My Win 7 Disk has 4 partitions, (2Drive letters) want to dual boot

You have a good backup? How did you make it?

Thanks for getting back to me.

Kaktussoft said:

You end with 3 primary partitions and one extended. In that extended is your current C. But if you shrink C there's room for an other partition. Be sure you shrink C as explained in tutorial, so shrink the large partition

So 3 partitions +Extended=4.

So how can I

Kaktussoft said:

But if you shrink C there's room for an other partition.

=5(3 primary+1 extended +another for Win 8)

I'm lost now.


ORRRRRRRR -- If I have a "System Repair Disc " could I not remove the WinPE partition?

Kaktussoft said:

You have a good backup? How did you make it?

within win7 "backup and restore"

dohouch said:

Thanks for getting back to me.

Kaktussoft said:

You end with 3 primary partitions and one extended. In that extended is your current C. But if you shrink C there's room for an other partition. Be sure you shrink C as explained in tutorial, so shrink the large partition

So 3 partitions +Extended=4.

So how can I

Kaktussoft said:

But if you shrink C there's room for an other partition.

=5(3 primary+1 extended +another for Win 8)

I'm lost now.

Primary partition=real partition
extended partition=a special primary partition (sort of)

So you have 4 real partitions (that's the max)
In that extended partition is win7 now. If you shrink win7 you can create more partitions in the extended partition.

If I give you more info it just confuses you!

Fine and thanks. I need more time to decide whether I'm ready to jump off the high board. You've been a great help.

@gregrocker, @Kaktussoft,- Thanks all.
I have a genuine reason for long-fingering this operation :). I'm heading off for 3 weeks in a few days and would not be using my machine with Win 8 before 20 December.
I think I can use Win 8 for 90 days before activation, so loosing 30 days from this period, while I'm away is not the way to go IMHO.
thanks all

But you can convert C to logical now in partition wizard. And (after reboot) then shrink C a bit (so make space for win8) in disk management.

@Kaktussoft:-
I ran XP from November 2002 to December 2011. I still have the old box with XP on it. Bought this new box with Win 7 pre-installed.
What I'm saying is, I'm not in the habit of moving partitions and OS's around my HDD as you might well be.

I'll be taking you away from your Christmas dinner, when something goes screwy after 20th December.
tnks

Not moving around at all!! Just shrink it a little. Have a nice christmas and greetings from santa claus