menu and press enter on WinXP. You will be not able to boot this partition because XP is not installed currently. If you get the message about invalid boot signature, then press "n" to abort. Now boot the WinXP install CD. You should see now only one partition. Install WinXP there. After the installation completed then start the PLoP Boot Manager install CD and use "Install mbr loader only". Reboot, the boot manager will tell you about partition changes. Press "y" to import the new values. Now you should be able to boot both systems.

The license of this software is Freeware, you can free download and free use this boot cd software.