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    Dual Boot Windows 7 & 8

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by BubbaRob, Oct 29, 2012.

  1. BubbaRob

    BubbaRob Notebook Consultant

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    Ok have my X230T ready to install Windows 8 as a second OS and dual boot. I want to keep 7 as my primary. I have my Windows 8 ISO on a DVD and the portable DVD drive hooked up. Ready to roll.

    Here are my questions:

    1. Can I just boot from the DVD drive and allow Windows 8 to create a partition for me during the install or do I need to do it myself?

    2. Can I install Windows 8 as a dual boot setup being that I am using a $15 upgrade version promo that came with my X230T?

    I do have official restore DVDs from Lenovo so I can restore to Windows 7 if something goes haywire.

    Thanks for the help,

    Rob
     
    BubbaRob, Oct 29, 2012
    #1
  2. avservice

    avservice Notebook Consultant

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    I don't think you can?
    I would have for sure if that had been an option.
    The way ot is sold is as an Upgrade to an existing installation and not as a standalone installation.

    I suppose you can install it to upgrade your existing install and then partition and reinstall Win7 so you can dual boot but I can also envision issues with that as I am not aware yet of how Win8 works with existing disc management tools?

    Now that I have done an upgrade,I wish I had not.
    Just for the record.

    It was a much less painful upgrade than I have done before but there is more than enough pain later!

    Ed
     
    avservice, Oct 29, 2012
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  3. BubbaRob

    BubbaRob Notebook Consultant

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    Actually it works great!! I went ahead and booted from the Windows 8 DVD, then installed on the partition I made. Upon reboot, I get a choice of which OS I want to boot. I figured if it went bad I'd just go back to Windows 7. It also activated just fine as well. Now to try it out!!
     
    BubbaRob, Oct 29, 2012
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  4. avservice

    avservice Notebook Consultant

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    Well I wish they had been more clear about this before I ruined my Win7 install with this?

    Glad it worked out for you though.

    What did you use to create the new partition?
     
    avservice, Oct 30, 2012
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  5. BubbaRob

    BubbaRob Notebook Consultant

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    I used Easeus free version in Windows 7 to make a 70GB partition. I left it "unallocated" and Windows 8 did the rest. After Windows 8 install I have 53GB left for some apps. So far its running flawless. The only thing that doesn't work is the Wacom digitizer pen. I have read that you can use an older driver and it will function but then that causes sleep issues. I am going to hold off for now. Finger touch works fine anyway. I rarely use the pen.
     
    BubbaRob, Oct 30, 2012
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  6. avservice

    avservice Notebook Consultant

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    I installed it on my Toughbook T8 which also has a Touchscreen and it worked fine with that too.

    The only issue I have is the Fingerprint scanner software is dead.
    The Fingerprint scanner works and will unlock the machine bit the software interface to it is dead somehow?

    I am glad I have it on a Touchscreen as it seems tricky to run 8 with just a Mouse?

    Anyway now that I know a fresh install is an option I will likely create a partition and install a fresh Virtual Machine on my 17" Macbook too.

    Ed
     
    avservice, Oct 30, 2012
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  7. killkenny1

    killkenny1 Too weird to live, too rare to die.

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    No need for 3rd party software actually. You can partition the drive all you want with "Disk Management" under "Computer Management".
    I always do it that way. Make a partition and then during OS install choose it to install on. Very simple.
     
    killkenny1, Oct 30, 2012
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  8. shadabt

    shadabt Notebook Enthusiast

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    Third party software is needed to convert dynamic disk type to basic and converting ur logical partions to primary else windows 8 doesn't install.
     
    shadabt, Oct 31, 2012
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  9. killkenny1

    killkenny1 Too weird to live, too rare to die.

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    Lolwut? It's certainly not how I installed Win8.
     
    killkenny1, Oct 31, 2012
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  10. BubbaRob

    BubbaRob Notebook Consultant

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    I used Easeus because I had experience with it from the Vista/7 dual boot days. I took a look at Disk Management in Windows but I didn't know how to use it properly and I was rushing as usual. :eek:
     
    BubbaRob, Nov 1, 2012
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  11. killkenny1

    killkenny1 Too weird to live, too rare to die.

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    RMB on the partition you want to shrink and select "Shrink Volume". Then you have an unallocated space. Reboot and run from Windows install DVD and there select that unallocated space to install OS on.

    But, to each is own. That's why we have all these tools.
     
    killkenny1, Nov 1, 2012
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  12. shepdawg

    shepdawg Notebook Enthusiast

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    What would be the best way to add a small Win 7 partition to a Win 8 machine?
     
    shepdawg, Nov 2, 2012
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  13. davidricardo86

    davidricardo86 Notebook Deity

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    Create a unallocated partition like killkenny1 said. Then Id imagine you install Windows 7 from a DVD or USB.

     
    davidricardo86, Nov 3, 2012
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  14. deeznutz206

    deeznutz206 Notebook Consultant

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    deeznutz206, Nov 3, 2012
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  15. davidricardo86

    davidricardo86 Notebook Deity

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    Good video. Some of these topics should be added to the main Windows 8 Thread. :p
     
    davidricardo86, Nov 3, 2012
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  16. davidricardo86

    davidricardo86 Notebook Deity

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    I went ahead and did just this. I first installed 8 over a partition that had my old 7 install. I did a custom install (clean install). Afterwards i created an unallocated partition of 64GB using Windows' Disk Management. I then proceeded to install W7 to that partition using the dvd method. After everything was done, I was left with dual boot 7 and 8. Everything works perfect. I made 8 my default OS, and shortened the dual boot menu countdown to 5 seconds from Windows' System Configuration.

    However, since I installed it in this order (8 then 7, instead of 7 then 8), my dual boot menu looks old-school instead of the new-school 8-like dual boot menu shown in the video above. This doesn't really bother me, I'm just glad everything works and was so easy to do.

    Windows 7 Dual Boot Menu
    [​IMG]

    Windows 8 Dual Boot Menu
    [​IMG]


    Sent from my SPH-M580 using Tapatalk
     
    davidricardo86, Nov 7, 2012
    #16