Solved Is there another way I can install Windows 8?

[shadowboy1795]

Hello, all.

Not long ago, I tried to install Windows 8 on a virtual hard drive (.vhd), to start it from my external hard drive. The install was very quick, but as soon as I started it up, many features were missing, and it asked me to refresh the computer when I tried to enter PC settings. I didn't think that refreshing the computer would help, considering it was on a virtual hard drive.
So, as I just get to the point, I used PWBoot to install Windows 8 on the external hard drive. If I were to make a new partition on my C: drive, could I use PWBoot to install Windows 8 to that partition?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!
~Shadowboy1795~

 

[whs]

Here are a couple of options:

VirtualBox - Install Windows 8

Windows 8 To Go - Setup on a USB Flash Drive or USB Disk

 

[shadowboy1795]

Thank you, but Windows 8 To Go is what I did. I guess that's why everything went wrong. I would try using VirtualBox, but my concern is the virtual machine running too slowly, or my host OS crashing.

I tried using a separate partition but Windows 7 wasn't starting.

Is there anything else? Thank you anyway.

 

[gregrocker]

Shrink C in Disk Mgmt: Partition or Volume - Shrink

Download the ISO from here: Windows 8 Release Preview - Download

Burn ISO to DVD using ImgBurn at 4x speed.

Boot the DVD by setting DVD drive first to boot in BIOS setup, or tapping the one-time BIOS BOot Menu key at boot. Choose Custom Install, the space you shrunk, click Next.

After you did everything but those simple steps in the previous thread, let's see if you can actually complete those steps now.

 

[DeaconFrost]

I would try using VirtualBox, but my concern is the virtual machine running too slowly, or my host OS crashing.

Why would your host OS crash? That's the point of virtualization, and one of the reasons its killing dual-booting. The guest OS is isolated from your host OS and has no affect on it. When you try setting up a multi-boot system, if something goes wrong, you possible damage the existing OS as well.

EDIT: Then again, I checked your system specs, and I wouldn't even bother installing it either way right now. It would run natively on your system, most likely, but I still wouldn't go the route of a multi-boot setup. You could pull your drives and use a blank drive to try Windows 8 if you must.

 

[shadowboy1795]

OK, I tried installing Windows 8 in VirtualBox, but I keep getting a black screen no matter how hard I try. =(
I first tried it in Virtual PC, but I kind of knew that wouldn't work, so that's why I relied on VirtualBox. I got the same black screen I got in Virtual PC.

 

[AddRAM]

Hey look a neighbor

Why don`t you take Deacon`s advice. By the way IMO Windows 8 is terrible, not worth the effort.

 

[shadowboy1795]

I would take DeaconFrost's advice, but I also tried installing it to a VHD. The only problem is that it wouldn't let me activate it.
Does anyone know a product key for Windows 8? (Not Developer, Consumer, or Release Preview, because it just says Windows 8.)

 

[gregrocker]

Shrink C in Disk Mgmt: Partition or Volume - Shrink

Download the ISO from here: Windows 8 Release Preview - Download

Burn ISO to DVD using ImgBurn at 4x speed.

Boot the DVD by setting DVD drive first to boot in BIOS setup, or tapping the one-time BIOS BOot Menu key at boot. Choose Custom Install, the space you shrunk, click Next.

After you did everything but those simple steps in the previous thread, let's see if you can actually complete those steps now.

Guess not.

Don't pretend like you have ever actually tried to Dual Boot Win8 because you haven't, but pretend like you have while blithely ignoring how to do it correctly.

 

[whs]

I have used this Win8 product key a few times and it always worked: DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J

 

[hArLtRoN]

Try using this method. Instead of having to create a second partition, you create a VHD and boot via the VHD.

How To Seamlessly Dual-Boot Windows 7 and Windows 8 (The Easy Way) - How-To Geek

 

[shadowboy1795]

Thank you! This worked!

 

[shadowboy1795]

Wait... if I add the boot files to the boot store (In the tutorial), will that in any way overwrite Windows 7?

 

[hArLtRoN]

If you do it exactly as the tutorial you shouldn't run into any problems booting into Windows 7.