Can I Install a Second OS Of Windows 7 x64 Multiboot?

Hi,

I had a new system made up for me a few months back and as I was so insistent on excellent cooling - fans - RAM etc, I didn't pay enough attention to the HDD's.

Subsequently the system was installed on an SSD 60GB. For a normal user this would be adequate, but I work with a lot of digital programs that write to the app data folders and I can't safely move those onto the D:\Drive where I have programs and Docs - all libraries. I have hard linked everything I could, but the more Windows updates and other updates I do, the Winsxs folder is already 7.2GB.

I only have 20GB's left after a short time and would like to be able to install another Windows 7 x64 on a 1TB drive I can free up easily. Ideally, I want to keep the SSD drive as an OS to use for general use and get all my graphics programs onto a different system for work purposes.

I have not ever multibooted before and have no idea how to go about it - or I do but it could be wrong.

Is it even possible to have one OS on an SSD and the other on a HDD? I do have an extra unused OEM version of Win 7 x64 ultimate and hope that is legal to use two OS on same machine.

Any advice and/or assistance is most appreciated.
~Zeana

Golden said:

Zeana said:

I work with a lot of digital programs that write to the app data folders and I can't safely move those onto the D:\Drive where I have programs and Docs - all libraries.

Hi,

Have you tried this tutorial to address the above - refer to Option 7 & 8 that address User folders specifically. perhaps that may be a solution for you.

Hard Disk Space - Free Up and Recover

I have done everything in that list except move the entire user profile. I was understanding that one can only do that with a fresh install. I guess I can try, but I still want to try and multiboot because my user data is only eating 2GB of space at the moment. Winsxs is eating more, and that is with all the cleaning - and I do that daily.

Thank you so far!!
~Zeana

[QUOTE]Is it even possible to have one OS on an SSD and the other on a HDD? I do have an extra unused OEM version of Win 7 x64 ultimate and hope that is legal to use two OS on same machine.[/QUOTE

Not 100% sure about the SSD but don't see any reason why not. I have XPsp2 , XPsp3 , & W7sp1 all in same machine on separate drives. All are spinners. OS's were installed individually by disconnecting all drives except the one to install. Boot selection is done by haveing the primary OS as the first drive selected in BIOS. If I want one of the others I catch the one time boot selector with F10 as the first screen comes up. Also since I mostly navigate with windows explorer I can access any file from any OS.
I give credit to Bare Foot Kid for this setup.

And to answer the curious, XPsp2 plays my old games perfectly.

Art.

Unplug the SSD when you install to the 1 tb which I would partition for the OS. Then follow the advise just given to boot preferred OS by setting it first to boot in BIOS setup, the other using the one-time BIOS Boot Menu key.

If you don't prefer this method then install EasyBCD 2.1.2 to the first booting OS to add the other to a Windows Dual Boot menu. Both will still retail their boot files to boot independently if needed, which they woudn't if you install with both connected.