windowws 10pro duel boot with w7

[rustyweasle]

Hi i have a windows 10 pro OEM genuine disk ..i also have a 4790k running windows 7 ultimate on Samsung pro ssd ...i have no wish to upgrade to windows 10 as my system is running perfect and i dont want to mess any thing up...So my question is can i install this copy of windows 10 pro on a new separate ssd and choose which os i gonna use(duel boot) ..hopefully two compleatly separate systems...and if i like windows 10 i can transferre what i want to keep onto w10 and eventually wipe windows 7 ..?
is this possible ?...and how ?..

 

[wicked_sticky]

Dual boot is simple, if you have a seperate hardrive, just install windows 10 and when prompted select the harddrive windows 7 is not installed on, the windows 10 bootloader will give you an option to select the OS when you start up.

You can set up a dual boot on the same hard drive as well, doing that requires a few extra step but is also not complicated.

 

[rustyweasle]

Dual boot is simple, if you have a seperate hardrive, just install windows 10 and when prompted select the harddrive windows 7 is not installed on, the windows 10 bootloader will give you an option to select the OS when you start up.

You can set up a dual boot on the same hard drive as well, doing that requires a few extra step but is also not complicated.

 

[rustyweasle]

ok it sounds simple...so i just stick the disk in and i presume boot from it, select install, select drive etc etc ...and the next time i boot it will ask what os or drive i want ...what about my boot priority in the bios? will that not simply boot from whatever disk i have as priority 1 or will one os select itself as priority
i have a asus maximus vii formula mb
thanks for the answer

 

[wicked_sticky]

If you leave the win7 drive plugged then install windows 10, windows 10 will replace the windows 7 bootloader, bios will scan your drives for a bootloader and run it, priority in bios wont matter since there is just one boot loader. You'll see this at start up:
http://www.techbrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/windows-10-with-windows-7-dual-boot.jpg
(It will over right the original bootlaoder on the original drive )



You do have another option (no one does it this way unless you they know they will get rid of one of the operating systems):
If you dont want to mess with the boot loader at all. All you have to do is unplug the drive with windows 7, then install Win 10 on the remaining drive. Then plug the wi 7 drive back in. Whatever drive has priority in bios os the OS that will boot.You will have to choose which drive to boot from in bios each time you boot. The only advantage to doing it this way is if you decide to get rid of one of the Operating systems all you have to do is format that drive. If you do it the first way, you have to repair/reinstall the bootloader after getting rid of one of the operating systems.

 

[Math Geek]

the bootscreen wicked shows has more to it and you will have a settings page on it as well that lets you decide which os is the default and how long to wait before booting to the default os if you don't chose the other one.

i run win 7 and win 10 myself and had no issues with it setting up the dual boot at install. i started with win 7 and added the win 10 insider preview a long time ago with no problems. have them running on different drives just like you wish to. just pick the drive you want win 10 on and let it do its thing.

 

[rustyweasle]

i like the sounds of the second option(that nobody uses) as i get 2 independent os's to do with wat i wish ..haven't got windows 10 taking over or messing with my original windows 7 and any boot loader issues to deal with if i decide i don't want windows 10 or w7 as of now i am undecided about w10 as i like my privacy... got a windows phone a bit ago through work and a load of pics appeared from the days when i was using vista back in 2007
also, would i be able to access my files or programs in w10 on the other drives which were put there in w7 . i have w7 on a separate drive and all/most other stuff on another separate drive
gonna give it a go weekend see how it goes ...bit woried about messing my w7 up though as i have been using it for a few years now so you can imagine the disappointment and loss! if i mess things up and get stuck with windows 10
cheers for your answers ..keep em coming as i need convincing either way lol

 

[wicked_sticky]

I have 7,10, and linux mint all running one one hard drive but since upgrading to 10 i haven't used 7 at all. 10's star menu is less of a disaster than windows 8 needs classic shell, but besides that i have no gripes. Ten is slightly more sluggish to start programs but higher FPS in some games (the same in others).

Everything I tested ran fine after doing the 'upgrade' form 7 to 10, but two days later i did a clean install of 10 and reinstalled my programs (i rather have a clena install than an upgrade).

 

[rustyweasle]

i agree totally with wicked sticky clean install beets the upgrade any time as there are issues with the updates... i have a registered windows 10pro upgrade pc on a i5 3570k, ocz ssd etc i like it but ...it just didnt lite my fire... also this is why i have a genuine oem disk as i killed it lol ..and i know i will have to use it eventually and i wish to get used to it now rather than later

 

[rustyweasle]

ok guys gona un plug w7 drive and install w10 on Samsung 250 gb ssd ...any one know if I can access my files from w7 storage drive which will be pluged in during install or is this a bad idea?? will w10 corrupt my files and will I still be able to access my files when I plug the w7 drive back in and use as normal in w7 and 10 ...any ideas

 

[Math Geek]

no problem accessing the data. i also have 3 drives (win 7, win 10 and data drive) and have no issues accessing the data from either os. you can actually access the data on the other os drive as well. you can see both os drives from explorer so be careful not to root around too much in the other os as you can mess it up if you delete or move something in one of the windows folders.

 

[wicked_sticky]

WIndows 10 wont do anything to windows 7 if its on a separate hard drive. You **might** not have access to all your user files from one one OS to the other (like getting stuff in mydocuments in win 7, form windows 10) but IF that happens in solvable through control panel, cross that bridge if you get there.

 

[rustyweasle]

hi installed windows 10 on separate ssd and wicked_sticky was spot on.. i can only access a limited number of files n folders(even in external hdd) because i do not have permission ...i can take owner ship of each and every file (and there are loads!!) in one or the other Os but then i cant access it in the other ...been using w10 and getting used to it a bit more lately so i have decided to go down the upgrade route , as we speak it is preparing for installation. I have experienced problems with updates with the other w10 machine
Next question: can i unplug all other drives after upgrade and reset it or reinstall it and then plug drive back in n hey presto fresh install of w10 with all previous files, programs etc any one tried this ??

 

[wicked_sticky]

The wording of your question is really confusing I dont understand what you're asking.

YOu want to install a clean copy of windows 10 on a drive that already has windows 10? If so, that will wipe out your installed programs.

If that not your quesiton then reword it with more detail and punctuation.

 

[rustyweasle]

Hi thank to all for their help ....ended up doing the upgrade as I couldn't access some of my file's and programs from my w7 OS drive... Upgraded and then did a reset, windows 10 then decided to uninstall all the old programs that won't work with it ...turned out to be a good thing as it has cleaned out a lot of old stuff/rubish
So far I'm pleased with windows 10...and I quite like cortanna
Again many thanks for everyone s input n advice.... I did try the dual boot but I would not do what I hoped

 

[rustyweasle]

Sorry yes its a bit confusing , basically I've wiped windows 10 from separate ssd and let old w7 update to w 10 all is good
Having w10 on a separate drive didn't work as I couldn't access all my file's , all working fine at the moment but I do have a couple of driver issues to sort many thanks for your help

 

[wicked_sticky]

WARNING; RANT: I got high end some off brand stuff that only had vista/7/8 drivers and never patched for 10, stuff like that owrked fine upgrading from 7 but no way to install drivers on 10. For me, no real issues using 10 so I did a clean install of 7, installed my peripherals games that were meant for Xp etc. thne upgraded to 10, installed my games and other programs and the gpu and mobo drivers that did have a win 10 version. Never looked. Even delted my clean install win 10 partition and old windows 7 hard drive.

MORAL: The win 10 upgrade from 7 is 100% ok for me, dont need a clean install of 10 or back up of 7.


Hopefully the free upgrade to 10 from 7 will be permanent for as long as I have my rig in case i Need to clean install again in 3 years.

 

[rustyweasle]

Hi been using windows 10 upgrade +reset now for a while and no complaints it a bit quicker than windows 7 in most applications but there is a underlying nag that it is watching me ...maybe just my paranoia..as it does hesitate doing somethings it weird but I like it, kinda...also I am finding it uses a bit more cpu power to run.. w7 was around 1.8% tick over, with windows 10 its around the 3.0%+ but that includes Cortana running and listening ie when I'm working I can ask her /it to play music and continue without lifting a finger
so as I had my doubts about windows 10 they seem to be unfounded and duel boot is also unnecessary as it does a good job as a upgrade from windows 7 ultimate... have had to upgrade a couple of programs, namely Acronis which I had to pay for a new licence(as old version was not eligible) as I use it, or defiantly will be now to clone hdd's to ssd's as I have four pc's in my house and will be upgrading all of them as n when I get time.
Hope all goes as sweet as my own upgrade. At present I would recommend windows 10 as an upgrade
all the best and good luck