Windows 10: Dual Boot Windows 10 with Windows 7 or Windows 8

Dude,

Test complete. I did a dual boot with Windows 8.1 Pro (installed first) and Windows 10.


Confirmed results:

If you select to install Windows 10 on a formatted partition or drive with a drive letter when using step 5, then Windows 10 will show the same drive letter while in Windows 10 instead of the usual C: .

If you select to install Windows 10 on an unallocated partition or drive at boot using step 4, then both Windows will show as C: when you startup in either one.



I wouldn't worry about it unless you just wanted to wipe Windows 10 and start over using an unallocated drive to have C: .

 

You're welcome. *Smile

 

All good now *Smile properly installed

 

Did you boot the installer or run Setup from Sources folder within Windows?

 

Whatever happened to Disk Cleanup for windows.old ??

 

Seems to be there Tom, Option one,

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

 

Tom. I had the windows.old because I goofed up my dual boot install. The link by derek works, I deleted the windows.old folder.

After all that trouble, I fixed the dual boot issue. Then I went and did a clean install as primary OS. Everything is working that made me go to a dual boot (My roku issue)

 

Hi,
Any down side to making 7 the permanent default os except for not being able to change the setting ?
Would this keep 10 from changing the default os via it's update system in new builds ?
Which seems to be a normal thing I've read in some questions popping up :/
Not what I would want 10 to ever be default of anything *Wink
Cheers.

 

Hey Mike,

Sure, you could safely make either OS the default to run at startup. If you set the timer long enough, you would be able to select either OS to run at startup. It's only when the time runs out that the OS you set as the default will run automatically.

Startup Options - Choose a Default OS to Run at Startup in Windows 8

Startup Options - Change Time to Wait before Default OS Runs

It wouldn't have any affect on Windows 10 receiving automatic updates while you have Windows 10 running. *Smile

 

Thanks on my previous dual boot,
When on win-10 and windows update needed to boot it took me to the seven boot options window to select a os,
I would of course select 10 because it was the one booting to install the updates,

I just wondered after a few questions were recently asked about the default being changed by win-10 after installing updates from 7 to 10,
So would making the options permanent prevent that from happening,
Update to build 9860 messes up dual-boot setup
https://www.tenforums.com/installatio...oot-order.html

 

I would leave the time long enough to be able to select what OS you want to boot from just to be safe. This way you have more options.

 

Like my previous disaster no boot options appeared at startup like the other two op's stated as well
They were lucky or at least one was lucky that win-10 was on a separate drive so removing it seemed to cure the no boot options issue :/

Well none the less I made the changes permanent on win-10 side and on win-7 for good measure
I did as well increase to 30 seconds as well *Wink
Because frankly win-10 boot or startup is way slower than win-7 or at least this build is :/
Thanks,
Cheers.

 

I'm dual booting with 7 on same drive separate partition. Even though it's on the slower half of the drive, I've had no problems. Shrunk the original 500gb in half and used the un-allocated space for 10. One note on dual boot... Win 7 (or any other earlier version of Windows) will "eat" the restore points on Win 10 OS. To avoid this make the following reg changes:

Windows 7 side:


HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices\Offline \DosDevices\W: REG_DWORD 0x00000001 (1)


Windows 10 side:


HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices\Offline \DosDevices\E: REG_DWORD 0x00000001 (1)

The drive letters may vary, but this is my setup.

Only the Win 7 side is really necessary, but I wanted to avoid ANY co-mingling!

I also use a folder on an external USB drive to pass files, progs, etc. back and forth. Gave it a cute name Win7_Win10_Tunnel.



.....

 

Marcel1600....

Check out this link. If I read your question correctly, this may be what you want to do.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...delete-os.html

....*Cool

 

It helps when discussing these to post a screenshot of Disk Management - How to Post a Screenshot of because experience has shown that in more than half of cases there are complications involved revealed by seeing all of the partitions' labels.