Question Dual-Boot Installation - 2 copies of Windows

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nickeh1

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I am setting up the dual windows on my laptop. The laptop has 2 drives (ssd 256gb and hdd 1tb).
I am wondering if someone can give some advice on how the dual-boot windows installation should be achieved.
The purpose of putting dual boot windows on this laptop is that we run a server at local events from time to time. We have noticed that if we use the laptop (one operating system) for both personal use and the server, the applications installed on Windows used for general use, interferes with the server.
To avoid this, we want to create a second installation of Windows which will have server data only and be used for this only (no personal use). The other copy of Windows (which already exists) will be used for general use.
I have some initial questions as listed below:
  • Would you agree the best way for us to do this would be dual-boot?

  • Can I dual boot 2 x Windows 10’s?
    or does it need to be Windows 10 and another version of Windows such as Windows 7?
    Windows 10 already exists on the laptop from factory.

  • The current Windows is installed on the SSD as it came factory loaded like this. I need the second installation of Windows (used for Server only) to also be installed on the SSD. This is because the server will need the power of the SSD to run efficiently. Would it be possible to split the SSD into 2 partitions? Could there be any complications around this?

  • If I split the SSD and have 2 partitions on the SSD each with a Windows copy,
    Will I be able to access the 1tb HDD drive (also in the laptop) from both Windows copies from within Windows?

  • Is dual-boot Windows difficult to achieve? How should I install the second copy?
Any advise would be really appreciated on how I can best achieve this.
Look forward to hearing from you.
 

nickeh1

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@USAFRet I don't think I missed anything.
I copied the exact contents of the old drive, including all partitions.

It completed.
I checked in macrium and it shows all the same drives correctly.
Removed old drive
Booted up
Changed boot order to new ssd first
Then I get this error. Boot device not found.

It is hp laptop. I made the drives NTFS and GPT (not MBR).

Hmm... No idea where to go with this?
 

nickeh1

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I used Macrium Reflect. I tried it again. I formatted the drive and did another clone, again it failed.

Nevermind, i ended up manually backing up the files, formatting both drives with 2 new fresh installs of windows.

Working fine.

However, I find it a bit of a nuisance to go into bios every time and change the boot order to load the other windows on the other drive.

Is there a simpler way for me to bounce between one to the other?

I saw an app that did something as such, but can't remember the name.

I did read online that when you have 2 installations of windows, the system automatically gives you the option of which one you want to load on boot up, but mine doesn't do this. It just loads whatever is first on the boot order in bios.
 

USAFRet

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How to choose which depends o how you installed them.

If you install with only one drive connected each time, then you must interrupt the boot process, or let it go to the default first one.
Doing it like this has the benefit of two individual drives. Take one out, and the other still boots up just fine.


If you install one, then leave that drive connected and install one on a second drive...then you get a menu to choose from. Or let it go to the default first choice.
This can have issues because the whole boot partition lives on the first drive. Take that out, and no boot for the second drive.


But either way, you need to reboot to invoke the choice of which.
 

nickeh1

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Ok thanks @USAFRet - so theres no application that will allow you to switch easily between the two drives of windows (if separate drives)?

Another question, I have another laptop with an M2 SSD. How can I easily clone the windows from this laptop to another drive on another laptop?

Bearing in mind, I am cloning from another M2 SSD to another. Both laptops only have one slow for an M2 SSD.
 

nickeh1

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@USAFRet We use the 2 laptops to run servers at events. They are not identical but both hp. Why would they need to be identical?
Is there any possible way to clone the 1st laptop to a file/folder. Then copy the clone backup to the 2nd laptop and unload the clone there.

Is there an app that does something like this?
 

USAFRet

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@USAFRet We use the 2 laptops to run servers at events. They are not identical but both hp. Why would they need to be identical?
Is there any possible way to clone the 1st laptop to a file/folder. Then copy the clone backup to the 2nd laptop and unload the clone there.

Is there an app that does something like this?
Windows is very picky about the hardware.
Moving an OS between two different systems is usually full of fail. Either moving the physical drive, or a clone of it.

And then of course the Windows licensing comes into play.

An OS really needs to stay with its original system/motherboard.
We can swap it between drives, in that same system. But wanting to move an OS between system often/usually results in tears.
 

nickeh1

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Windows is very picky about the hardware.
Moving an OS between two different systems is usually full of fail. Either moving the physical drive, or a clone of it.

And then of course the Windows licensing comes into play.

An OS really needs to stay with its original system/motherboard.
We can swap it between drives, in that same system. But wanting to move an OS between system often/usually results in tears.

So it is pretty much impossible to take all the data installed on one laptop and copy it to another?

The reason for this is that the drive I want to copy contains server installations which takes many hours to install manually. I don't want to pay developer to do this again for us to run the server on another laptop.
Ideally I want to copy the existing one.

It would be great if we can find a work around for this. Any suggestions?
 

USAFRet

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USAFRet

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No.
That is no different than any of the other current cloning tools.

A clone is a clone is a clone.
Again, moving that clone to different hardware is no different than moving the physical drive.

A Windows install insinuates itself at a deep level with its installed hardware. Specific hardware ID's, etc.
Moving that to new hardware has 3 possible outcomes:
  1. It boots up just fine
  2. It fails completely
  3. It boots up, but you're chasing issues for weeks.

I've seen all 3. I've seen it fail between 2 almost identical HP/Compaq laptops. I've seen it work between a Pentium G840 and an i3-8100 based system, with motherboards of 2 different manufacturers.
 

nickeh1

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@USAFRet Hello, I successfully installed the dual windows (each installation on separate drives) and have been using this for a month or so now without any issues.

Only the other day I tried to boot from one of the windows and I get the Windows repair blue screen.
I try to do the automatic repair and it fails showing the following:
photo-2019-09-30-19-40-08.jpg



I have tried doing the repair via windows usb installation but it seems to do the same thing.
Do you have any suggestions as I really need to get back into this windows? Many thanks,