Can't dual boot Windows 7 with Windows 10.

pcxn00b

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I want to use windows 7 on my windows 10 pc. I already shrunk my volume and burnt windows 7 iso with a cd. I know the disk is good because it worked creating a windows 7 virtual machine. However when I try to boot from my windows 7 disk I can only get so far. My pc goes from press any key to boot from cd etc. I click space bar and see windows is installing files. That goes to windows is starting and back to press any key to boot from cd. I heard something about you have to enable legacy bios mode and disable security boot. But I can't figure out how to do that in my asus bios.
 
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At least you have a DVD drive. Another trick is make a small partition on drive, Download the Win 7 drivers & put them in there while logged into win 10, and then log into win 7, access the same drivers and install them - this is what people with no DVD drive can do.

I think you have to leave secure boot disabled to be able to boot into win 7

You leave the boot order as it is now or the PC may not boot up both operating systems. Leave it alone.

Colif

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can you show me a screen shot of disk management?

Is win 7 32bit or 64 bit?

If the PC is set up to boot using UEFI boot method there is a chance your hdd is formatted as GPT and you cannot boot win 7 32 bit off GPT drives. Ideally the best way to run both win 10 and 7 is on 2 drives, not on the same one. and the ideal install order is win 7 first and then 10, as otherwise the win 7 will wipe the win 10 boot order

What Asus motherboard do you have?
 

pcxn00b

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My computer and the file are 64 bit. I have an ASUS H110M-A-DP motherboard. I bought my computer with windows 10 already installed and I need to use windows 7 on it. I am trying to install windows 7 on my new d: hard drive titled overwatch.

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Colif

Win 11 Master
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I think the problem with way you are doing it is that win 7 will write over the boot information for win 10.

The ideal way is to install 7 first and then add 10 to it after. Download the Windows 10 media creation tool and use it to make a win 10 installer on USB

how to install win 7 on UEFI - https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/186875-uefi-unified-extensible-firmware-interface-install-windows-7-a.html
next reduce the size of C drive and leave it unallocated - this is the space for win 10 to use
follow this guide and at step 13 just choose the unallocated space from before: http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/1950-windows-10-clean-install.html

this way, win 10 will add itself to the EFI partition and dual boot will work.
 

pcxn00b

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I still had the same result in my original post after removing everything and resetting my pc. I don't know if it matters but somehow I wasn't set to boot from my disk at first. So I ended going up into installing windows 10 but I turned my computer off and went into bios to change boot to my disk. So I don't know if that screwed up anything but I had the same result as before with my pc. I also got this error message at first and I pressed esc.
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Colif

Win 11 Master
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was the bios originally set to boot from something called the Windows Boot Manager?

this must be shortest Asus manual I ever seen ; http://kb.stonegroup.co.uk/index.php?View=afile&CategoryID=543&EntryID=237

I didn't know Win 10 used tpm

I can guess that on the boot tab in bios there would be a choice of turning CSM on or off - that is what Asus calls Legacy but I only tell you this so you know. You can't swap boot method to Legacy as then win 10 won't boot then and PC would want you to format hdd before win 7 could be installed, that is why I showed the other way.

If you install win 7 after 10 is on hdd, then 7 will write its own data into the EFI partition and since it doesn't know about win 10, it will delete anything there in reference to 10

 

pcxn00b

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Yes, the bios was set to windows boot manager. I changed the boot order a couple of days ago to my disk and kept it that way. I had my friend over today trying to help me and I think he might have changed it back. I am going to retry everything so I reset my pc again after setting up Windows 10 to get back on my pc. I burned my windows 7 iso file to a new disk, maybe the first one was bad. If this doesn't work I'll try putting the iso on my usb drive. If that doesn't work I guess I'll try to have my friend burn my iso file with his computer. I am about to go to sleep and my pc is still resetting it won't be down for awhile so once I wake up I'll turn off my pc that will be trying to install windows 10 and put my new disk in. If all else fails next week my friend can come over again and try to help me using what you told me as he had to leave before trying it. He knows more than me about computers and all. If hes able to find something I missed I'll post back the solution. Here is a picture of my asus bios with csm.
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Colif

Win 11 Master
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Windows Boot Manager (WBM) is the right choice for booting win 10. It matches the UEFI boot method as unlike MBR which is the partition scheme every version of windows used prior to windows 8, the boot sector on a GPT disc isn't the first partition on the drive so if you just put hdd as 1st choice, the BIOS won't know where to look to boot and will go nowhere - likely just show a flashing cursor at start up.

If you set WBM as 1st choice, then win 10 should boot.

If you change Boot method to CSM enabled, I suspect it will ignore the UEFI , and then win 10 won't boot.
As you set CSM to auto - Auto means PC will look for either UEFI or Legacy at boot - then it should boot either UEFI or CSM (think mine set to auto) but I am unsure what it would want to set win 7 up as in this mode.

If you set up 7 as Legacy and set boot method to CSM Enabled, win 7 will set hdd up as MBR, then win 10 when it comes to installing it will accept these settings.
Since you have win 7 64bit you could set csm to disabled, it will force Win 7 to install as GPT and then win 10 will use it instead.

both of these are fine (since your boot disc is only 1tb) and the only problem area is if you set CSM to auto and install win 7 as it will use MBR and then try to install win 10 as with auto setting, Win 10 will see your PC can use GPT and will insist on using that, causing problems.


MBR = Master Boot Record, partition method used on all versions of windows prior to win 8. Only allows 4 partitions max, and can only use hdd up to 2tb
GPT = GUID (GUID - Global Unique ID) Partition Table. Only used by win 8 & 10, made to replace MBR, Max partition number is now 128 and max drive size is simply a silly figure I will never see on a hdd... roughly 9.4 billion terabytes
 

pcxn00b

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I made a new disk and reset my pc again but same issues. I think every time I reset my pc it changes the boot order back to WBM. Thanks for all your help and time spent, I'm kind of confused though. So I'm going to wait till my friend comes over next week and show him your posts. If I have any more issues I'll post back and I will post back the solution if I got it to work. So please don't close this thread yet I will come back to it.
 

pcxn00b

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So I was doing more research and I found this article http://www.trishtech.com/2015/08/install-windows-7-in-dual-boot-configuration-after-installing-windows-10/. I tried installing windows 7 by running setup while using windows 10 and I got this message. http://imgur.com/a/wmBuq (not letting me upload to tinypic anymore). Its saying what you told me about gpt. But I'm confused on what to do. I want to install windows 7 on my drive titled overwatch.
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
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that is the standard order for a win 10 install, only odd thing is F drive shouldn't have a drive letter assigned to it

that link also said it was based on installing using MBR whereas you have GPT. I could guess it sees the partitions in wrong order as it might expect system partition to be first, it probably expects MBR.

If you set boot order to csm disabled instead of auto and try that approach again, it might work?
 

pcxn00b

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I disabled csm and still got same message trying to install windows 7. Before I disabled csm it give me this message.
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After I got the same message from before and I canceled installation I noticed this message at the bottom.
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. When I googled the error code I came across an article that says "If unable to install then delete all partition and create 'New' partition and then try installing Windows in it." My friend said I would have to do this but I think he thought or said it would just be my C and D drives. I'm worried about deleting those other reserved and system drives there, should I try deleting them? I even tried booting from the disk like before and I still couldn't make it past starting windows but this time it said something like disk checking > repaired system partition. Should I change these settings in bios to other os
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Colif

Win 11 Master
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what is plan? If you delete system and reserved win 10 won't boot as system is the boot partition... reserved isn't so important.

Best approach would be to delete all the partitions and install win 7 in UEFI mode - https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/186875-uefi-unified-extensible-firmware-interface-install-windows-7-a.html
and then create the partition you want for win 10 and install it in that space, it will use the Win 7 system drive and add itself to boot list

Setting OS type to UEFI and CSM to disabled will force win 7 to use GPT

Setting OS type to Other OS will allow you to install windows 7 in mbr mode. Provided CSM is enabled
If you have other OS enabled and CSM Disabled the PC won't do anything
 

pcxn00b

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I wasn't able to delete any partitions running the setup.exe from my disk within windows 10, it doesn't give me any options to. I guess it's because I'm still within windows 10. I probably have to boot from the disk like sevenforums says but I just can't get past starting windows. The sevenforums doesn't mention anything about my CSM option in bios but did say I will have to disable secure boot. I'm not able to disable secure boot because it won't let me click it in bios, it is blacked out. So between not being able to boot from disk and unable to disable secure boot is probably why I can't get the right table of partitions that will give me the option to delete them. I'm going try and research disabling secure boot again. I've researched disabling it before and people are only showing tutorials in the old bios which doesn't relate to my bios.

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EDIT: Just found this article on my asus bios
https://www.technorms.com/45538/disable-enable-secure-boot-asus-motherboard-uefi-bios-utility
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
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there is another way that might let you boot off the USB.

IN windows 10, go to settings/update & security/recopvery
Under advanced start up, choose restart now
this loads win 10 into advanced start up
put win 7 USB into a USB slot
choose Use a device and pick the win 7 USB from the list
PC will restart and boot from win 7 installer

this should let you delete the partitions now
 

pcxn00b

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I'm happy to report I had success and installed Windows 7 after following that article about my asus bios and changing settings. I don't know what made it happen between enabled CSM or disabled Secure boot at the same time. Now my only question is how do I install windows 10 back onto my pc. Do I set all my bios settings back to normal to install windows 10 or keep them changed. I got this error message after I think I set secure boot back to enabled and csm back to auto in bios. My pc was all messed up and changed my bios language to french but I fixed it by changing back to settings I changed in bios. I thought I wouldn't need to so I didn't follow the guide on how to "Convert Your Hard Drive to GPT Partition Style Using the Command Prompt". I'm going to try to change my hard drive to gpt running command prompt through my working windows 7. I just don't know if it is too late to do so. A weird thing happened but my Logitech G Pro Gaming only works for a little bit while booting up then stops. So I had to get an old desktop mouse to move my cursor.
dvq2h1.jpg
I still haven't comprended what this message is and what I have to do about it.

EDIT: For some reason windows 7 is not recognizing any external drives I put in to restore my drivers and files with. I tried changing my hard drive to gpt in windows 7 and got this message in cmd.
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I guess I'm only supposed to run it in windows 10. This is so frustrating I guess I'll change back to windows 10 to run the cmd with and then reinstall windows 7.
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
Stop.

You have installed win 7 as MBR. the error is cause the PC can see you have a UEFI. The ideal thing to do is enable CMS, not Auto. Then the PC will let you install win 10 as is and won't show that error

the other problem is cause you have win 7 installed and it doesn't know what USB 3 is so it can't see the devices. Once we have win 10 on, we can work around that by using 10 to download the win 7 drivers
 

pcxn00b

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I tried installing windows 10 with CSM enabled and Secure boot disabled like I used with windows 7 but it didn't work. So I thought I had to change everything back to work with windows 10. I get these messages.
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In one picture I tried installing to the drives I first created when installing windows 7. Then the other was when I deleted my largest drive and tried to install it there.
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
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contradictory errors, one warns its GPT, other says its MBR. Now I am confused.

I swapped order of your pictures so they matched what you did.

you can't change the boot options after its set up or the previous windows won't boot either. Where is your friend?

What you seem to have missed is the step where you shrink C to give the other install space. If the 1st image had 5 partitions it would make sense.

Did you swap boot methods between the two shots as there is no way a drive can have MBR & GPT format at same time.
 

pcxn00b

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I actually don't remember if I swapped boot methods between these 2 pictures.

My friend can't come over and help me until Monday but I will show him this thread when he gets here. I have a bad memory and I only remember him telling me this. If I remember right my friend said I have an easier way instead of shrinking C:drive. And I think what he said and meant by that is when I deleted all partitions and create new ones I wouldn't need to shrink my C drive. I'll have to wait till he comes over and ask him and maybe he will remember.

You know more than my friend but he knows more than me.

I did originally shrink my C drive I showed you the screenshot of disk management. I have no idea if I changed it before successfully installing windows 7. I probably messed something up along the way. So I guess that means I have to start over and erase windows 7 then reinstall windows 10 to go back and shrink my c drive again?
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
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Your friends way of shrinking C would have removed windows 10 completely so sure gives you space but means you have to put 10 on again anyway afterwards. still need to shrink something at some stage unless you make an extra partition when 1st installing 7

I know you originally had one extra partiton, not sure where it is on the shots though...

Order:
Install 7, you can make an extra partition at this time and mark it (Mentally) Win 10 for later
Install win 10 in either the partition you made before or delete that partition and install 10 into the space it contains.

I may have been wrong about it installing as MBR, you having 4 partitions on drive and it saying its GPT makes me think we got that stage right. Just mixed up the resize partition stage... I have never dual booted so working off other links, not my own knowledge. Normally the best way to dual boot is on 2 drives, less messing around with boot methods then.
 

pcxn00b

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SUCCESS, I FINALLY did it! I REALLY appreciate your help and time I wish there was some way I could repay you.

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What worked was my article on my asus bios https://www.technorms.com/45538/disable-enable-secure-boot-asus-motherboard-uefi-bios-utility as the installing windows from disks I figured wouldn't be hard without my errors. You must disable secure boot and enable CSM.

I was trying to do this "Convert Your Hard Drive to GPT Partition Style Using the Command Prompt

Plug in the Windows setup disk or USB and boot your PC in UEFI mode.
Once in Windows setup, press shift + F10 to open a command prompt window.
Open the disk partition tool with diskpart.
List and identify the disk to format with list disk.
Select the drive to format and convert to GPT.
select disk <disk number here>
clean
convert gpt
exit
Close the command prompt and continue."

But like an idiot I was running the command prompt while on windows 10 which you can't do. So I ran the windows 7 setup dvd and ran the command prompt within the windows setup like the article instructed that I wasn't following correctly.

Here is the sad, sad part, which I'm still confused how I got to in the first place. It looks like I would have had this done on Friday according to this article https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-windows_install/how-to-dual-boot-windows-10-and-windows-7-after/7e43130f-11a9-4167-832e-97ed168ae369 that I just found out about. In step 5 "If you see the warning message below click ‘OK’ to proceed. This message is the result of installing an older version of Windows after Windows 10 has already been installed." I thought this was an error that I shouldn't ignore and didn't proceed because of it.

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Now since windows 7 doesn't recognize my external drives. I guess I need to try installing my drivers to a dvd instead of trying to install them via drives. I found this article that I might try if that fails. http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/external-drive-not-recognized-this-is-how-to-fix-it-in-windows/. I've also come across this article in my research. http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2132176/windows-fresh-install-recognize-flash-drives.html

Now my only question is do I leave secure boot disabled which carries some risk that I guess would make it easier for viruses to infect my os. And do I leave CSM enabled.

Since I accidentally deleted my PK file in bios during this process I'm not done hopefully asus can help me. This has been one big nightmare and headache that I'm glad is over.
 

Colif

Win 11 Master
Moderator
At least you have a DVD drive. Another trick is make a small partition on drive, Download the Win 7 drivers & put them in there while logged into win 10, and then log into win 7, access the same drivers and install them - this is what people with no DVD drive can do.

I think you have to leave secure boot disabled to be able to boot into win 7

You leave the boot order as it is now or the PC may not boot up both operating systems. Leave it alone.
 
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pcxn00b

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I can boot to windows 10, drag and drop files onto windows 7. Thanks for clearing up my questions I will leave it alone.