Question Dual boot Windows OS's on different drives?

[Kalnon]

Hello, I currently have Windows 10 installed as my only OS. I want to install Windows 7 as a second OS on a different drive (my main OS drive is only 500GB). I was reading how to make a dual boot Windows setup but the information I read didn't go into detail about how to create dual boot OS's on different drives but it did say this was possible.

Could someone please explain how to properly set up dual boot OS's on different drives? I understand how to install Windows but what I don't understand is how do I get my PC to give me boot options to select the OS I want to start when I boot up?

PC Specs:
MSI Gaming Pro Carbon X470, Ryzen 5800X, Corsair 32GB 3600Mhz CL25 RAM, Sapphire Nitro+ RX 6900 XT

I would greatly appreciate any advice.

Thanks

 

[USAFRet]

Hello, I currently have Windows 10 installed as my only OS. I want to install Windows 7 as a second OS on a different drive (my main OS drive is only 500GB). I was reading how to make a dual boot Windows setup but the information I read didn't go into detail about how to create dual boot OS's on different drives but it did say this was possible.

Could someone please explain how to properly set up dual boot OS's on different drives? I understand how to install Windows but what I don't understand is how do I get my PC to give me boot options to select the OS I want to start when I boot up?

PC Specs:
MSI Gaming Pro Carbon X470, Ryzen 5800X, Corsair 32GB 3600Mhz CL25 RAM, Sapphire Nitro+ RX 6900 XT

I would greatly appreciate any advice.

Thanks

Physically disconnect ALL drives except the one you want Win 7 on.

Install.

After it is all working, reconnect other drives.

When you boot up, pause the boot process and choose which drive to boot from.

But...why Win 7?

 

[Kalnon]

Physically disconnect ALL drives except the one you want Win 7 on.

Install.

After it is all working, reconnect other drives.

When you boot up, pause the boot process and choose which drive to boot from.

But...why Win 7?

Thank you for the information, I'll give it a try.

I'm using Windows 7 because it's the only OS copy with a key I have that I haven't used on another PC and I don't want to buy another copy of Windows 10 or 11, definitely not 11... I have Windows 7 Ultimate that I never used.

 

[USAFRet]

Thank you for the information, I'll give it a try.

I'm using Windows 7 because it's the only OS copy with a key I have that I haven't used on another PC and I don't want to buy another copy of Windows 10 or 11, definitely not 11... I have Windows 7 Ultimate that I never used.

Why do you need this dual boot?

What will the Win 7 be used for?

 

[Kalnon]

Why do you need this dual boot?

Couple reasons, I am into flight simulation, it is my passion, and one simulator I use a lot is good old FSX (Steam version). I want to have different "flavors" of it installed. What I mean by that is I want to have another copy of FSX installed so I can build it up differently than the FSX I have installed on Windows 10.

For those that don't know, FSX, while now considered a legacy simulator, is still the most mod-able flight simulator ever made and there are literally thousands of freeware and payware add-ons of all kinds for it.

Most FSX users (yes, we still exist) use vanilla FSX as the base and build it up the way they want choosing from those thousands of different add-ons they want to install. No two FSX installations are the same, everyone has their favorite add-ons installed and every one of them is different.

Also, I am into gaming, it is my other passion and I like to play lots of old games, some very old, however some do not work in Windows 10, and I think there's a better chance of them working in Windows 7 so I want to give it a try.

 

[Kalnon]

Question, how do I "pause" the boot process to choose the drive I want to boot from?

 

[USAFRet]

Couple reasons, I am into flight simulation, it is my passion, and one simulator I use a lot is good old FSX (Steam version). I want to have different "flavors" of it installed. What I mean by that is I want to have another copy of FSX installed so I can build it up differently than the FSX I have installed on Windows 10.

For those that don't know, FSX, while now considered a legacy simulator, is still the most mod-able flight simulator ever made and there are literally thousands of freeware and payware add-ons of all kinds for it.

Most FSX users (yes, we still exist) use vanilla FSX as the base and build it up the way they want choosing from those thousands of different add-ons they want to install. No two FSX installations are the same, everyone has their favorite add-ons installed and every one of them is different.

Also, I am into gaming, it is my other passion and I like to play lots of old games, some very old, however some do not work in Windows 10, and I think there's a better chance of them working in Windows 7 so I want to give it a try.

Fair enough.
I asked, because I see a lot of misguided reasons to want Win 7.

 

[USAFRet]

Question, how do I "pause" the boot process to choose the drive I want to boot from?

On my motherboard, I believe it is F12.

 

[Kalnon]

Fair enough.
I asked, because I see a lot of misguided reasons to want Win 7.

Yeah I understand that.

 

[Kalnon]

On my motherboard, I believe it is F12.

Ahh I see, I'll check out my motherboard manual and see what it says about that. I know how to get into the bios of course but I don't know if there's a way to get to a boot options menu.

 

[Kalnon]

Just want to say thank you Titan for your help and very quick responses, I very much appreciate it.

 

[USAFRet]

Just want to say thank you Titan for your help and very quick responses, I very much appreciate it.

Good luck.
Let us know how it works out.

 

[Kalnon]

Good luck.
Let us know how it works out.

Thanks, I certainly will. I always enjoy conversing with people on this forum and on the Discord channel that I've been a member of for years (though it seems a little more quiet these days).