2 different OS, 1 HDD & 1 SSD

[jomari29]

ok...
so i currently have a 2TB HDD
with Windows 7 Home Premium

and im planning to buy a 60GB SSD.
i dont wanna condense my C drive to put in the SSD so im planning to have a dual boot.

Windows 7 Home Premium for HDD
then Windows 7 Ultimate for the SDD...

then im just gonna choose what to boot everytime...


will this work?

wont be a waste since the Windows 7 Ultimate, wont be genuine.
*wink *wink....

 

[psaus]

I didn't read that last line


It's not the ideal configuration, but it can work, with some nuances

1. you won't be able to run the apps that are currently installed on the HDD. You'll need to reinstall them for the new SSD too (they can reside on the HDD, but don't dual use apps - I tried this when migrating from XP to Vista and saw more crashes and "oddities" than I can count.)
2. You'll have to determine which "speed" and "app set" you want upon booting, or else reboot. (kind of annoying)
3. In my experience doing this type fo dual boot, I tended to lean towards 1 OS, and started forgetting the other one until I eventually wiped it and went back to a single boot.
3a. Therefore I suggest just reinstalling your Win7 on the SSD, and then installing all your apps and and other goodies on the HDD. This is how almost all SSD users have their systems configured.


To answer your question directly, and assuming your motherboard/BIOS has a friendly "Press F8 to choose your boot device" (F8 is an example, could be some other keypress)
- I would disconnect the C: (HDD) completely - power and data
- Connect the SDD to a port where it will always be (and NOT the HDD's port, you'll be plugging the HDD back in there).
- Install 7 on the SSD, patch it and all that good stuff
- Shutdown, reconnect the HDD and use the "Friendly keypress to choose your boot device
This method leaves the MBRs unique and basically neither OS knows about each other.

There is a different way to go about this, but highly NOT recommended:
- Insert w7 disk while booted into HDD's w7 and run setup
- There will be warnings and all sorts, but then in setup customize the location of the install (e.g., SSD) and the install "SHOULD" tweak the HDDs MBR and boot.ini to prompt which OS you want to load.
NOTE: You should only do this only if your system doesn't have that F-button option. Also, you should also backup your HDD before doing this, because there's a chance it all goes wrong. Lastly, with this configuration, should the HDD go, you will be unable to boot the SSD.

 

[jomari29]

I didn't read that last line


It's not the ideal configuration, but it can work, with some nuances

1. you won't be able to run the apps that are currently installed on the HDD. You'll need to reinstall them for the new SSD too (they can reside on the HDD, but don't dual use apps - I tried this when migrating from XP to Vista and saw more crashes and "oddities" than I can count.)
2. You'll have to determine which "speed" and "app set" you want upon booting, or else reboot. (kind of annoying)
3. In my experience doing this type fo dual boot, I tended to lean towards 1 OS, and started forgetting the other one until I eventually wiped it and went back to a single boot.
3a. Therefore I suggest just reinstalling your Win7 on the SSD, and then installing all your apps and and other goodies on the HDD. This is how almost all SSD users have their systems configured.


To answer your question directly, and assuming your motherboard/BIOS has a friendly "Press F8 to choose your boot device" (F8 is an example, could be some other keypress)
- I would disconnect the C: (HDD) completely - power and data
- Connect the SDD to a port where it will always be (and NOT the HDD's port, you'll be plugging the HDD back in there).
- Install 7 on the SSD, patch it and all that good stuff
- Shutdown, reconnect the HDD and use the "Friendly keypress to choose your boot device
This method leaves the MBRs unique and basically neither OS knows about each other.

There is a different way to go about this, but highly NOT recommended:
- Insert w7 disk while booted into HDD's w7 and run setup
- There will be warnings and all sorts, but then in setup customize the location of the install (e.g., SSD) and the install "SHOULD" tweak the HDDs MBR and boot.ini to prompt which OS you want to load.
NOTE: You should only do this only if your system doesn't have that F-button option. Also, you should also backup your HDD before doing this, because there's a chance it all goes wrong. Lastly, with this configuration, should the HDD go, you will be unable to boot the SSD.

how about just both Windows 7 home premium on both HDD and SSD? will that work?

 

[psaus]

That's the more legitimate. I'm not sure of this, but I think the licensing may even allow for that type of setup. "it's on the same physical system, and you're only using 1 at a time". But I get confused with the whole legal/licensing jargon.

None the less, all my considerations and steps apply regardless of which Windows OS you throw into the equation.

If I were you, I'd reinstall Win7 home premium on your SSD, install a commonly used app or two to that SSD too (office, a game or 2, etc), and then reinstall all your other apps, music and pics to your HDD. Single boot, bask in all the greatness your SSD provides, and never have to worry about dual booting nonsense.

 

[jomari29]

Best answer selected by jomari29.