Setting up a dual Boot Win10 & Win10

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ooth69

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Nov 14, 2014
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Hi everybody,
I would like to install Windows10 on an SSD (drive D), but keep my existing Windows10 installation on my HHD(drive C), at least in the short term, as i have many programs that i will need.
I should probably clone the HHD to the SSD, but i really want to run a clean Install at first.

I have an ISO file with the Windows version I want to install (I have a separate licence for it).
This is what I have tried so far:
1- Running the ISO file in my current Win10, but that just proposes an installation keeping everything or deleting everything and no choice for installing another version of Win 10 to the SSD;
2- Making a bootable pen drive using Windows Media Creation tool, but when I restart my computer it always goes directly to the Win10 on drive C;
3- Ditto bootable pen with Rufus;
4- I tried to Install Easy BCD but i don't quite know how to configure it so that it will boot the bootable USB drive.

Any advice appreciated
Regards
 
Solution
Rocky Bennett
The easiest way to accomplish this is to physically disconnect your C: drive. After discconnect your current C: drive the installation will proceees exactly the way that you want it to.

My advice: When you dual boot two different versions of Windows 10 (I have done this several times), disable the sync feature or you will get very confused. With sync enabled, any cosmetic change that you make to one installation will instantly effect the other installation. This is performed through One Drive.
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The easiest way to accomplish this is to physically disconnect your C: drive. After discconnect your current C: drive the installation will proceees exactly the way that you want it to.

My advice: When you dual boot two different versions of Windows 10 (I have done this several times), disable the sync feature or you will get very confused. With sync enabled, any cosmetic change that you make to one installation will instantly effect the other installation. This is performed through One Drive.
 
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Solution
Running 2 instances of the same OS is generally not a great idea.
Yes, you can do it, but why?

Instance 1 - Win 10 with all your applications
Instance 2 - Win 10. And cannot access your applications living in Instance #1. Some will run mostly OK, but a LOT will not.

Having 2 of the same gives you no real benefit. And leads to potential confusion. You may accidentally boot into Instance 1 (HDD) when you meant to boot into Instance #2. And not really know which is which.

so...
Either clone from the HDD to the SSD (assuming drive sizes work)
or
Clean install on the SSD, and install all your applications.
 
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The reason why I do it is because I am a Windows 10 Preview insider. I can run one version of the current RTM version of Windows while at the same time play with the latest insider version. There are literally tons of different reasons why people do this type of dual boot.
 
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As long as your two desktops are completely different, and you don't drink while using PC, or pull late nighers on PC, then you should be okay. As long as you can tell them apart, and don't get confused

It could confuse bios as well, I generally tell people to try to avoid it.

Clone sounds like best approach. For all the reasons usafret said
 
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I do something similar on a laptop.
I want a 32 bit version to run some old games, and a 64 bit version for the rest.
What I did was to disconnect the original ssd drive first.
Then, I booted from a windows 10 iso on a usb stick and installed the 32 bit version on a second ssd drive.
One big issue for me was that shut down windows 10 did not truly shut down so I could get into the bios to change the boot device.
It is obscure, (and drove me crazy) but if you hold down the shift key when you shut down, you can get into the bios when you restart.
After installing the second version of windows 10, my process for switching the os is to shut down completely from one os using the shift key.
Then on starting, I use the F12 key to select the boot device I want.
Both devices are visible with either boot.
One requirement to do this is to deactivate secure boot which will not let you boot to a different device.
 
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Insider Win 10 and Retail Win 10 is what I call 2 different OS's. No problem.
Same with 32bit and 64bit. 2 different OS's.

Retain Win 10 and Retail Win 10....Why?.
 
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Gosh!
The number, speed and excellent quality if the replies and advise you have all given is pleasantly overwhelming!
Thank you all.

I created a bootable USB drive using the Windows USB/DVD download tool, disconnected the HDD (drive C) and restated my PC, but when i restarted it told me that there was no bootable device.
 
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Exactly why I said you needed to get into the bios to disable secure boot which is only looking for the original boot device.

 
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Thank Geofelt,
When i go to the BIOS the SECURE BOOT is in fact activated, but it cannot be disabled unless i switch to LEGACY BIOS. Is that what i need to do?

 
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Thanks for this good advice Dragos.
 
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I think so; but, I am not familiar with your bios.
Try it.
 
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I just checked on my windows 10 laptop. Lenovo Y700.
I dual boot 64 bit and 32 bit versions, selecting via F12

Boot mode is set to legacy support. Other option is uefi.
Boot Priority is set to UEFI first. Other option is legacy first.
Fast boot is disabled
USB boot is enabled.

Both ssd devices are set to legacy.

Nothing else of note.
 
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IT depends on the format of the hdd, if its MBR it will boot using legacy, if the drives are GPT then it needs to be set to UEFI

Legacy looks for an MBR to boot from, EUFI looks in the efi partition (and dual booting win 10 both hdd should have an efi partition on them)

some bios also have an auto setting which will flick between both options at boot, if it can't find one, it will check the other.
 
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