Windows 10: How set up dual boot with two version of Windows 10

@Nisko,

Once you get EasyBCD installed there are only three steps:

Go to the BCD Backup/Repair tab. Select Change Boot Drive. In the drop down box next to New Boot Drive, select R. Click OK.

 

OK then, you have to change the name to Windows 10, click on the This PC to do that.

This will open Windows Explorer and it will show all your drives and Partitions, right click on your C drive to rename it Windows 10.

I`m using Windows 7 but it`s the same principal. And the reason I mention it is because it`s confusing for us (the people trying to help you) to see Windows 7 listed when it`s actually Windows 10.

 

My Disk Management shot is too small ????? Did you click on it ? It will enlarge it and you should have no problem seeing it.

My Disk 0 only has 1 partition on it, not 2, the other space is called unallocated space, it is not a partition.

Disk 0 is a solid state drive, all solid state drives and for that matter any hard drive with windows installed on it should have some unallocated space so you don`t accidentally run out of space.

But that is a lesson for another day *Smile

 

Thank you very much for the help!! *Smile Your instructions were nothing like the instructions in the link you sent me (unless I got screwed up - which is always possible). Attached is how my DM looks now. I'm sure there is a next step (like, maybe deleting the System Reserved partition?). Also, I did enlarge your DM shot and still couldn't read it. Everything was fuzzy. But I did notice the unallocated space and mistakenly called it a partition.

Well, another day has come (early) and I want to add some unallocated space to my Disk 0. How much should I add? And why should I add unallocated space in the first place?

Then, will I be ready to perform a clean install of Windows 10 (after I make a partition for it)?

Going to get some shut eye. Perhaps I'll see your response tomorrow morning?

 

Forgot to ask what that 453 MB Healthy (Recovery) space was for.

 

Don`t delete the System Reserved partition, leave it alone for now, it`s not important.

The Recovery partition is just that, a recovery partition you can delete it if you want.

Then you need unallocated space on that same drive for your second W10 install.

Post another DM shot of Disk 0 ( just Disk 0 ) and stretch it out wide so we can see everything on it.

I`m going to McDonald`s be right back,

Post the picture *Smile

 

Why not install second instance of W10 on what is now D:/ drive ?

 

Just a reminder
About posting screenshots of Disk Management.

To offer concise help, it is often important to be able to see what Disk Management is comprised of, entirely.

1 - always maximize the window
2 - expand all fields
3 - raise the grid view as high as possible, and...
4 - if there is more to see below, screenshot it as well and stitch it together in Paint, or similar.

 

Attached is my DM. How much unallocated space should I create? Yes, I could put the second OS on the D: drive but I prefer to leave that drive for Data only. Besides, I have plenty of room on the primary drive to hold the second OS. Wouldn't the unallocated space work for both OSs?

 

Have I lost you? I hope not because your help is invaluable to me.

 

Nope, just busy, can`t be here all the time. I need you to disconnect the power from any other hard drives while you`re doing this. All we need connected is Disk 0

Now Install Partition Wizard Free Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free

Now run Partition Wizard, it will give you a layout much like Disk Management. You are going to make a 4th Primary partition on Disk 0 ( We will look at deleting the System Reserved partition and the Recovery partition later )

The 1st thing you have to do with Partition Wizard is shrink the C partition, you will then have unallocated space to create your 4th partition to clean install W10 on. I would say just split C in half.

Just right click on Disk 0 and a drop down menu will appear, click on Move/Resize to shrink your C partition, you are gonna click at the far right end of your C partition and pull the slider to the left to shrink C. Then click Apply in the top left corner (where I have the red arrow)

You should then see unallocated space.

After you get that done post a new FULL Disk Management shot of Disk 0, don`t cut anything out, I need to see all of Disk 0

 

I think I can accomplish all your instructions in the above post without any help. I will have to remove the bottom cover of my laptop/workstation to get at the data drive to disconnect it. I am familiar with Mini-Tool Partition Free. Just one question: Since my system drive is an SSD, I assume (?) it doesn't matter where I place the different partitions. If I was using a platter drive, would it matter where I placed each partition (and why?)? I'm not feeling that well so far today so I may not get it done today - we'll see later. Did you get my last response? Thank you.......

 

I would just make your new partition to the right of C, if you tried to put it to the left of C, Partition Wizard would have to move all that data first before you could create a partition there, I personally would not do that.


It wouldn`t matter if it`s a ssd or hard drive. Although I`m sure it would be much easier on a solid state drive.

But, and this a real but, if you were to eventually remove/format the older install then you might very well create the new partition to the left of C, that`s a real head scratcher *Huh

Hope some others post some input.

 

I, too, would like to hear some more opinions on this since the dual boot of the same OS, for my reason of business continuity, seems to exist in the small minority. Hopefully, I end up doing the best thing in this situation.

 

Maybe someone else knows, but I'm not sure how it would work on 1 hard drive. You have a Legacy Install. The system partition is the boot partition and has to be the active partition. You can only have 1 active partition on each drive. I do know how to do it on separate drives. It is quite simple and easy.