Solved What happens if I install Windows 8 on a separate partition?

Hello everyone.
I have a Windows 8 Consumer Preview DVD that I burned a couple of days ago, and, I was about to install it last night when I found FAQ for it. I read a post on how the Windows 7 partition only booted to the recovery mode, and that it wouldn't load. Ever since then, I've been worried as to if I should try installing it or not. All of my important files are on Windows 7, and, get this, unless I boot from the DVD, it asks me to uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials AND avast!. (Seriously?)
Also, I know that if I try to run Microsoft Office (from the Windows 7 partition), it wouldn't open.

Any help?

~Shadowboy1795~

shadowboy1795 said:

All of my important files are on Windows 7, and, get this, unless I boot from the DVD, it asks me to uninstall Microsoft Security Essentials AND avast!. (Seriously?)
Also, I know that if I try to run Microsoft Office (from the Windows 7 partition), it wouldn't open.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't install Windows 8 in your situation. You have some significant problems that you should resolve first.

If all was well, you could simply make a new partition and install Windows 8 to it without any issues. Leaving aside whether or not you think Windows 8 is an improvement over Windows 7.

The 8 Upgrade advisor is simply telling you that MSE and Avast aren't needed (you should only run MSE anyway) since Windows Defender has replaced MSE in Win8. But this is not germane since you're installing a Dual Boot and not overwriting 7.

I could use Office just fine from Win7 when I dual-booted 7 and 8.

You want to shrink 7 and create a space for 8 large enough for the OS, install it from boot, it will configure the Dual Boot with the metro interface. Dual Boot Installation - Windows 8 and Windows 7 or Vista

Then I would browse to my User folders in Win7, rightclick to add to the related Win8 library, same as here: Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums

As with any install or repair you should always have your files backed up. You should have them backed up anyway. One way is to download and install Skydrive from MS, drag user folders into the Skydrive folder to upload them to 7gb free storage for each Windows Live/Hotmail ID.

Hmm... Now I don't know what to do. I don't want to overwrite Windows 7, and I don't want anything to be ruined, so what do I do???

shadowboy1795 said:

so what do I do???

Click to expand...

Do what any sane person would do.

Avoid Windows 8.

I gave you the steps to Dual Boot complete with illustrated tutorials. Why specifically are you still worried? Did you read the information I gave you?

As long as you boot the Win8 installer and select ONLY the empty partition you create to install it upon then you will not overwrite Win7.

But you should back up your files and a Win7 backup image just to be extra safe: Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup

I read the information you gave me, but... Windows 8 Consumer Preview expires on January 15, 2013. If the Metro UI is going to replace the Windows 7 bootloader, what do I do when January comes? Do I erase the partition or... what? That's quite confusing if you ask me.

When Win8 is installed second from boot as you'd be doing, it configures a Dual Boot but leaves the boot files on Win7 or it's 100mb System Reserved partition which also remains marked Active.

So when ready to remove Win8 you only need to delete it in Win7 Disk Mgmt, or you can install over it the next version of Win8 from booted installer.

You don't want Windows 8 Consumer Preview, you want the just released Windows 8 Release Preview.

My computer has Win 7 on C:. It has D: E: F: G: and H: Partitions. I also have a 80GB drive that is identified as I:. This is where I installed Win 8 RP. The only change I made after was to boot Win 7, run EasyBCD and change the default drive to Win 7 instead of Win 8. Not necessary but I prefer it that way.

No other impact on Win 7 at all.

OK, I think I just made a huge mistake here -- I installed Windows 8 Consumer Preview, and now Windows 7 doesn't boot up. What could this mean? Did I do something wrong? ...Any help?

Did you follow the steps in Dual Boot Installation - Windows 8 and Windows 7 or Vista? If so it should present a Dual Boot menu when it starts to choose which OS to boot.

Did you make sure that you weren't selecting the Win7 partition to install Win8 upon?

If so, boot into Win8 to run Repair which should add Win7 to the boot menu: System Recovery Options - Boot to in Windows 8

If not, install EasyBCD to Win8 to add Win7 to Dual Boot on the Add OS Entry tab. You should be able to figure out at Start>Computer which is the Win7 partition so you have its letter if required.

Good news, and bad news... I was able to get Windows 7 back, but my only problem is that in Windows 8, the start screen looks warped and the desktop is just a blank screen.

Did you run Automatic Repair from Win8 System Recovery Options - Boot to in Windows 8.
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Run it several times if necessary.