Anyone know anything about dual booting?

[ReaderGuy]

I have windows 7, and have been thinking about dual booting windows 7 and 8. I actually attempted to do this, but have been having trouble with the installer. Ive been trying to save the ISO file, to "install by creating media" and it says "Sorry, something happened, we couldnt finish creating the ISO...".

So I was going to call microsoft customer service, but I started wondering if its even a good idea to dual boot. Im a college student and really dont want to mess up my computer. Is dual booting normally safe/ would you recommend it?

So does anybody know how to fix my issue, or have any knowledge about dual booting and how it could affect my computer?

Also, I do have a 64gb usb 2.0 flash drive. Could I just run windows 8 on this? Or would a partition on my computer be better (of 150gb)?

 

[ajdass1]

I'm wondering, do you need to dual boot for a specific reason? And why choose to dual boot windows 7 and 8?

The reason I ask is that I imagine dual booting to be something you'd do with a specific purpose that allows you to get the best out of both operating systems in order to suit your needs - for example, if you're developing something for multiple operating systems or you're an arty type with multiple programs that you need different OSes for to work correctly.

My own impressions of windows 8 are that it's windows 7 with an ugly, impenetrable veneer that just makes it harder to get anything done, so I struggle to see what benefit you'd be getting from it.

 

[TropicalStarfish]

I would say just stick with windows 7 if you can. From what I know (which isn't much but...), windows 8 is just Microsoft's desperate grab at the tablet and mobile market and such. There is a history of Microsoft coming out with a ****** version of a pretty solid OS. You had windows 95 which was pretty decent, then 98 sucked, XP was decent, then Vista sucked, 7 was solid, and Windows 8 I'm sure sucks...

You are better off asking the search engines, I think.

A quick search revealed this and many other hits... http://lifehacker.com/5840387/how-to-dual+boot-windows-7-and-windows-8-side-by-side

 

[9006]

Yes I know about dual booting, although I've never done it with 8.

So which ISO are you trying to save? I didn't understand this. Do you mean you were trying to burn the ISO to a DVD? So do you know how you're doing it?

Dual booting is OK, I kinda understand why you wanna dual boot with 8.

 

[LonelyInAtl]

If you want to play with Windows 8, I would suggest running it in a VM.

 

[ReaderGuy]

I'm wondering, do you need to dual boot for a specific reason? And why choose to dual boot windows 7 and 8?

No theres not really a reason. I just think windows 8 looks nice and I think Id like it if I had it. I just dont want to give up windows 7. Theres a lot of compatibility problems with some of my programs and I dont want to have to deal with it.

However, if dual booting is "dangerous" Its not really worth it since I dont "need" windows 8. But Id really like it.

Plus, have you heard of the leap motion controller (look it up)? It comes out in a couple months and I think it would be interesting with win8, since my computer doesnt have a touch screen.

Yes I know about dual booting, although I've never done it with 8.

So which ISO are you trying to save? I didn't understand this. Do you mean you were trying to burn the ISO to a DVD? So do you know how you're doing it?

Dual booting is OK, I kinda understand why you wanna dual boot with 8.

Well I dont know fully well how to do it. I was at first trying to install by using a usb drive. It installed all the files, and when I restarted my computer with the usb drive in, a windows 8 screen would pop up and eventually say that some crucial file was missing , which I thought was the ISO file. Afterwards I deleted the windows 8 files on the usb to try and start over. However, now it doesnt want to install the ISO file or install the windows 8 files on the usb...it gives me the error message.

So, in summary im not totally sure what im supposed to be doing.

 

[9006]

Well I dont know fully well how to do it. I was at first trying to install by using a usb drive. It installed all the files, and when I restarted my computer with the usb drive in, a windows 8 screen would pop up and eventually say that some crucial file was missing , which I thought was the ISO file. Afterwards I deleted the windows 8 files on the usb to try and start over. However, now it doesnt want to install the ISO file or install the windows 8 files on the usb...it gives me the error message.

Oh I see, so you were trying to install Windows 8 onto USB drive in the hope you could run it from that? You should make sure that 'USB booting' is enabled in your BIOS. The problem is that the newest windows always wants to "take control", it will try and make itself the default OS and I think this makes it difficult for what your trying to do.

I think the best way to do it (if you really want to do it) is to use your main (internal) HDD instead of a external drive. Unfortunately it means that you'll have to reinstall your current version of Windows 7.

Basically you split the HDD in two (by using fdisk or some partition tool, i.e. partition magic), format them both; and that's your starting point. So then you have one drive split into two; a C drive and D drive. Depending on which OS you want to be the default (the one you wanna use the most, which I suspect 7) you install that last.

So for example if I mainly used Win 7, I would install 8 first onto the second partition (Drive D) and once that's installed OK, I would then install Win 7 onto the first partition (Drive C) - during the install of 7 it will automatically detect that there's another OS installed elsewhere (via the MBR) and it will alter the start up so you'll have a choice once your computer is started.

Of course there's tools that make it easier to do all of what I just said but it really isn't that difficult, and it is save. I used to have a similar setup, and the way to make it even safer is if you have another HDD (external or internal) and use that to store all your files and documents onto (you can link your OS's to that drive), that way if something did go wrong, all your files would still remain in that drive.

Phew, hoped that helps!

 

[ReaderGuy]

Well I dont know fully well how to do it. I was at first trying to install by using a usb drive. It installed all the files, and when I restarted my computer with the usb drive in, a windows 8 screen would pop up and eventually say that some crucial file was missing , which I thought was the ISO file. Afterwards I deleted the windows 8 files on the usb to try and start over. However, now it doesnt want to install the ISO file or install the windows 8 files on the usb...it gives me the error message.

Oh I see, so you were trying to install Windows 8 onto USB drive in the hope you could run it from that? You should make sure that 'USB booting' is enabled in your BIOS. The problem is that the newest windows always wants to "take control", it will try and make itself the default OS and I think this makes it difficult for what your trying to do.

I think the best way to do it (if you really want to do it) is to use your main (internal) HDD instead of a external drive. Unfortunately it means that you'll have to reinstall your current version of Windows 7.

Basically you split the HDD in two (by using fdisk or some partition tool, i.e. partition magic), format them both; and that's your starting point. So then you have one drive split into two; a C drive and D drive. Depending on which OS you want to be the default (the one you wanna use the most, which I suspect 7) you install that last.

So for example if I mainly used Win 7, I would install 8 first onto the second partition (Drive D) and once that's installed OK, I would then install Win 7 onto the first partition (Drive C) - during the install of 7 it will automatically detect that there's another OS installed elsewhere (via the MBR) and it will alter the start up so you'll have a choice once your computer is started.

Of course there's tools that make it easier to do all of what I just said but it really isn't that difficult, and it is save. I used to have a similar setup, and the way to make it even safer is if you have another HDD (external or internal) and use that to store all your files and documents onto (you can link your OS's to that drive), that way if something did go wrong, all your files would still remain in that drive.

Phew, hoped that helps!

I didnt think Id have to reinstall windows 7 :/ I might just do it later over the summer when I have more time then/ dont have school work to do. Thanks for the advice though!

 

[9006]

Well that's only if you want to install both OS's on the same drive, you *could* buy another drive, put it in and install win 8 on that, that way you wont have to touch your current installation of 7. Just make sure you install to that drive - like I said windows will see that you already have windows 7 and give you a choice.

The way your trying to do it (on the USB drive) will work. but you'll have to enable USB booting in the BOIS and change the boot priorities when you wish to boot off it.

 

[ReaderGuy]

Well that's only if you want to install both OS's on the same drive, you *could* buy another drive, put it in and install win 8 on that, that way you wont have to touch your current installation of 7. Just make sure you install to that drive - like I said windows will see that you already have windows 7 and give you a choice.

The way your trying to do it (on the USB drive) will work. but you'll have to enable USB booting in the BOIS and change the boot priorities when you wish to boot off it.

Ah ok. Yeah ill probably just partition my drive.
I cant even do it now anyway. I just got off the phone with hp and apparently im gonna have to send it in for a week cause my nvidia geforce card isnt working. It blows...at least I'm on spring break for most of the time