can you have more than 1 Win 7 Pro installation in the same box ?

[trinaz]

If I clone my Win 7 Pro 64bit installation to another drive in the box...can I leave both drives attached and "live"...or do I need to unplug one of the two drives.

Both on Sata drives and bios allows boot up configuration...ie...which drive is the boot drive ?

Or is it better to leave the clone unconnected to the Sata/power lines in PC

Thanks, Tim

 

[gregrocker]

You would dual boot via the BIOS, setting preferred HD as first HD to boot in BIOS setup (after DVD drive) then triggering the other HD using the Fkey given on first bootup screen for one-time Boot Menu.

You are in a grey zone with activation there. The EULA states you can only have one install per machine, but the hardware signature may show both installs to be the same to MS activation computers. If not, just keep one unplugged.

 

[carioca]

I have a perhaps related question: I had my old XP Pro SP3 running on one machine, then added Win7 Ultimate on that same machine on a separate HDD.

Because of a reported rootkit infection (my AV named it, but did nothing about it), I decided to bite the bullet and wipe XP by installing another separate copy of Win7 Ultimate instead. I ended up with a dual-boot configuration of Win7 and Win7! Little point in this, so how can I best uninstall the first installation of Win7- in the process freeing up a separate licence for use elsewhere...?
Is there a quick way to uninstall the O/S while keeping some files (data etc) intact?

Cheers,

LMH

 

[gregrocker]

Please post back a screenshot of your full Disk Management drive map and listings, using SNipping Tool in Start Menu, attach file using paper clip in Reply Box.

Tell us which HD contains the Win7 you wish to keep, which you want to delete, and if you want to format the deleted HD for data storage or remove it.

We'll give you the steps.

 

[carioca]

New win7 installation is on Merval_C, old one on Merval_E which I would want to format...

Tks 4 ur help,

LMH

file attached

 

[gregrocker]

Need screenshot of Disk Management.

Start Orb>rightclick Computer>Manage>Disk mgmt.

 

[carioca]

sorry, once more with feeling...

 

[gregrocker]

E is good to go.

Just rightclick>delete it in Disk Management, then create a new partition and format: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2674-partition-volume-create-new.html

 

[carioca]

Thanks for that - it's almost TOO easy! Last time I tried such a stunt I got an error message that said, in effect, 'forbidden'...

Cheers,

LMH

 

[gregrocker]

That was because boot critical files were on the partition. Look for "System Active Boot" to all be on the OS you want to save and none on the one you intend to delete.

If not, recover them back onto the intend-to-keep partition by marking Win7/Vista active then running Startup Repair 3 times. XP requires a special line command or Repair Install.

 

[carioca]

Thanks, got it quick-formatted now after some hiccups (because it let me start the Format then eventually failed because I had only 'switched user' to admin and Win7 'saw' that the disk was still being available to another program, i.e. the user switching thingo...)

My next step will be to learn how to have XP in a virtual box, just in case I need one of those old apps.

Cheers,

LMH