Windows 7: Dual install: Win 7 32 and 64 bit

I have win 7 home premium 64 bit preinstalled on my new laptop. I am considering to dual install win 7 ultimate 32 bit on the same machine in order to assuage some compatibility problems. That is, I would like to install the latter OS without deleting the former.



I already have the necessary drivers. Can you address me to a guide detailling the process of dual install?

All help appreciated!

Hello Gurthang,

The tutorial below can help show you how to. It's the same procedure, but just substitute Vista in it for your 32-bit Windows 7. Do note, that you cannot use the same product key number that you activated your 64-bit Windows 7 with on the 32-bit Windows 7 as well. A second installation of Windows 7 will require a new legally purchased product key number.

Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Vista

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi Brink,

thanks for your valuable suggestion. However, I just discovered that the preinstalled version of Win 7 64bit is already set up in four primary partitions: system, data, recovery and HP (Hewlett-Packard) tools.

I think it is not possible to create more than four primary partitions. Does it mean that I can't perform a dual install at all? Or is there a way out of this scam?

As a side note, I ask myself whether they used up all four primary partitions on purpose, just to force people to use their cozy 64bit system

You're welcome.

Usually it's done to prevent folks from messing with the HDD and mistakenly delete the recovery partitions, and/or to force them to add a second HDD to use for backups or whatever for the same reason.

Go ahead and post a screenshot of your Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc) window showing the full layout of your HDD. I'll be happy to take a look at it to see if you may be able to work with it without losing anything.

What works best to preserve bootable HP Recovery and Diagnostics Tools partitions while adding new partitions is to use Partition Wizard bootable CD to convert C to Logical, then shrink it to add as many adjacent Logical partitions as desired:

Partition / Extended : Logical Drives

Video help on how to set partition as Primary or Logical.
How to Move/Resize Partition with partition manager? Partition Wizard Move/Resize Partition Video Help.
How to Create Partition with partition manager? Partition Wizard Create Partition Video Help

Here it is. Please let me know your thoughts...

Gurthang,

Yep, you have plenty of room on your C: drive to use the tutorial below to shrink C by how much you would like to create unallocated space with to then create a logical partition with the unallocated space. Afterwards, you could install the 32-bit Windows 7 on the new logical partition.

Partition / Extended : Logical Drives

Did you have another product key number to use other than the same one you are using with your 64-bit Windows 7? If not, then one or both Windows will eventually automatically get unactivated and found as non genuine.