How to Windows 7 Partition restore to a Preinstalled Windows 8

[furor]

Hi guys

This is my first post. I have been googling for help and also attempted to search for relevant topics in the seven and eight forums but in vain.

This is what happened.

My laptop came with Windows 7 Pro 64-bit pre-installed with Windows 8 Pro 64-bit recovery discs. I shrank my windows 7 partition from 120 GB to 80 GB and did a clone to another hard disk. Then I use the Windows 8 Pro 64-bit disc to do a factory upgrade. Now I am running Windows 8 Pro and I shrunk the partition to 80 GB.
I have 140 GB partition remaining unformatted.

My question is, I want to restore the previously cloned Windows 7 Pro Partition to the unformatted partition in order to Dual Boot.

The problem is, the current disk is formatted as Windows 8 as GPT type and my Windows 7 Cloned partition (in external hard disk) is in MBR type. How can I achieve the dual boot options so that I can choose Windows 8 and Windows 7 during boot up?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Did you clone the win7 partition to another physical drive... correct? It's one partition? or more?

 

[gregrocker]

In order to use what you already have you'd have to clone the Win7 to another HD and set CSM enabled in BIOS setup to have both types of disks. Boot via BIOS. Or reinstall Win7 to
UEFI.

Or to preserve the cloned install wipe the HD with Diskpart Clean Command followed by command Convert MBR, clone the Win7 drive, then Clean Install - Windows 8 which should configure a Dual Boot with Win7. If not install EasyBCD to add Win7 to a Dual Boot menu.

 

[theog]

My laptop came with Windows 7 Pro 64-bit pre-installed with Windows 8 Pro 64-bit recovery discs.

You will need to buy Windows 7 x64 or Windows 8 x64, as you only have one license.

Than istall both in UEFI mode, to dual boot.

 

[furor]

Hi guys

Thank you for your reply.

After some 4+ hours of last mile googling, I found a way to dual boot two pre-installed OS.

In fact gregrocker got it quite close, but in order for me not to reinstall Windows 7 as UEFI, I have to clone the partition back and use EasyBCD and VisualBCD to force it to load winloader.efi instead.

 

[theog]

You will still need to buy Windows 7 x64, as you only have one license.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Hi guys

Thank you for your reply.

After some 4+ hours of last mile googling, I found a way to dual boot two pre-installed OS.

In fact gregrocker got it quite close, but in order for me not to reinstall Windows 7 as UEFI, I have to clone the partition back and use EasyBCD and VisualBCD to force it to load winloader.efi instead.

Of course you have to clone it back. Of course you have to add it to the boot menu.

bcdboot  p:\windows  /s q: /f UEFI

replace p with actual drive letter.
replace q with actual system partition drive letter.

 

[gregrocker]

This command alone will convert a Legacy Win7 partition clone/image to EFI?

 

[Kaktussoft]

This command alone will convert a Legacy Win7 partition clone/image to EFI?

That command add win7 efi to the bcd boot menu. Just like normal bcdboot command for add normal win7 boot entries. In fact you can modify a wrong entry manually.

Bcdedit /set {ID GUID}  path  \windows\system32\winload.efi

That's all you have to do. I did it a long time ago. I hope I remember the steps correctly(?)

 

[Kaktussoft]

Hi guys

Thank you for your reply.

After some 4+ hours of last mile googling, I found a way to dual boot two pre-installed OS.

In fact gregrocker got it quite close, but in order for me not to reinstall Windows 7 as UEFI, I have to clone the partition back and use EasyBCD and VisualBCD to force it to load winloader.efi instead.

Works?

 

[gregrocker]

This command alone will convert a Legacy Win7 partition clone/image to EFI?

That command add win7 efi to the bcd boot menu. Just like normal bcdboot command for add normal win7 boot entries. In fact you can modify a wrong entry manually.

Bcdedit /set {ID GUID}  path  \windows\system32\winload.efi

That's all you have to do. I did it a long time ago. I hope I remember the steps correctly(?)

So the image is not dependent upon its OS MBR formatting and will auto-adjust to GPT?

 

[Kaktussoft]

BCDboot Command-Line Options
OP must test it. I'm not 100% sure

 

[furor]

@gregrocker I am not sure what are you referring to.
I did additional test. Surprisingly the Basic Disk will auto convert to GPT after restoring the partition.

I tested with EaseUS and AOMEI partition managers (both free).

@Kaktussoft Yes it works. Yes I know the licensing issue too but I am using either of the OS at any one time and not both.