2nd disk with 2nd OS installed

not a dual boot but a whole separate install of Win 7 on a separate disk.

The purpose: To have a disk and data and such that I can risk infecting on the web and not care because it's all disposable. Yes, I'll run kaspersky on it anyway

I set my box up with the OS hard drive in a bay that lets me unlock it and remove it. I have another bay with a 2 TB disk in it for backups which I can also remove.

What I'm thinking is to get a third disk, and install my retail OS on it and use that for surfing where mommy, Mrs June and the Teletubbies would not approve, but Elvira, Mistress of the Dark might.

Here is the catch: Will MS have an issue with this arrangement? That is, will they block the install - - or - - because it is on the same MoBo will I be golden?

Well, technically with 2 separate installs it would be a dual boot set-up

Short answer: Yes, it is possible.

Long Answer/Howto:

1: Install Windows 7 on the first drive (I'd start with the one you're going to use 'day-to-day')

2: Install Windows 7 on the other drive, with the first one removed (Just to make sure)

3: Ensure the drive where your primary installation of Windows 7 is located is set before the other drive in boot priority in your BIOS (varies from BIOS to BIOS, consult your user manual)

4: Boot primary Windows 7 installation, log in and download EasyBCD - there is a free version (near the bottom of the page) for limited use (this will help you set up your MBR, so you can boot either OS without using the BIOS)

5: Set up EasyBCD to your requirements (they provide how-to's on their website, if not try google - essentially you want your primary install as defualt, the rest of the behaviour is up to you - its also recommended to give them different names, not both Windows 7)

On I side note - I don't see much use for this. What is it exactly you intend to do with another Windows 7 install? There may be a better way to go about it.

Technically, the second installation will not be legal according to Microsoft's licensing. This is a question I pursued with Microsoft a few years ago concerning XP. It took many emails and lots of specificity in order to nail down the MS folks on the fine points.

But the final answer I received in August of 2009 was, "According to Microsoft Software License Terms, retail version Windows XP can be installed on only one computer at any given point of time. This also applies to the hard drives. Please note that one is not allowed to install Windows XP on 2 or more drives on the same computer." This, even though MS Support gives step-by-step instructions on how to use your original XP Product Key for a parallel installation, which I had pointed out and also quoted.

I haven't quizzed them on Windows 7, but I doubt that they have relaxed that particular stipulation. I dual-booted XP with two retail licenses. I now dual-boot Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Ultimate using an OEM license for Home Premium and a retail license for Ultimate.

ozzy441 said:

On I side note - I don't see much use for this. What is it exactly you intend to do with another Windows 7 install? There may be a better way to go about it.

When there are problems with Windows (malware, etc.), there is no more powerful tool to work on such Windows problems than another installation of Windows on a separate partition or hard drive,

Many professionals use a drive dock to mount a problem HDD so that they can work on it through Windows on their host PC.

bbearren said:

Technically, the second installation will not be legal according to Microsoft's licensing. This is a question I pursued with Microsoft a few years ago concerning XP. It took many emails and lots of specificity in order to nail down the MS folks on the fine points.

But the final answer I received in August of 2009 was, "According to Microsoft Software License Terms, retail version Windows XP can be installed on only one computer at any given point of time. This also applies to the hard drives. Please note that one is not allowed to install Windows XP on 2 or more drives on the same computer." This, even though MS Support gives step-by-step instructions on how to use your original XP Product Key for a parallel installation, which I had pointed out and also quoted.

I haven't quizzed them on Windows 7, but I doubt that they have relaxed that particular stipulation. I dual-booted XP with two retail licenses. I now dual-boot Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Ultimate using an OEM license for Home Premium and a retail license for Ultimate.

Sorry, I didn't make it clear enough - You actually need a second product key, i.e. the second installation is an entire 'different' OS. Single - user license is ONE install on ONE machine, multi-user license (if memory serves me) is X installs on X machines - i.e. even with a multi-user license, using it twice on the same machine is against license terms.

bbearren said:

Technically, the second installation will not be legal according to Microsoft's licensing.

So you think that it'd fail validation?

bbearren said:

ozzy441 said:

On I side note - I don't see much use for this. What is it exactly you intend to do with another Windows 7 install? There may be a better way to go about it.

When there are problems with Windows (malware, etc.), there is no more powerful tool to work on such Windows problems than another installation of Windows on a separate partition or hard drive,

Many professionals use a drive dock to mount a problem HDD so that they can work on it through Windows on their host PC.

Of course. I was considering a home user. Silly me. Just thinking that for some things, virtualisation would be better, although the same licensing rules would apply.

Cliff789 said:

bbearren said:

Technically, the second installation will not be legal according to Microsoft's licensing.

So you think that it'd fail validation?

It's not a question of that - even if it *did* pass validation, it would be considered an illegal copy of windows, as you have used the key to install on the same machine, so you have broken the license agreement.

Only one install of Win7 per license.

Try this first: In Control Panel>User Accounts create a password for your Admin User, then create a new Standard User partition which restricts what can be installed or changed without the Admin password being typed in.

Resist the urge to give out the Password but instead let them ask you to personally approve changes they want to make. It gives you greater control over your computer and helps protect against corruption or infection.

However with the new Fake AV infections there is little that will proactively protect you except to firmly educate any other users that if any type of box pops up to warn of infection they are to not click anything but immediately notify you or Shut Down the computer using the Power Button - which should be programmed in Power Options to Shut down. You need to personally make sure that the notification is only from MS or your AV.