Dualboot with Win7 and upgrade version of Win8?

[harleychen]

Hey guys,

So I bought a Win7 PC during the promotion period where I have the option to upgrade to Windows 8 for $15. I am wondering if I could do the upgrade as a separate operating system on the same computer? Meaning that I would have Win7 and Win8 on the same PC in case something goes wrong on Win8.

I was thinking I could back up my Win7 first, install Win8 on one SSD and then restore Win7 on another SSD.




Thank you!!
HC

 

[inzone]

I would guess it would depend on if you have the Windows disk and you can install it on the other SSD and then upgrade it. You could also try making a system image on the other SSD and then running the upgrade on it.

 

[harleychen]

I would guess it would depend on if you have the Windows disk and you can install it on the other SSD and then upgrade it. You could also try making a system image on the other SSD and then running the upgrade on it.

Hey,

Do you know if that would work for sure though? Because I am planning to just buy another SSD solely for Windows 8 (perhaps the new Samsung 840 pro ). So I want to make sure that it won't have any licensing issue for which it would prohibit me to run my Windows 7 and a upgrade version of Windows 8.


Thanks for your input!
HC

 

[ss202sl]

But then it wouldn't be an upgrade! Windows 8 upgrade is assuming that you are upgrading a previously used windows license, and are not still using it. In your case you want to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 8, but continue to use the Windows 7. It may work, but I think it would violate the license agreement.

 

[harleychen]

But then it wouldn't be an upgrade! Windows 8 upgrade is assuming that you are upgrading a previously used windows license, and are not still using it. In your case you want to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 8, but continue to use the Windows 7. It may work, but I think it would violate the license agreement.

Hehe, yes exactly that!~ I am just worried about the licensing issue... I tried asking Microsoft, but they kept on telling me "one license per one computer"... so in the end of a 30mins phone call, they didn't really answer my question...

 

[ss202sl]

They don't know the answer. It's their software, their license agreement, and they don't know how to answer basic license questions. You could probably do it and get away with it, but it would be a violation of the license - even if they don't know it.

You could probably get away with it just by dual booting, you would never have both OS's operating at the same time.

 

[harleychen]

They don't know the answer. It's their software, their license agreement, and they don't know how to answer basic license questions. You could probably do it and get away with it, but it would be a violation of the license - even if they don't know it.

You could probably get away with it just by dual booting, you would never have both OS's operating at the same time.

Thank you for your input
Yeah.. I felt like the person answering the phone was just looking through their own website and their own tech. forum. :S

I am wondering if you have done that before? Like for Vista and Win7... well I guess that's unlikely since Vista is just not worth keeping comparing to Win7.

 

[harleychen]

Also, please let me know if anyone are doing this or have done so and how it works out!!


Thank you!

 

[RetiredChief]

Worked fine - Had win XP on one HDD, Vista on 2nd HDD and Put bata Win 7 on 3rd HDDs.

I'm starting from the begin of mine as an illustration. Had XP on one disk. Disconnected that disk. and with only 2nd HDD connected, installed vista on it and after install reconnected Win XP disk - daul boot win XP & Vista. Along came windows 7 beta. Disconnected both XP and Vista. Then installed win 7 beta on 3rd HDD, walla, triple boot.

I DO NOT like software Boot managers, Reason for only having the one drive installed. You Set BIOS Boot priority to most often used OS Disk. To select a diff OS you simply Hit the Key that brings up a boot menu during post.
WORKS GREAT.
NOW for the disclamer. My Laptop has two drive bays. Win 7 on SSD #1 and SSD #2 for storabe. Removed SSDs and installed win 8 beta on SSD #3. when down stuck my Win 7 SSD back in. When ever I selected Win 8 to boot to it whould Mess with my win 7 disk - NOT SUPPOSE to do that. So that when I returned to win 7 I would get a error. Removed Win 8 and threw the win 8 Beta disk in the trash.
HOPEFULLY the fixed this BUG, or lousy implimetation!!

My self, in 100 hundred agreement. Leave your window 7 on Disk #1, Disconnect that drive and connect your SSD #2 and install Windows 8 (using the upgrade Disk)
After 6 Months and they have worked out the Bugs in windows 8, THEN when your comfortable with windows 8 you can ditch your windows 7.

Link on using win7 (assume Win 8 will be the same) Upgrade version to do a clean install on 2ndary Disk.
There are two methods - one is called double install. You install once (select custom install) WITHOUT entering your Key. then re-install but this time enter your key.
2nd method (My preference) Same as above, select Custom install and do NOT enter Key then requires a simple reg edit and run a simple dos command.
Read: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/how_use_your_windows_7_upgrade_disk_fresh_pc?page=0,1

 

[harleychen]

Worked fine - Had win XP on one HDD, Vista on 2nd HDD and Put bata Win 7 on 3rd HDDs.

I'm starting from the begin of mine as an illustration. Had XP on one disk. Disconnected that disk. and with only 2nd HDD connected, installed vista on it and after install reconnected Win XP disk - daul boot win XP & Vista. Along came windows 7 beta. Disconnected both XP and Vista. Then installed win 7 beta on 3rd HDD, walla, triple boot.

I DO NOT like software Boot managers, Reason for only having the one drive installed. You Set BIOS Boot priority to most often used OS Disk. To select a diff OS you simply Hit the Key that brings up a boot menu during post.
WORKS GREAT.
NOW for the disclamer. My Laptop has two drive bays. Win 7 on SSD #1 and SSD #2 for storabe. Removed SSDs and installed win 8 beta on SSD #3. when down stuck my Win 7 SSD back in. When ever I selected Win 8 to boot to it whould Mess with my win 7 disk - NOT SUPPOSE to do that. So that when I returned to win 7 I would get a error. Removed Win 8 and threw the win 8 Beta disk in the trash.
HOPEFULLY the fixed this BUG, or lousy implimetation!!

My self, in 100 hundred agreement. Leave your window 7 on Disk #1, Disconnect that drive and connect your SSD #2 and install Windows 8 (using the upgrade Disk)
After 6 Months and they have worked out the Bugs in windows 8, THEN when your comfortable with windows 8 you can ditch your windows 7.

Link on using win7 (assume Win 8 will be the same) Upgrade version to do a clean install on 2ndary Disk.
There are two methods - one is called double install. You install once (select custom install) WITHOUT entering your Key. then re-install but this time enter your key.
2nd method (My preference) Same as above, select Custom install and do NOT enter Key then requires a simple reg edit and run a simple dos command.
Read: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/how_use_your_windows_7_upgrade_disk_fresh_pc?page=0,1

Thank you so much for the input!

Could you explain more explicitly about what do you mean by " requires a simple reg edit and run a simple dos command." So do I install another fresh Win7 on another disk, but select Custom Install and do no enter the key. And then do I upgrade Windows 8?

Thank you!

 

[inzone]

I also had Windows XP on one drive and Windows 7 on another and I bought both Windows disks for my own personal use so I figure I have the right to use them both and the difference in my situation was I bought full versions. I only did that because I liked XP so much I wanted to make sure that Windows 7 was going to be as good.
I won't be getting Windows 8 because it is in the off year cycle of their operating systems. If you look back over the years you'll notice that every other release of Windows is a keeper and the off year is not.
Windows 95 keeper
Windows 98 not
Windows 98 Second Edition keeper
Windows Millenium Do I need to say it.
Windows XP keeper
Windows Vista not
Windows 7 keeper
Windows 8

So following that model you can see that for some reason Microsoft hits a winner with every other release and you really don't need to buy each new release of Windows especially the way they monopolize the OS world and want to even control the OS after you buy it.

 

[harleychen]

^

Haha, yeah I totally noticed the same trend. While it is true and Windows 8 probably won't give me too much surprise, I want try out the new operating system considering it is only 15 dollars to upgrade to Win8 pro. Since you bought both op. systems separately I would say it is completely fine and they are for personal use so I don't think there will be any problem despite Microsoft said "one license per system".

 

[RetiredChief]

You have win 7 already installed on one Disk:
1) Just disconnect that disk
2) Connect new HHD/SSD, DO NOT install windows 7, select custom install. follow what I outlined.

READ, Link points to How to do and I can not say any better
Read:
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/howtos/how_use_your_windows_7_upgrade_disk_fresh_pc?page=0,1
The "old" way, double install, is very simple - just not my prefered method.
A) Do the Install using the "custom" selected. DO Not enter Key
After installed you turn around and:
B) Re-install but this time select Upgrad and insert your key when prompted

PS: This works fine with Vista and windows 7 - I have not tried it with win 8 as I'm not planning on buying it.

Added, Just caught this on another thread:
" You can actually use the upgrade version to do a clean install off a DVD or USB drive, but you will need to contact Microsoft and they will activate it for you, took 10 minutes to get it done." Not sure what they did, hense unsure if MS has to be called, if so should be no problem.

 

[harleychen]

Thank you guys for all your inputs!!!

LAST QUESTION, if I were to get Windows 8 on it's own and I already have an empty SSD which I would use it solely for Windows 8, do I need to put the downloaded Win8 iso file on a DVD/USB and boot the computer via DVD/USB or can I just run the iso and install it on the empty SSD?

Thank you!!!

 

[inzone]

You would just run it on the SSD.

 

[harleychen]

Best answer selected by harleychen.

 

[yudha990]

It's very easy.
I've done that as i 've got the $15 Windows upgrade offer.
I think it's not violating the EULA as the upgrade assistant itself gives an option to install Windows 8 in another partition

1. Clean Install Windows 8 to another partition, not the windows 7 partition.
2. Download & Install EasyBCD.
3. Select "Add New Entry"
4. In "Windows" tab, select as follows :
Type : Windows Vista / 7
Name : Windows 7
Drive : Windows 7 Partition
5. Restart & ENJOY