dual boot not possible
 

First, after choosing in the boot device 'onboard CD-Rom, I have to press a tab during countdown 'Linux starts in ..seconds', and than it starts.I get the Linux-picture wit an alert'runig software in rendering mode'.
Double clicking 'Install Linux', I have no possibility to install Linux next to Windows XP, nut should remove Windows for Linux, what for the beginning I do not want! So I stop installing. What should I do?

We need to know several things before we can offer help:

What are the details of the machine you are using?

Which Linux distro are you booting from your CD?

Is your drive full of XP, or is there empty space available for installing Linux?

Thank you for your reaction.
The machine is a Dell Dimension 9150 processor Intel Pentium , Cache 2 MB; As I had problems with the download version I bougth Linux Mint 17.1 Cinnamon 32 bit version ans OsDisc.com. The hard disc of about 300 GB has stil about 180 GB empty space

empty space IS NOT unpartitiond space

please read the mint install instructions

Mint is a derivative of Ubuntu
so
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation

as to partitioning
win7
http://www.pcworld.com/article/20661...ard-drive.html

one of the BEST partitioning tools
http://gparted.org/
and it is FREE
http://gparted.org/documentation.php

as to downloading
unless you have 56k dial up the iso is very easy to save ( even in MS's internet explorer
just select " save as"

now if you have XP installed
XP could NEVER burn a iso image
you HAD!!! to install software from other people to do that


or the BEST option is the torrent
for that use a bittorrent client for your operating system

The link below has pdf downloads in various languages for installing and using Linux Mint. I would check that out and maybe google for tutorials on installing Linux Mint.

http://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php

If you have free space or a partition already, you would be better off using the option "Something Else" when you click on install Mint. It gives much more control and you will see what is happening. The link below is a tutorial on installing Mint. Skip sections 4 through 7 regarding GPT as I doubt it will work on your computer.

http://www.tecmint.com/install-linux-mint-17/

If you like videos, the link below is to a youtube tutorial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nps2RF8fq18

Download cdburnerxp it's free & will burn the iso to cd/dvd.

first step: make some unallocated space
 

Actually I managed to create some unallocated space - a partition of 140 Gb on the C-drive by shrinking te Windows partition, that still works well.
Now I have to install Linux according to the 'Do something else method'. In foud the way Matthew Moore did it 'The Nontraditional way' as shown on Youtube https://com/watch?v=TgaWs9BDO attractivr ('How to dual boot Windows and Linux The Nontraditional way'
You think I can do this with no risk?
Thanks

first step: make some unallocated space
 

Actually I managed to create some unallocated space - a partition of 140 Gb on the C-drive by shrinking te Windows partition, that still works well.
Now I have to install Linux according to the 'Do something else method'. In foud the way Matthew Moore did it 'The Nontraditional way' as shown on Youtube https://com/watch?v=TgaWs9BDO attractivr ('How to dual boot Windows and Linux The Nontraditional way'
You think I can do this with no risk?
Thanks

I would suggest you read through some of the links posted above on installing Mint. Also, the link below has details on Linux filesystems and paartition naming which is different from windows. Windows C-drive can mean a small partition or it could be the whole drive. If you have shrunk your windows partition you now either have unallocated space or you have an additional partition, not clear on that. You will need to format it to a Linux filesystem which you will not be able to do from windows. You can do it during the install. The link below has information on Linux partition naming schemes as well as other useful information. If you scroll down the page, there is a step-by-step tutorial on installing Ubuntu. Mint uses the same installer so the primary differences will be the background color and where you see Ubuntu in the tutorial, you will see Mint during the install.

No. There is always a risk when you are installing an operating system and especially when you are modifying and creating partitions. You can substantially reduce the risk by doing the suggested reading in advance. If you get a point where you don't understand something, it is better to stop and ask a question than to proceed and 'hope for the best'.