Using Windows 10 insider build on secondary hard drive alongside Windows 10 retail on primary drive

[Joseph DeGarmo]

Recently I was having issues with random network disconnects. After much troubleshooting, it was determined that it was due to a weak signal to my house. The issue is in the process of being resolved, but now after debates on whether to replace the motherboard and/or add another hard drive for Windows 7 for dual-booting, I figured that the cheapest option for installing a backup OS is to keep my current drives intact, but upgrade my Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 and keep Windows 10 insider build (technical preview) on my HDD as an alternate Windows 10. Knowing that the insider build will be updated to the release version on July 29, as long as I remain a Windows Insider, could I safely keep the insider build on the secondary hard drive while using the primary Windows 10 license on my primary hard drive and boot to the insider version upon demand?

 

[USAFRet]

Yes. You can dualboot whatever you wish.
But the Win 10 Insider program one will, before too long, be different. It will get whatever new update/version they wish to push to it.

Why do you want to run both?

 

[USAFRet]

For a 'backup OS', simply use one of the current imaging applications. Save a new image regularly, and if needed, reconstruct from that exact image. Rather than something completely different, that does not have the same applications, etc.

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

Thanks for the feedback. I could keep the Windows 10 preview build on the HDD for now just in case the regular version gets corrupted with viruses or whatever. Two days ago, I placed a bid on eBay for Windows 7 Professional retail version and since I placed the bid, no additional bids went up. So if I end up getting the bid, then I will install it to another hard drive and dual-boot it alongside Windows 10. XP mode in Windows 7 Professional will be used for older games not compatible with Windows 7 and 10.

 

[USAFRet]

ebay is rarely a good source for licensed software. Especially a Windows OS.
How much did you bid for this?

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

ebay is rarely a good source for licensed software. Especially a Windows OS.
How much did you bid for this?

$77

 

[USAFRet]

ebay is rarely a good source for licensed software. Especially a Windows OS.
How much did you bid for this?

$77

$77 is not that much less than Win 7 Home Premium from a normal reseller. Any particular need for the Pro version?

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

ebay is rarely a good source for licensed software. Especially a Windows OS.
How much did you bid for this?

$77

$77 is not that much less than Win 7 Home Premium from a normal reseller. Any particular need for the Pro version?

The professional version has XP mode and supports more than 16 GB RAM.

 

[USAFRet]

ebay is rarely a good source for licensed software. Especially a Windows OS.
How much did you bid for this?

$77

$77 is not that much less than Win 7 Home Premium from a normal reseller. Any particular need for the Pro version?

The professional version has XP mode and supports more than 16 GB RAM.

OK. Just be very, very careful of software buys from ebay. The scam to valid ratio is probably 10 (or 100) to 1.

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

OK. If there are any more bids, then I'll forget about it and move on. Does eBay offer refunds on unopened packages?

Though it seems that the seller has an extremely high rating and had no reports of selling invalid Windows software licenses.

 

[Joseph DeGarmo]

Well, it turns out that someone else has just bid over me. So I'll let that one go. If I still want Windows 7, however, then I will need to buy the OEM license on newegg and that would be $150 for the professional version. So I'll wait and see if there are any compatibility issues with games on Windows 10. If so, then I'll just get the OEM license. Thanks.