Win7 + Win10 dual boot solutions

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Toonhaze

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Aug 21, 2016
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Hi

I have 2 SSDs (one with win7, one with win10) and a HDD for Data.

I would like to have a simple setup where I can safely boot into either of those operating systems without screwing up anything.

I tried EasyBCD to create a dual boot, but when I tried disconnecting one of my SSDs I ended up having 0xc0000098 error and I had to do a Windows repair individually on each SSD, writing commands in command prompt to fix the boot records.

I would like to avoid these sort of problems in the future.

What is the best option to make a dual boot system where things don't just go wrong all of the sudden?

Thank you for reading
 
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mcnumpty23

mcnumpty23

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Jul 15, 2011
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best way is to have the drives on separate boot records

usually you do it when installing windows--ie you only have 1 drive connected when installing windows

though guess you could do it afterwards by disconnecting drives and using command prompt to write a new boot record to each drive separately
 
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mbarnes86

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Sep 16, 2010
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Hi

If you were starting from scratch
Install 1 ssd
Install one windows
Remove this ssd & replace with the other ssd
Install other windows
Fit the windows ssd you use most to lowest number sata port

Hopefully the motherboard uefi has a option F8 or F11 or F12 to get into the boot select menu where you can select which drive to boot from

If you have repaired both ssd & windows by booting from windows dvd or usb you may still be able to do this

Previously you had the boot manager partition on one ssd so if this was removed the other ssd & windows could not startup

Regards
Mike Barnes
 
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SkyNetRising

SkyNetRising

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Jan 4, 2016
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So - you want system that would work also, if any of SSDs is removed from PC?

Then you need bootloader partitions on both of SSDs
and both bootloaders must be configured that they can boot any OS.

I'm afraid - you can't avoid doing repair commands on both of SSDs.
 
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mcnumpty23

mcnumpty23

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and might sound weird as wouldnt think its boot related

but if you install the free version of macrium imaging software and install its recovery environment

its got the best boot record fixing tool i have used in there

its fixed boot issues i couldnt with command prompt or easy bcd or windows fix it automatically option

so if you disconnect all but 1 drive--install macrium on it with recovery environment boot into recovery environment tell it to fix boot problem it will write the new boot record for you

do it for all drives 1 at a time and job done

and if you ever wanted all drives on the boot record for whatever reason you could just run it with all drives connected

its honestly a great tool thats saved me lots of times when i mess about with stuff i shouldnt and nothing else would fix it

plus its a great free back up/cloning tool as well
 
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Toonhaze

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Thanks for all the replies. However all of that info seems confusing to me and a bit technical. Please explain in a basic way.

AFAIS, there are two options for me:

1). To use a boot program like EasyBCD (but this can cause problems and I need to repair partitions)


2). To manually press F8 upon startup and picking a partition / OS to boot from
 
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mcnumpty23

mcnumpty23

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option 2 is the one you cant mess stuff up with--though as said earlier they should have separate boot records--if you have sorted that then you are good to go--plus having separate boot records means if 1 drive goes the other will still boot

easybcd you can mess up booting
 
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Toonhaze

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they should have separate boot records <-- not sure what you mean

When I installed Win7 and Win10 on individual SSD drives, I did so by ONLY connecting 1 drive at a time. I installed Win7 on first SSD, then I disconnected it and replaced it with second SSD and then installed Win10.

I assume, that was the correct way
 
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Toonhaze

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yeah, well - I see the pros and cons of programs like EasyBCD.

Pros: it is easier to select the OS you wanna boot to

Cons: it can easily screw up your partition boot records and you gonna have to repair it manually


Ofcourse, I am hoping someone can suggest another way. It's not because I am planning on unplugging my SSD drives all the time. I just tried disconnecting my Win10 drive and running Win7 as my only SSD. I had bad performance in games using Win7 (but not Win10) and I thought that this could somehow fix it... but this is another story
 
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USAFRet

USAFRet

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The option 2 above is the foolproof way to do it.
2 individual drives that can operate on their own. Choose which one in the BIOS at start up.

Any other method (EasyBCD, or the Windows boot manager) means the boot info is on one drive. Which can get messed up.

May I ask...why Win 7 and Win 10?
 
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Toonhaze

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Win7 because I love it, because I know where everything is and it is nice and simple. No goddamn bloatware, no Cortana, no M$ Store. And most of all, I don't get blinded by it like I do in Win10 (see this topic: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-desktop/high-contrast-themes-issue/ff386d33-dcfe-4116-8d4a-9c8cd06eb4c0?page=1&auth=1 )

Win10, on the other hand seems to handle my new hardware in a more optimal manner. No games lag in Win10 (as opposed to Win7). But Win10 gives me paranoia, when i get blinded all the time by that ridiculous new GUI engine.

Anyway, nice to have both, I guess. The retarded Win10 for games only (I know this sounds silly, but I felt like saying this). And the good old Win7 for almost everything else.

If that white flash bug would get fixed in Win10, I would probably start using it. But then again - then you have the DPI issue. I made this about it: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-3191067/high-contrast-dpi.html#18634510
 
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