Install two Windows 7 operating systems. Installing a second copy of Windows on a PC

Installing a new operating system is an exciting, but sometimes difficult and nerve-wracking process. Setting up your device to dual boot two operating systems can be even more frustrating. Dual booting is the process of installing two separate operating systems on the same machine, with the ability to select a boot device.

Whether you choose to dual boot because you're unhappy with the upgrade, or simply because you like aspects of each operating system, the process is the same. Windows 10 is big update from Windows 7, but both OS have their advantages. Fortunately, the process dual boot between them is quite simple.

Which operating system should I install first?

It may not seem important, but the order in which you install each operating system is important. Although you can install in any order, it is recommended that you install Windows 7 before Windows 10. The reason for this is due to Windows Boot Manager.

Windows Boot Manager is a program that runs before Windows and allows you to choose which operating system to boot. Windows 7 has more than old version this program, and installation on a computer with already installed installed Windows 10 will also install an older version of Windows Boot Manager.

This old version does not recognize future ones Windows versions, such as Windows 10, and boots into seven by default. To install Windows 7 after Windows 10, you will need to reinstall updated version Windows Boot Manager to resolve this issue before dual booting.

What you need to prepare for work

The first point: prepare two installation disks in advance, with the necessary operating systems.
For practical and convenient work With two operating systems, you need to create three partitions on your hard drive. The first is for Windows 7, the second is for Windows 10, the third is for user files(films, music, photos, etc.).

Installing Windows 7

To install Windows 7 you will need the following items:

Valid Windows 7
DVD Key Windows product 7
PC that responds minimum requirements for Windows 7

To install Windows 7

Place the DVD Windows disk 7 to your computer and restart.

When prompted, press any key to boot from DVD.

Follow the onscreen instructions and click on your settings.
Accept the license terms.
Click Custom Install.
Windows will then ask where you want to install Windows 7. Click the partition you created earlier.
Follow the onscreen instructions and enter your settings and product key.

Once Windows 7 installation is complete, you must activate your copy within 30 days

To activate your copy

First you must be connected to the Internet

Click Start and right-click Computer.
Next is “Properties” in the list.
The last one is “Activate Windows Now”.

You may be prompted to enter an administrator password. Enter it if necessary. Enter your product key, click Next, and follow the onscreen instructions.

Installing Windows 10

To install Windows 10 you will need the following items:

Valid Windows 10 CD
Windows 10 Product Key
A PC that meets the minimum requirements for Windows 10

Regardless of whether you have another OS installed, "Clean Windows installation 10" installation process for Windows 10 is the same. However, you should take into account that installing Windows 10 will overwrite any other OS on the hard drive you install it on.

To install Windows 10:

Place the Windows 10 CD on your computer and restart.
Press Spacebar when prompted to boot from Windows 10 CD.
Follow the onscreen instructions and accept License agreement Windows 10
Press HDD, on which you want to install the OS. This will delete any data or OS installed on the hard drive.
Click "Enter" and select "Partition Space".
Press Enter again to format this space in NTFS, which is file system, used by Windows 10.
Once your hard drive is formatted, Windows 10 will restart and present you with several options. Select the region and language options that apply to you.
Enter your name and other information to personalize your installation.
Enter the product key on the back of the CD case. This verifies that you have a legal copy of Windows.
Follow the onscreen instructions and enter the appropriate information. Time and date, usernames, passwords, etc.
Windows 10 will restart again and begin the last step.

On last stage installation, continue to follow the instructions on the screen, then set up your Internet connection. This is done by connecting a cable from a router or modem, as well as entering information about wireless network. Windows will ask you if you are ready to activate. By selecting yes, you will authenticate your copy with Microsoft to prove that it is a legitimate version.

Often, only one operating system is installed on a computer, but if you wish, you can install two Windows operating systems and select the one you need when you turn on the computer. According to the recommendations, you need to first install the older operating system, and then the newer one, for example: first install Windows 7, and then install Windows 10.
What do we have to do:

Install the first operating system: If you already have Windows installed on your computer, good, let's move on! If not, install Windows and configure it;
Free up space for a second operating system: if all your disks are busy, you need to shrink one of them to free up space and we can create another partition for another operating system;
Installing the second version of Windows: We are installing a second operating system, and at the beginning of the installation you need to select a custom installation, not an update! During installation, select the unallocated disk space that appeared after compression in the previous paragraph.

This was a short plan, by following which, when you turn on your computer, you will be able to choose which Windows to boot. Moreover, all files will be common to both operating systems.

Install the first version of the operating system if it is not already installed:

Let's say we have clean laptop(or desktop computer), first we install the first operating system there:

2. When the dots appear and Press any key, press Enter and the installation begins. Select the language, accept the license, and choose a custom installation!

3. If there is no important information on the disk - delete the old ones and make new ones, or select one and install Windows there;

If you already have an operating system - , and make room for the new operating system:

2. When the dots appear and Press any key, press Enter and the installation begins. Select the language, accept the license, and choose custom installation! If you choose to update, the new operating system will become over the old one!

3. When prompted to select a disk for installation, select the space that is freed up during compression, we can simply select it and click next, or we can select unallocated space => click Create => and create the disk required sizes. No need to install Windows on an existing partition! Choose only an unoccupied seat!

Selecting the operating system to boot and changing boot options:

Depending on which operating system you installed as the second one, the screen will look different; for example, I installed Windows 8.1 as the second system and the selection screen looks like this:

And in other cases it can be black, or another color, which, of course, is not important :)

You can go into boot options and select the default operating system to boot, the time to determine the choice, or automatic download etc. To do this, click on Computer right key mouse => properties => additional system settings => in the additional tab, select Boot and Recovery, select Settings => configure required parameters downloads

If you want to install another operating system, then do it on another partition. But I wouldn’t recommend many of them; if you want to conduct experiments on different operating systems, then it’s better to use . That's all for today! Good luck to you :)

One more, a little more difficult option creating a multi-boot from Windows 7 and Windows XP on one computer. Moreover, Windows 7 is installed first. How to restore the Windows 7 bootloader after installing Windows XP on an adjacent partition.
So, we are given the task of installing two operating systems on one computer - Windows XP And Windows 7- in multiboot mode. And organize their work so that when you start the computer you can select any of them to load.

Why, why, why all this is needed, we will not clarify here - there can be dozens of reasons, and each user has their own. In general, let’s take it for granted - it’s just a MUST, that’s all. Well, if it’s necessary, then we’ll install it. Go.

The most convenient, simple and “ideologically” correct method would be to first establish Windows XP, and then placed in the adjacent disk partition Windows 7. In this case, “7” correctly identifies the “Piggy” already standing on the hard drive and carefully “picks up” it. Therefore, immediately after such an installation, we will receive two normally working operating systems located on adjacent partitions, and a boot menu in which you can select any of them. And all this without any additional body movements and “dancing with a tambourine.” This method is very simple, accessible even to a beginner, and is described in sufficient detail here in this article. So read it carefully, and if you are going to organize multiboot on a hard drive that does not yet have a single OS installed (or you are going to delete them all), then use this method. It's simpler.

Option number 2. For those who are not looking for easy ways.

Let's say Windows 7 you already have installed. Everything works, everything turns and turns just fine. And you are not going to demolish “7” and then rearrange it anew - it’s a pity, or even just laziness. This means that we have the task of carefully placing “Piggy” next to it in the adjacent section, so as not to damage anything to “7”, and to properly arrange the boot menu in which you could select any of them when starting the computer.

So, the task has been set. Let's decide.

Retreat number one. It is worth firmly remembering that different operating systems on the same computer should be installed only in DIFFERENT disk partitions - for each OS there is its own partition. Purely theoretically, with the help of cunning movements you can install it in one, but no one guarantees you the result. In the end, either everything can turn out smoothly, or instead of work or entertainment, you can spend all your time catching all sorts of glitches that have arisen after your experiments. Do you need it? So, we remember for the future as “Our Father”:different operating systems on one PC (different versions Windows, Linux, MacOS X, etc. - doesn't matter)are placed only in DIFFERENT disk partitions . And nothing else.

All Microsoft production systems can be installed only in the main partitions. Therefore, we must have them (or create them) before starting the installation. As a rule, these are two main partitions located at the beginning of the hard drive - partitions designated by us as drives C and D. One of them already contains Windows 7, and in the other we need to carefully attach Windows XP. Which of them in which section - by by and large, doesn't matter. Well, perhaps, solely for reasons of personal convenience. For me, it’s better to put “7” on the first one - C, and XP on the second one - D. But you may have a different opinion. Decide for yourself what is more convenient for you.

Retreat number two(important for understanding the process). If we install Windows XP after Windows 7, then “7” will stop loading for us (although there’s nothing wrong with that). This is explained very simply: Windows XP is a rather old system. When it was created, “7” was not yet in the project (and yet its loading is arranged a little differently). This is why the "Piggy" installer cannot correctly determine that the computer already has one installed system- from his “point of view” the hard drive is absolutely empty. And he “with a clear conscience” sticks his own boot files on it, while overwriting other people’s bootloaders. And we get a working and normally loading Windows XP And Windows 7, which, in principle, is fully functional, but we cannot load it yet, since its bootloader has been overwritten by the Piglet bootloader. In the end, the whole task comes down to a neat and proper recovery Windows 7 boot files after installing XP on the second system. This is what we'll do.

First, let's load into Windows 7 and go to " Disk management"(as it is convenient for you - either through the Control Panel, or something else). And we see something like this:

If we believe what we saw, we have one main partition of the disk on which the Windows 7(V in this case it is marked as C), another section prepared for the installation of "Piggy" (D), and another one, which is marked with the inscription " System Reserved ". This partition in Windows 7 does not have a letter, is hidden and is designed to ensure booting into the recovery environment Windows RE. This partition in our case is active, which means that all boot files of both operating systems will be located on it.

Please note that in some configurations with Windows 7 installed, this disk partition may not be present. In this case, the active partition will most likely be the first partition, and it is on it that the boot files will be stored. So don't panic and just take it for granted. And make a note for yourself as a souvenir.

In addition, we also see the drive optical disks, which we have the letter E. Look carefully again and remember where and what is on your hard drive. In addition to the letters, also pay attention to the sizes of the partitions - perhaps these dimensions will be easier for you to navigate during installation, since everything will look a little different in the installer.

Next we take installation disk Windows XP, insert it into the drive and reboot in order to launch a “clean” installation of “Piggy” (since in our case it will not be possible to launch the installation from Windows).

In general, running the installation of one Windows from under another Windows, in my opinion, is a natural perversion, which for some reason the dissolute programmers from Micro$oft are trying to impose on us. Personally, we promote healthy sex, normal installation. Therefore, only a “clean” installation!

So, we inserted it, rebooted, it started... Let's go into detail about the installation process Windows XP it makes no sense - it’s standard here. We get to the point of selecting a partition for installation:

We select the one we prepared for XP, format it and continue. Then everything follows the same pattern, until the very end.

Installed, booted - that's it, we're in XP. Now, as a result of all our movements, we have two installed and fully working operating systems, one of which - Windows 7 - has lost the ability to boot. So, our tasks:

1. Restore Windows 7 bootloader.
2. Create a dual boot menu.

Please note: section marked " System Reserved", in Windows XP became visible. Now it has the letter C. Partitions with Windows 7 and Windows XP changed their letters to D and E, respectively. Our optical drive now appears as F. It is from these positions that we will indicate to you console commands. If in your version the sections have different letters, you will have to slightly adjust the paths in these commands to your own values.

So we're still in XP. Insert the boot disk into the drive Windows 7 and open it in Explorer. We find a folder on it BOOT. We go in and see the file there bootsect.exe. That's what we need. Pay attention to the path to this file: in our version it is F:\boot\bootsect.exe(since our drive has the letter F).

Let's launch command line (Start => Run, enter in the field cmd and press ENTER). In it we enter next command(we finish entering all commands with the key ENTER):

F:\boot\bootsect.exe /nt60 all

The result of this entire procedure will be bootloader recovery Windows 7- Now we can enter it without any problems. However, there is no need to rush - the fact is that boot menu We still don’t have a choice of two operating systems; we haven’t created it yet. You can create it either from Windows 7, by rebooting into it, or by remaining in “Piggy”.

We remain in XP (why jump back and forth, right?).

Now we need a special utility to edit the 7-ki bootloader data. In XP, of course, it is not there, but in folders with 7 installed (I remind you that under XP the partition with Windows 7 looks like D).

Let's work on the command line again. Go to the folder with the required utility:

First we give the command

cd windows\system32

We are there and starting to work. Create in the bootloader Windows 7 download storage Windows XP:

Bcdedit /create (ntldr) /d " Microsoft Windows XP"

Sometimes this store is already created by default, so this command may fail. We ignore it and continue:

Bcdedit /set (ntldr) description "Microsoft Windows XP"

With this command we renamed the storage as we needed. Then:

The command indicates Windows boot loader 7 location of XP download files. Further:

Bcdedit /set (ntldr) path \ntldr

The command tells the bootloader Windows 7 path to the "Piggy" loader. Then add a line with a choice Windows XP in the boot menu and place it at the bottom, under the others:

Bcdedit /displayorder (ntldr) /addlast

That's it, our multiboot menu has been created. You can also optionally change the selection timeout, which by default is 30 seconds - obviously too much. Enter:

Bcdedit /timeout XX

Where XX- the timeout time we need in seconds.

If you wish, you can without leaving the console (and from the folder windows\system32, naturally) check the correctness of all our body movements. Enter the command:

bcdedit>c:\bootcfg.txt

A text file appears in the root partition of drive C bootcfg.txt. We study it and are glad that we did everything right.

Well, when we reboot, we now see a menu in which you can select any of the two operating systems.

Well, now a little for those who are used to creating problems for themselves with their own hands, in order to successfully overcome them - for those who immediately left XP after restoring the 7 bootloader, or for some reason decided to create a multiboot exactly from under Windows 7.

The technology here will be almost the same, but with minor amendments. First, the command prompt must be run with administrator rights. To do this, find it in the menu Start, right-click on it and select " Run as administrator".

Secondly, for those who still remember - boot files Windows 7 And Windows XP we have them on the first, active section, marked as " System Reserved". In "7" this section is hidden and does not have a letter. Therefore, in it, instead of the command

Bcdedit /set (ntldr) device partition=C:

need to be done

Bcdedit /set (ntldr) device partition=\Device\HarddiskVolume1

If for any reason you have a " System Reserved" is missing (this happens - remember, we mentioned this at the beginning of the article?), and all boot files are saved to the first (active) partition C, then this amendment does not need to be made - the command is given in the same way as in Windows XP.

Everything else is done exactly the same as in “Piggy”. Just remember to keep an eye on the drive letters so that you enter the correct paths in the commands - after all, these letters will be different from the letters in XP.

Well, that seems to be all.

P.S. Especially for those sufferers who for some reason still “have the presence of absence” boot disk Windows 7. For you personally, we have attached a couple of files you need to the article. I'll give you a hint: a little lower. Found it? Download, place them in the place you need and start your “dancing with a tambourine” according to our recommendations. Just remember to adjust the file paths in the commands to your own.

Attached files

There is usually only one operating system on a computer, but if you want, you can install several and switch between them. You can, for example, install two (or more) versions of Windows on one computer and select the one you need when loading.

Basic principles

The principle of operation is always the same, regardless of the selected operating systems:

1. Install the first version of Windows. It's good if it's already installed. If not, install Windows normal method, only when setting up partitions, leave free space on the disk for the second operating system.

2. Free up space for the second version of Windows. To install a second operating system, you need free disk space. If one version Windows already installed, you can simply resize the partition. Is it possible to equip a computer second hard disk (if it is a desktop PC) and install the second Windows there.

3. Install the second version of Windows. During the process, be sure to select the “Custom Install” option and not the “Upgrade” option. Install the second operating system next to the first - on a different partition on the same disk or on a second physical disk.

After this, you can select during the download process the required version Windows, and files saved in one will be available in the other.

Installing the first version of Windows

First you need to install the first operating system, if it is not already installed. If you already have one version of Windows on your computer, you can skip this step. If you are installing Windows from scratch, you should select the Custom installation option during the process and create a smaller disk partition for the operating system so that there is enough space for the second version of Windows. Then you won't have to mess with the partitions in the next step.

Reducing the system partition

To make room for the second version of Windows, you need to reduce the size of the partition in which the first is installed. If free space If this is enough or you plan to install the second system on another hard drive, you can skip this step.

To reduce the partition size you need to run current version Windows and open Disk Management ( Disk Management). To do this, press +[R], enter “diskmgmt.msc” (without quotes) in the dialog box and press . Right click on the current system partition and select the Shrink Volume option. Reduce the partition size so that there is enough space for the second version of Windows.

If used on Windows BitLocker encryption, you first need to open the BitLocker control panel and click the “Suspend Protection” link next to the partition you want to shrink. Then encryption will be disabled until the next reboot and you can resize the partition. Otherwise, the defense simply will not allow you to do this.

Installing the second version of Windows

Now insert the installation disc with the second version of Windows and restart your computer. Start installation in normal mode. When you come to a choice between an update and a custom installation, be sure to choose the second option. If you choose to upgrade, the second version of Windows will simply install instead of the first.

Select unallocated space and create a new section and select it to install the second version of Windows. Be careful not to mistakenly indicate the partition in which the first version of Windows is installed - two operating systems cannot be installed on one partition.

After this, the installation will complete as usual, only the second version of Windows will stand next to the first. Each will be installed in a separate partition.

Selecting an operating system and setting up a bootloader

After installing the second operating system, every time you turn it on, a menu will appear from which you can select the desired version of Windows to boot.

Depending on the installed versions Windows menu may look different. Starting with Windows 8 this blue screen with tiles and the heading “Choose an operating system” operating system). In Windows 7, this is a black screen with a list of operating systems and the title “Windows Boot Manager”.

In any case, the boot menu can be configured directly from Windows. Open Control Panel ( Control Panel), click the System and Security link ( System and Security), and there – “System”. On the left side of the window, click the link “ Extra options systems" ( Advanced System Settings). Select the Advanced tab and click the Settings button under Startup & Recovery. Choose which operating system will boot automatically by default and after how long.

If you want to install more than two operating systems, follow the same principle, just create your own partition for each of them.

Materials

How to install 2 (two) operating systems on one computer? Windows XP + Windows 7

Windows XP + Windows 7, or how to install two systems on one computer

Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7, has gained many both fans and opponents. But she left almost no one indifferent. At the same time, almost everyone who dealt with it at first had to deal with various problems due to incompatibility of programs, and many had a desire to return to the “good old” XP. But also with new system not everyone is in a hurry to leave. And therefore, many users feel the need to have two operating systems on one computer at once, so that they can use them in turn, switching between them as needed. But since Windows 7 is a new system, sometimes some difficulties arise when trying to create a multiboot configuration (and you still need to know how to do this correctly). And if you are one of those users who, after installing Windows 7, still need XP, then this article is for you...

ATTENTION!!!

Let's start right away with a warning. If there is any data stored on your hard drive that needs to be saved, then minor adjustments will need to be made in further instructions, in the parts regarding partitioning the disk into partitions, since they are designed for a blank hard drive that does not contain any information, or that stores data that can be deleted. If the existing information needs to be saved, then we EXTREMELY recommend that you take care of repartitioning the hard drive BEFORE you start installing the operating systems. And use any advanced third party programs, For example, Acronis Disk Director Suite (paid program). Or use some Live-CD with Linux (for example, Ubuntu) - almost all of them have the GParted program (free, more powerful than the utility from Acronis, but often works more slowly). In any of these programs you need to create two empty MAIN partitions formatted in NTFS. These partitions should be at the beginning of the disk (on the left in graphic card V specified programs), and the partition with the data that needs to be saved should be moved to the right - closer to the end of the disk. We will install operating systems into these 2 partitions - they will become, respectively, drives C and D. And then during installation you DO NOT need to touch them - neither repartition nor format - just install each of the operating systems in the partition prepared for it.
Well, now the installation itself.

Configuring the order of checking boot devices

Let's go to BIOS settings to section Advanced and look for the item Boot Device Priority. Here you need to install first boot device(First Device) is the optical drive, and the second is the hard drive. This is necessary so that when you reboot, you can start the computer from the boot disk and get into its menu. Save the configuration by clicking Save & Exit mostly BIOS menu(or by pressing F10 followed by answering the question with a key Y).

If you have BIOS version slightly different, you will have to look for the desired section by analogy. Focus on the word \"Boot\" (\"Download\").

ATTENTION

BIOS is absolutely NOT designed for \" crazy hands\". Therefore, you should not touch anything there without a clear understanding of what you are doing! This is exactly the case when it is better to think seven times and break once.

You can skip the first point if your computer, when rebooting, can itself read a disk that has long been forgotten in the drive. This can usually be determined if Windows startup The disk in the drive begins to spin up on its own.

We start the installation of Windows XP

Looking ahead, I will say that first we will install Windows XP. Not the other way around, but XP first! Therefore, we insert the installation disk with this operating system and reboot the computer. If suddenly, when loading, we see an inscription of white letters, something like \”Press any key to boot from CD...\”, then, without hesitation, we immediately press any key on the keyboard. This is how we will boot from this installation disc. While the inscription is on, you will have 5 seconds to press any key. If you don’t have time, the computer will start from the hard drive, and the XP installation will not start. You'll have to reboot again.

Each system has its own personal section

As mentioned above, before installation, you need to select two partitions on your computer’s hard drive. While traveling around dialog boxes Installer You will be asked to select a partition to install the operating system. Let's ignore this and create partitions ourselves, first deleting all the old partitions by pressing the D key, and then in their place we will create new ones by pressing the C key and specifying the size of the first partition we need (in megabytes). This will be partition C. Next, we are left with an unallocated area of the disk - select it and press the C key again, and without delving into the details of the events, immediately press ENTER (since we don’t need to change the size of the second partition). This way we get partition D. Although, if the size of the hard drive is quite large, then it makes sense to allocate a certain volume for drive D, and leave all the remaining space unallocated - you will deal with it later, creating partitions on it according to your needs.

ATTENTION

The above procedures are intended for a blank hard drive with no data on it, since when partitions are deleted, all information will disappear. If there is data on the hard drive that needs to be saved, then these movements CANNOT be carried out. Go back to the beginning of the article and create, as described there, two clean main partitions using special programs and only then proceed to install operating systems, without repartitioning or formatting anything, but simply install each OS into the partition prepared for it.

Installing Windows XP on partition D

After all the manipulations with the partitions hard drive Let's proceed with the installation itself, specifying partition D as the location for Windows XP. Exactly this way, and not otherwise, so that in the future there will be no problems with choosing and loading the desired operating system. After this, we complete the installation as usual.

note

We installed Windows XP on drive D. It will be located there and will work from it, but its boot files, that is, the files that launch it, will still be located on drive C. And if drive C is formatted or in some way damaged (along with these boot files), you will no longer be able to boot Windows XP. Although the system itself may be in in perfect order, but there will be nothing to launch it with.

Boot Windows files XP is:

Ntldr
Boot.ini
NTDetect.com

They are located in the root directory of drive C (hidden files, service files - turn on their display). You can copy them to safe place, and if you suddenly need them, they will be easy to restore from backup copy and manually return it to drive C, thus restoring it again loading Windows XP.

Next up is installing Windows 7

After Windows XP established, it's time to approach Windows 7. We proceed by analogy with the previous operating system - insert the installation disk Windows 7, restart the computer and press any button when the message appears (most likely: \”Press any key to boot from CD…\”).

Selecting a partition for installation

Now select partition C and install Windows 7 into it.

DO NOT FORMAT!!!

All! We have a multiboot configuration ready.

Now, when you turn on or restart your computer, two lines will appear on your screen, the first - \” Previous version of Windows” and the second - \” Windows 7" You can select any of them using the arrow keys on your keyboard and press ENTER- the selected operating system will start loading. If you don’t press anything for 30 seconds, the default system will start - if you haven’t changed anything, then this will be Windows 7.

If you want to change the default operating system or delay time, then go to Windows 7, then button Start => Control Panel => System => Advanced system settings (left) => \"Settings\" button in the \"Boot and Recovery\" section.