Dual boot Windows 8 with Windows 7

Dual booting allows two operating systems to run independently on one PC, by installing each one on separate partitions on the same hard disk. Then, the desired operating system can be chosen each time the PC starts up.
This is ideal for those who want Windows 8 but also an existing version for compatibility or fallback. It requires the full System Builder edition of Windows 8, as the licence terms of the upgrade versions forbid dual-boot installation.
To clarify, you cannot use the Windows 8 Pro offer available from the Microsoft website (which is being sold at a discounted price) to set up a dual-boot configuration. The System Builder version of Windows 8 is available from online retailers such as Quiet PC.

STEP 1       

                

Before proceeding, you should back up your PC – we cannot be held responsible if something goes wrong. For this workshop, we will assume that the PC has a single hard disk labelled C, with Windows XP, Vista or 7 already installed. Windows 8 needs at least 16GB of free disk space but more is better.

To check the available free space, press and hold the Windows key then tap E to open Windows Explorer. Right-click the C drive’s icon and choose Properties. Look at the Free Space figure and check it is sufficient. If not, a larger disk, or a second one, must be installed.
STEP 2

                      

First check the hard disk for errors. In the drive’s Properties dialogue box (Step 1), select the Tools tab. Click Check Now, then make sure the box labelled ‘Automatically fix file system errors’ is ticked. Click Start, and an error message will appear.

Click Yes in XP, or ‘Schedule disk check’ in Vista/7.  Click OK, then restart the PC. The disk check will run automatically before Windows starts. This can take a long time, and should not be interrupted once started.

STEP 3

Windows XP users should skip to Step 5. To create a new partition in Windows Vista or 7, press the Windows key and R, type diskmgmt.msc in the Open box then click OK. In the lower pane, right-click on the bar for the C partition and choose Shrink Volume.

Windows will try to reduce the size of the C partition by the maximum possible amount but this can be changed by altering the value in the box labelled ‘Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB’. The final size of the C partition is shown in the ‘Total size after shrink in MB’ box.

STEP 4

process will complete, and the main window will now show the existing C partition next to another one labelled ‘Unallocated’.

If there are any other existing partitions on the hard disk – such as a partition for data, a ‘System Reserved’ partition in Windows 7, or a hidden recovery partition – don’t worry. These will be completely unaffected by the Windows 8 installation. Preparation is now complete, so skip to Step 7.

XP users should download and installEaseus Partition Master Home Edition. Launch Easeus and click Go to Main Screen on the start-up screen. The partition information is shown in the right pane.

Click on the disk containing the C partition, then click the Resize/Move button. In the dialogue box click and drag the small circle at the right end of the blue bar at the top to the left until the ‘Unallocated space after’ figure matches at least the minimum size needed for Windows 8 (16GB).

graphic will update, showing the new partition size. Double check that the unallocated space is correct, and adjust if needed. When done, click OK then click the Apply button on the menu bar.

Click Yes in the dialogue box, and another dialogue box appears. Click Yes again and the PC will restart. After the Windows logo appears, the Easeus software will partition the disk and restart the PC again.
A message indicating success will appear, and the PC will restart a third time. After Windows starts a final restart will be requested.

STEP 7

First, make sure the PC’s Bios is configured to boot from a CD/DVD. If unsure, try Step 8 first. If this does not work, enter the Bios setup menu by pressing the Delete or F2 key while the PC is starting (before the Windows logo appears).

Look for a ‘boot options’ menu (or similar) and make sure the CD/DVD drive is at the top of the boot-priority list. Check the PC’s manual for details. On many laptop computers, pressing the F12 key while booting displays a menu that allows the boot device to be chosen.

STEP 8

Insert the Windows 8 installation disc and restart the PC. When a message saying ‘Press any key to boot from CD’ appears, press any key. Adjust the regional settings if necessary and press Next, then click Install Now.

Tap in the product key, then click Next, accept the licence agreement and click Next again. Click the option labelled ‘Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)’.
On the next screen, choose Unallocated Space; if there is more than one of these, choose the one created in Steps 4 or 6. Click Next to start the installation.

STEP 9

After about 20 minutes of copying files, the PC will restart and a screen offering a choice of operating system will appear. The installation disc can be removed now.

Click Windows 8 and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup and personalisation of Windows 8, just like a normal installation.
The exact steps will vary depending on the PC’s configuration, such as whether there is aninternet connection, and whether a local or Microsoft account is used for logging on. When finished, every time the PC restarts, the operating system choice menu will appear.

STEP 10

To change the default operating system or the timeout (the period after which Windows launches automatically), click ‘Change defaults or choose other options’ on the Windows 8 boot-choice screen. If the old Windows version is set as the default, an older version of the boot-choice screen will appear on start-up.

To reinstate Windows 8 as the default from within any Windows version, press the Windows key and R, then type sysdm.cpl in the Open box and click OK. Click the Advanced tab, click the Settings button under Startup and Recovery, choose Windows 8 from the ‘Default operating system’ dropdown menu, then click OK twice.