Is this approach to dual boot possible?

[Channeledbymodem]

Basically I want to dual boot Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on the same pc, with the same applications and settings within each OS.

I thought I knew how to do this but my approach didn't work.

I created an empty primary partition on a different hard drive from my c: drive with Windows 7.

I then copied an image of my current C: drive to the new partition and did an upgrade install of Windows 8 onto it.

But the pc always started with Windows 7 and did not offer dual boot.

Is there a way to enable the new Windows 8 partition as a boot disk or is there another approach to doing what I want?

Thanks,
Ron

 

[ViRGE]

Assuming your Windows 8 partition is bootable, then it sounds like you just need to add a bootloader entry for it. EasyBCD will get you sorted easily enough.

 

[Channeledbymodem]

Assuming your Windows 8 partition is bootable, then it sounds like you just need to add a bootloader entry for it. EasyBCD will get you sorted easily enough.

Thank you.

By "bootable," you mean the partition is designated primary and there's nothing "wrong" with the upgrade install over the Windows 7 image?

 

[corkyg]

My experiences with software dual booting led me to a simple hardware selection. I use a mobile rack system so that I can boot 7, 8.1 or even XP just by choosing which drive to run. Each drive has exactly the same programs and customizations. This was done by upgradeing cloned drives. I could do it with a single rack, but I like redundancy.

 

[ViRGE]

Thank you.

By "bootable," you mean the partition is designated primary and there's nothing "wrong" with the upgrade install over the Windows 7 image?

Correct.

 

[Channeledbymodem]

Thank you for your suggestions. I used EasyBCD to make the new OS partition bootable and then did an upgrade install over Windows 7.

I don't understand why the new partition wasn't bootable to begin with when I cloned the active C: partition to a new empty partition on another disk but EasyBCD solved that problem.

I have to say that installing Windows 8 has been a PITA altogether. I couldn't do a clean install on a new partition, probably because I had other drives connected at the same time. Once I started the upgrade install it took longer than it took to install XP over ten years ago and then all the updates necessary before you can install 8.1 took forever as well.

Once I have 8.1 installed and I can boot to the desktop along with the other "improvements" we'll see how it goes but right now I'm in Windows 7 and finished with Windows 8 for today.

 

[ViRGE]

I don't understand why the new partition wasn't bootable to begin with when I cloned the active C: partition to a new empty partition on another disk but EasyBCD solved that problem.

Long story short, unless you force it at the time of initial partitioning, Windows creates 2 partitions: a boot partition and the actual OS partition. For disk cloning you need both partitions, otherwise you have an OS without a boot loader.

However in your case since you're dual booting you only need the one boot partition. Which is why EasyBCD exists. You did everything correctly, in this case it's simply not supposed to be bootable until you add the appropriate bootloader entry.

 

[Channeledbymodem]

Long story short, unless you force it at the time of initial partitioning, Windows creates 2 partitions: a boot partition and the actual OS partition. For disk cloning you need both partitions, otherwise you have an OS without a boot loader.

However in your case since you're dual booting you only need the one boot partition. Which is why EasyBCD exists. You did everything correctly, in this case it's simply not supposed to be bootable until you add the appropriate bootloader entry.

In a different scenario (from dual boot):

What if I want to move either of these active OS partitions to a new hard drive that is bootable? What do I need to clone (Easeus ToDo Backup)?

 

[ViRGE]

In a different scenario (from dual boot):

What if I want to move either of these active OS partitions to a new hard drive that is bootable? What do I need to clone (Easeus ToDo Backup)?

If you want each hard drive to be independently bootable, then you need to move all partitions. And even then you may have to tweak the bootloader on the copy to get everything just right.

 

[Channeledbymodem]

If you want each hard drive to be independently bootable, then you need to move all partitions. And even then you may have to tweak the bootloader on the copy to get everything just right.

OK, thanks. You've all been very helpful.

I'm sure I'll be back.

(That BCD is good stuff!)