Windows 10: Partitioning My Hard Drive Without Losing Data

I intend to partition a hard drive I'll be buying to install Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 on each partition but I don't want to lose my data after I've installed Windows 7 and then 8.1 or maybe install the Windows 10 preview 32 bit. I am not going to install Windows 8.1 or 10 Test version as yet gonna have the second partition available but when I install 8.1 I don't want to lose the files I have on Windows 7 partition. I partitioned my hard drive this way successfully in 2009 with Vista and Windows 7 but that was five years ago and that may have been using a Windows built in tool, don't remember the details. How do I partition without losing my data? What's the procedure like and what software can I use?

:)

 

Can I use the same External Hard Drive to make a recovery disk for 2 systems and how to restore data?

And also how can I create a recovery drive on the external hard drive without losing my data already on the external drive?

 

Windows 10 + remove Raid1 + SSD about to be broken

Hey there,

I'm currently using Win7, want to upgrade to Win10. My OS is running on an SSD, which is about to end its life and may break on me any day now. I have two 2,5 TB HDs in a Raid1 configuration, which I want to dissolve anyway, preferably without losing data.

In other words, I wish to install Win 10 on another hard drive, but this hard drive is currently still in a Raid1. I need to undo the Raid without losing data (definitely possible with this type), format one of the two hard drives, make it a system partition
and install Win10 on it.

My question is, how do I go about this so I don't break anything? I'd appreciate if somebody with experience could help me.

Thank you

 

This is from Windows seven forums but still works. Partition or Volume - Create New - Windows 7 Help Forums
And then at the end of the tutorial there is this list of about everything you could ever need to do to a partition.

Partition - Mark as Active - Windows 7 Help Forums The third method in this tutorial mentions the download third party software that can be used to partition and such also. Good luck to you *Cool

 

I use this program. The Home edition is Free as well as a bootable version.

If you move or resize the OS partition it will reboot and do its work before loading the OS or you can use the bootable version.

Free download Magic Partition Manager Software, partition magic alternative, free partition magic, partition magic Windows 7 and server partition software - Partition Wizard Online

Jim *Cool

 

Used this on many (about 60) systems including mine without issues.
It will warn you if there is a chance of data corruption.
Have a look.
EaseUS Partition Master - Best partition manager software for Windows disk management.

 

When you install Win8.1 after having already installed Win7, you won't lose files from the Win7 partition, but Win8.1 will overwrite the boot loader code in Win7 with its own code. After that, when you boot, you'll get an OS selection screen with an entry for Win8.1 and an entry for Win7.

 

Hi Mark, thanks for the tip. But what software are you specifically referring to for me to do this? I need one concrete program or another to use. I have been getting lots of suggestions from people in this thread but I need to know which program you are referring to specifically to get this done in the way you are describing as I want to do this when I get the hard drive in less than two weeks.

 

Download any of the suggested programs above and fire up Youtube for a step by step instruction. Easus is a good software. But I personally use MiniTool Partition Wizard.

It will only take 5 minutes to become a professional hard drive partitioner. *Smile

 

You don't need to do this yourself. When you install Win8 after already having Win7 installed, the Win8 installer will find Win7, and its boot loader files, and will automatically do these updates for you. What is harder to do is to prevent this from happening so that each of the OS versions has its own set of boot loader files.

 

Before doing anything, be sure to backup your data!

 

Very important.

Usually these utilities work with no issues. But occasionally they do fail, with potentially disastrous results for your data.
You cannot rely on recovery methods.