Two installs on windows 7 pro on diff partitions of same drive

[cyberpine]

Development/Test/ Lab machine with windows 7 pro.. having SW config issues and would like to reinstall from scratch but concerned with not having it available for a few days.

It has a 1T Hard drive currently with two partitions.. 130gb for Windows 7 pro OS and rest for Data files. I have about 500gb free. I'd like to grab another 130gb from data and have 3 partions and install windows 7 pro on the new partion to reconfigure some SQL and .NET stuff.. If I'm happy I'd like to make that my default boot, but leave the other up just in case for a few months.

1. Will Windows automatically offer a boot menu?
2. Can i set which boot comes up automatically?
3. Later, any issues installing Windows 7 pro on the original partition again for another test.

 

[Brink]

Hello Cyberpine,

If you like you could use the tutorial below as an example for how to dual boot with two copies of Windows 7. Just substitute Vista in the tutorial with the other Windows 7. The procedure is the same. Do note that you will only be able to use your product key number to activate only one of the installed copies of Windows 7 Pro though.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/5166-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-vista.html
​

Q1) Yes, when you install a second OS to multiboot, you will see a "Windows Boot Manager" screen during boot to select what OS you would like to run at startup. By default, you have 30 seconds to make this choice before the default OS is selected automatically to run at startup. The last OS installed is the default OS to run at startup by default. You could use the tutorial below to set how long you want the Windows Boot Manager to be available for before automatically starting the default OS.

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2285-operating-system-start-change-display-list-time.html

Q2) Yes, you could use any of the options in the tutorial below to set which OS you would like to be the default OS to run at startup.

• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2282-default-operating-system-change-default-boot-os.html

Q3) Yes you can install the OS on any partition again if you like and still be able to multi-boot.



Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[theog]

1. Will Windows automatically offer a boot menu?

Only if you dual boot 32bit & 64bit

 

[Brink]

Hello Ray,

I've always gotten the "Windows Boot Manager" screen at boot to select what OS to startup no matter if the second OS was 32-bit or 64-bit, or the same as the first OS installed.

 

[theog]

You can dual boot HP 64bit & Pro x64.

If you install two Pro x64, EasyBCD is needed to add the first install to boot menu.
Same with two XP Pro 32bit, or Vista Bus 32bit.
The last install takes over.

 

[cyberpine]

You can dual boot HP 64bit & Pro x64.

If you install two Pro x64, EasyBCD is needed to add the first install to boot menu.
Same with two XP Pro 32bit, or Vista Bus 32bit.
The last install takes over.

Oh.. I'm looking to have two Pro x64. Any good guides on EasyBCD? I've not looked up steps, but at a high level what is it, what steps and exactly in what sequence.

Right now I'm at the step of making the 3rd partition for my new install.

Mostly I'm looking for an easy way back in case things don't go well. Right now I've got a giant mess using Windows 2005 Virtual Server (which is not really supported) and several Virtual PC VMs and I'm just looking to INSTEAD host SQL 2008 and IIS for some developing testing right on the windows 7 client.

 

[theog]

For a quick tutorial, take look at method two in this tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/8057-dual-boot-installation-windows-7-xp.html?ltr=D

 

[theog]

Hi Shawn

Just Install two HP x64's, no boot menu.

Install one



Install two



After EasyBCD




Ray.

 

[Brink]

Ray,

Strange, how did you install the second OS?

I'll do some more playing with this later tonight and post my results. The only difference I do notice is that I have the 100MB System Reserved partition.

 

[theog]

Hi Shawn

Just install one & set up, rebooted install 2.
But it was one way of cleaning HD, ready to reinstall Win XP.
I will try with 2 HD drive later.

Ray.

 

[gregrocker]

Note that even though Ray did not get a Dual Boot menu after installing the second Pro on its partition, the install did leave the System boot files on the original Win7 partition (now labeled D when booted into the new Win7).

This means that if you want to delete the OS marked System you must first mark the remaining OS Active, run Startup Repair 3 separate times with reboots to write the System boot files to the desired partition.

It is strange that it didn't configure the Dual Boot Menu. Maybe MS is trying to keep from having two copies of the same OS installed on the same HD this way?

 

[seavixen32]

Note that even though Ray did not get a Dual Boot menu after installing the second Pro on its partition, the install did leave the System boot files on the original Win7 partition (now labeled D when booted into the new Win7).

This means that if you want to delete the OS marked System you must first mark the remaining OS Active, run Startup Repair 3 separate times with reboots to write the System boot files to the desired partition.

It is strange that it didn't configure the Dual Boot Menu. Maybe MS is trying to keep from having two copies of the same OS installed on the same HD this way?

You're probably right, but it seems rather self-defeating on Microsoft's part.

It is the same operating system after all. It's on the same computer and at the end of the day only one operating system can be physically used at any one time in this configuration.

 

[theog]

Hi Shawn
Worked with 100mb System Reserved.


Ray.

 

[Brink]

Ray,

I'm not sure why it doesn't create a boot entry for your 2nd install automatically, but it does for me using the same setup you described. This is how it has always been for me. I created a VM to test this in. I first booted to a command prompt at boot to create and format the HDD so as not to install on a unallocated space and to not have the 100MB System Reserved partition. I installed Windows 7 HP SP1 32-bit, created a new partition, then installed it again on the 2nd partition. It created the boot entry for me automatically.

 

[theog]

Hi Shawn

I did CLEAN, than made 3 partitions & quick format in Drive Options. May be a Win XP leftover.

Ray.

 

[Brink]

Ah, ok. XP does tend to throw a monkey wrench in there.