Windows 10: Dual Boot Setup 10 and 8.1 and 10 and 7 using image backup / restore

I have multiple computers with Dual Boot setups and have questions about the correct way to do system image backups to be able to restore only one OS in event of issues. After cloning hard drive that already had dual boot with 10 and 7 working successfully, the new hard drive would not boot Win 7, only Win 10. Both OS versions were visible, from both 10 and 7 dual boot menus. I had taken image backups from within each of the OS software, and tried to do a restore of the win 7 from the win 10 recovery media ( i did not want to risk doing a restore from Win 7 recovery media that would not be aware of the newer OS.). It found the Win 7 OS and the backup image when I selected the win 7 OS from the restore option, but it wanted to delete all other partitions on the drive (only one hard drive on system), which would have wiped out the working Win 10 partition.

Is it possible to restore only one OS partition from System Image Restore for dual boot setups using one hard drive, and, if so what is the image creation scenario and image restore scenario to follow.

I had a system image that I created in Win 7 (system and OS partition option) before I did a clean install of Windows 10 to a new Partition. I created a system image of Windows 10 after the successful install. I set up dual boot and was able to access both version of the OS successfully multiple times. I cloned to a new, larger hard drive and was able to access the Win 10 partition, but got an error ( unable to boot from partition) and wanted to restore only the Win 7 partition from win 10 recovery media. It found the OS and the image restore set, but wanted to delete all other partitions on the hard drive. I wound up re-cloning the hard drive.

Is there a known process for being able to use the existing windows tools to create system images for each OS in a dual boot system and be able to restore one or the other

Do you have to do a system image backup from Win 10, and include all partitions on the drive and then restore everything if you have a problem with either?

Any thoughts or suggestions how to be able to use system image backups to maintain a dual boot system with maximum flexibility on the restore side of things?

:)

 

I would like to keep Windows 7 and replace Windows 8.1 with Windows 10. Would it be possible to install 10 and keep the dual boot setup with 7?

* Original Title: Dual Boot

Hello,

My computer has Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 installed with a dual boot setup. They are both installed on the same drive(1 TB) with two equal partitions. I would like to keep Windows 7 and replace Windows 8.1 with Windows 10. Would it be possible to install
10 and keep the dual boot setup with 7?

 

Can I dual boot Windows 7 and 10 with only one liscence

You will need a license for both Windows 7 and Windows 10. But, there is a loophole, if you first upgrade to Windows 10, activate it, you can rollback to Windows 7. This gives you a digital license which permits you to install Windows 10 on another partition.

Its a lot to do though, but it is possible.

Backup your Windows 7 license first:

How to backup your installation of Windows 7

Upgrade to Windows 10, after upgrading, make sure its activated.

Restore your Windows 7 image, create a partition, install Windows 10 there and you should be activated.

• How to: setup a dual boot configuration with Windows 10 and previous versions
  of Windows

 

The easiest way is to use a third party imaging software such as:
Macrium Reflect Free
Make a backup image of the entire disk then you can selectively restore one or more partitions

 

Agreed.

 

If you create a system image while in your default boot drive (the first drive in your boot selection), you will only be offered the option to create a system image for that drive, which will be C:\

You will only be able to add the other dual boot drive as a standard file backup.

If you create a system image in your 2nd drive, Windows 7 Backup will automatically include both drives in the system image.
Restoring such a system image requires that you boot into the second drive from the PC or from a system repair disk.

Hope this helps.

 

You replied to a five month old post, and are completely wrong as well.