How do I dual boot two Windows 7 installations?

dizzysoul said:

The best solution would be (ideally) as follows:

• One Windows 7 installation fully encrypted using Truecrypt.
• One Windows 7 installation setup as a dummy O/S.
• Grub Bootloader that can load either O/S (Grub supports unlocking Truecrypt).

Any ideas on how to do this?

Thanks

Do not use the GRUB bootloader which can corrupt Win7 beyond repair when on the same HD - we see it a lot here.

Win7 will autoconfigure a Dual Boot when you install it as second OS, works exactly as shown here: Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Vista

This is a convoluted theft solution - a dummy OS will only fool a dummy. A thief will wipe the HD which deletes both OS's at once.

Look at the solutions presented more recently here: stolen laptop. devastated

gregrocker said:

Do not use the GRUB bootloader which can corrupt Win7 beyond repair when on the same HD - we see it a lot here.

Win7 will autoconfigure a Dual Boot when you install it as second OS, works exactly as shown here: Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Vista

This is a convoluted theft solution - a dummy OS will only fool a dummy. A thief will wipe the HD which deletes both OS's at once.

Look at the solutions presented more recently here: stolen laptop. devastated

But the windows 7 boot loader will not work with truecrypt. Only GRUB will.

Also, I am not trying to fool anyone with this. This is just because my siblings and I use the same computer and I have some confidential work stuff that I do not want them to get into.

I feel like people come up with the most wild, of-the-wall, how-to questions every day.

If you are worried about your laptop getting stolen, take steps to protect it, and then get LoJack if you are truly worried about it.

fjawor said:

gregrocker said:

Do not use the GRUB bootloader which can corrupt Win7 beyond repair when on the same HD - we see it a lot here.

Win7 will autoconfigure a Dual Boot when you install it as second OS, works exactly as shown here: Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Vista

This is a convoluted theft solution - a dummy OS will only fool a dummy. A thief will wipe the HD which deletes both OS's at once.

Look at the solutions presented more recently here: stolen laptop. devastated

But the windows 7 boot loader will not work with truecrypt. Only GRUB will.

Also, I am not trying to fool anyone with this. This is just because my siblings and I use the same computer and I have some confidential work stuff that I do not want them to get into.

I had noticed your reply through an e-mail in my junk folder, and I had typed out a long and informative reply that guided you through the setup process.

Unfortunately this terrible forum auto-logged me out while I was typing it and gobbled up the reply, even though I am using chrome (which protects form data from this), which is an impressive feat but also an example of how this forum is terribly coded.

If you are still interested then please respond and let me know. Thanks!

DeaconFrost said:

I feel like people come up with the most wild, of-the-wall, how-to questions every day.

If you are worried about your laptop getting stolen, take steps to protect it, and then get LoJack if you are truly worried about it.

These are steps to protect it silly. LoJack is just as susceptible to a drive wipe, unless you buy a laptop with the hardware level protection built-in. By the way, it costs money, plus a subscription, plus once it's activated it will remain active for the life of the laptop, even after your subscription expires. There's virtually no possible way to remove it. Oh, and it has been abused before.

I see you have a lot of fancy badges, so why are being so negative and unhelpful?

It isn't being negative or unhelpful...just because you don't like the answers given. What you are asking is like buying a second car and towing it around with you in case the first one is stolen. My comments are not in response to just you...but to the outbreak of people overthinking solutions. Usually, a person asks about dual-booting Windows 7 so they can *ahem* optimize one for gaming.

Laptops don't get stolen if you are careful and use your head. In the rare event they do, you can always us a combination of strong user account passwords and some level of an encrypted partition on your drive to store whatever material it is you are worried about someone getting. That only requires one license, and a little bit of time.

If you wish to go more in-depth than that...do what many of us do. Use a home tower for anything of value and use, and then use a laptop basically as an internet terminal for travel, school-work, business-travel...whatever you are involved in.

I'm a big believer in the K.I.S.S. methodology.