#Create Dual Boot How To Setup A#
#Create Dual Boot Free Disk Space#
#Create Dual Boot Upgrade Installation And#

Master Boot Record and Boot Manager. Select 'Finish partitioning and write changes to disk'. Create other partitions if necessary: see DiskSpace. Create a partition for your Ubuntu installation. Create a swap partition of at least your amount of RAM (if you dont know, 8000 MB is a good value).

Create Dual Boot Free Disk Space

Older versions of Windows do not typically recognize the startup files used in more recent versions of Windows and can overwrite them causing your system to not boot, etc.You can install older Windows operating systems after a newer operating system though it requires a bit of tweaking and it can be a bit tricky and so it is not usually recommended, so really the optimal dual boot scenario is to install an older OS such as XP or Vista prior to installing Windows 7.If you already have Win7 installed but want to run XP without formatting your OS and installing it first, you may honestly be better off running Windows XP using Microsoft Virtual PC and its XP mode feature. See MicrosoftвЂ™s guide to creating and formatting a hard drive partition in Windows 7 if partitioning is new to you.Most importantly it is a best practice when setting up a dual boot configuration to always install the old operating system first. To perform a multiboot/dual-boot configuration your computer must have a hard disk with at least two partitions and enough free disk space, or you can also install a second OS on a separate hard drive if you prefer. As your primary operating system.Setting up a dual boot Win7 configuration is pretty easy but your computer will need to meet a few basic requirements. A multiboot/dual boot configuration is a great way to test or learn a second operating system, or if you have older programs or devices that are only compatible with an older version of Windows (вЂњe.g.вЂќ Windows XP) it is a great option because it gives you the ability to still use that software and hardware if needed while at the same time you can run a newer operating system such as Windows 7, Vista, etc. But why would someone want to install two operating systems on the same computer?Installing multiple operating systems on a computer can actually be a very handy option for many individuals.

For general apps this is not an issue, but for games and other hardware hungry apps a virtual operating system isnвЂ™t optimal and in that case a dual boot setup is preferred.As you see, dual booting say Windows 7 and XP by installing each operating system on a separate partition or hard disk is pretty nifty. Because a virtual PC is well virtual, there is an added software layer. The only real drawback with virtual operating systems for the most part are that they do not take advantage of your physical hardware the same way as an actual XP install via a dual boot would.

Create Dual Boot Upgrade Installation And

Dual booting can also be very handy for testing an operating system, program, hardware, etc.What is the difference between an upgrade installation and a dual boot Win7 installation?Performing an operating system upgrade replaces your old Windows operating system (вЂњe.g.вЂќ Windows XP) with a new one such as Windows 7 or Windows Vista. With a dual boot setup you can restart your computer and then choose the operating system that you want to use whenever you decide you need to use one of those programs or devices. Plus if you want to run those programs at full speed, a multiboot configuration is needed opposed to running the additional operating system in a virtual environment. If multi-booting is for you, read ahead for we answer some common questions about multibooting and later on we walk you through the process of setting up a dual boot Win7 configuration.Why would I want to dual boot and use another operating system along side Win7?You may want to create a multiboot configuration if you have programs or devices that only work with older versions of Windows.

If you are new to installing Win7 see our Windows 7 Installation Guide for more details.Go ahead and turn on your computer and boot into your current/old version of Windows.Insert your Windows 7 installation disc into your computers CD/DVD drive. It is also best to prepare for the installation by disabling your antivirus software. It can be done the other way around but it requires more technical steps and it can be pretty tricky so it is not something you will want to perform if you consider yourself a basic computing user.How to Setup a Dual Boot Win7 Installation Step by StepNOTE: This guide assumes you have an older operating such as Windows XP or Vista already installed, prior to installing Windows 7.Before you install Windows 7 be sure to back up your files to an external hard disk, network drive, or other backup medium just in case something goes wrong. This is really only a drawback if you already have Windows 7 installed and decide you want to dual boot it with XP or Vista. This can be cumbersome if for example you need to run an older Windows XP program that isnвЂ™t compatible with Windows 7.With a dual boot configuration you also normally need to install the oldest operating system first. In order to use the other operating system you will have to restart your computer each time.

Create Dual Boot How To Setup A

If you ever decide that you want to remove WindowsВ 7 from a dual boot configuration make sure you check out our How to Uninstall Windows 7 Guide. If you donвЂ™t have an active internet connection you may not be prompted for this during setup but if you do get prompted we typically recommend that you say yes and install the latest Microsoft Windows 7 updates.Go ahead and accept the license agreement.When asked where do you want to install Windows, go ahead and choose the partition or disk that you want Windows 7 to be installed on, but make sure you select the partition that doesnвЂ™t contain your old operating system.Finally click next to kick off the Win7 installation.We hope you found our brief tutorial on how to setup a multiboot/dual boot Win7 configuration helpful. For Windows XP browse through My Computer, select the drive containing the Win7 DVD, and double-click setup.exe.If you downloaded WindowsВ 7 onto a USB memory stick or external hard drive, insert the drive into your computer and if setup doesnвЂ™t start automatically click the Start button, click Computer, double-click the drive, and then double-click setup.exe.On the вЂњInstall WindowsвЂќ menu go ahead and choose вЂњInstall nowвЂќ.When asked if you want to get important updates for your installation choose either yes or no.

How To Create Dual Boot