Hello everyone, I just installed Windows 8.1 Pro on a new SSD(did the install with the other drives disconnected). I have another one with Windows 8 Pro installed on it and a HDD for my files. When I boot, Windows 8.1 is loaded automatically and afterwards, I can see the partitions in disk management for each drive. Is there a way to have a choice of which OS to load at startup ? Thx in advance.
As you have installed with with other drives disconnected; the easiest method would be by selecting the boot HDD/SSD from bios/efi (F8 for asus boards during POST). Some MOBOs use F2, F11, esc or you go direct into bios setup and select the desired HDD/SSD
Thank you! I went again to my bios and found it under 'Hard Disk Drive BBS Priorities which drive to take 1st priority (Yes, MSI). I assume it will boot Win8 and as Win8.1 I will see the partitions (well the ssd) for Win8.1 in Computer too. No way to have the "Choose an operating system" blue page? Damn, if I follow the "Change the default operating system for startup (multiboot)" from Microsoft Windows website, I just have Windows 8.1 under 'Default operating system'. I suppose I'd have the two of them if I had installed them in the same drive.
The proper way of setting this up would be to first install Windows 8.1 (yes, newer first) Then install 8.0 on the 2nd disk. Windows doesn't like having 2 boot partitions on your system at any given time.. You will run into a lot of problems.
Well, I disconnected the ssd with Win8 for now. Can always use it if I have a problem with 8.1. Thx again sps and murphy78!
Best way would be to install both systems on one hard drive using GPT. Format your hard drive as GPT, then create 2 primary partitions and install windows 8 on one, and windows 8.1 on the second one. Then you can sellect which one to boot at startup and in each Windows you can even hide the other system partition (which is impossible with MBR). This is how I have it set up and its working great. If you need help with formating your drive as GPT, hit me up. You are supposed to install the older system first. If you use GPT then you will not have any problems. I know gpt is for large hard drives, but because of these advantages I mentioned, it is worth to use it on smaller ones too.
I used the old Windows 7 boot menu and added a new boot entry with EasyBCD for 8. At first I booted into Windows 7 most of the time and hated that I had to wait for windows 8 to boot just to have it restart and boot into Windows 7 again. So annoying. Maybe you can do sth similar with 2 Windows 8s.
I have done it numerous times with Windows 7 + Windows 8 and Windows 8 + Windows 8.1 and I do it every time I format my hard drive, as I have 2 system partitions on one hard drive using GPT. Firstly you are indeed supposed to install older system first (quotation from Microsoft: "You must install the older operating system first, and then install the more recent operating system. If you don't (for example, if you install Windows Vista on a computer already running Windows 7), you can render your system inoperable. This can happen because earlier versions of Windows don't recognize the startup files used in more recent versions of Windows and can overwrite them."), and secondly problems with dual booting while using MBR are non existent with GPT.
I have first installed win8Pro, then win7 (i.e. newer 1 first); then later when the leaks came, I simply installed them (i.e. newer 1's later), so I guess I have done it both ways and so far no problem. I have win7 as default, when I restart, it is the black/white boot menu(restart is total shutdown), but if I shut down in win8(which is actually sleep), it will be the metro boot menu on next start-up. My guess is is (haven't tried it myself), if you have all win8/win8.1, and you want the old start menu, you could use EasyBCD to install the Vista boot manager, and kill "fast start-up" in both win8/8.1.
Ahh yes. It is actually true that Vista has no clue how to handle the extra boot partition. Installing the newer OS first is more about forming the boot partition correctly than backward compatibility for Vista.
I find it a bit messy to let Windows take care of the multiple systems - prefer the more orderly approach of having each system completely independently of each other on separate partitions, and use a proper boot manager to handle it. I like the OSL2000 boot manager (osloader.com) for its very simple interface and "stealth mode". In stealth mode (a feature I’ve not found in any other manager) it boots straight into the default system without showing any menu unless a key is pressed at the right point during boot. I just love that feature.
I see it is bad thing that Vista is mentioned in that quotation. Alright, again, read that quotation and insted of Vista and Windows 7, just read "older" and "newer" system. It is very well known fact to install older system first and then newer system. I really do not know from where you brought that it is the other way around. It seems to me you are ignoring everything I said.
The fact is that there is no GOOD way to dual-boot using Windows built-in setup features. If you go older to newer installs, the setup will upgrade systems that have trouble managing boot partitions such as vista. If you go newer to older, the boot partition is not malformed, but you have no Vista support. You are right in that the majority of advice out there is to go from older to newer. What you are not right about is the need to do so. A lot of people simply read the old advice and parrot it. I, on the other hand, have done extensive extra partitioning and dual-booting from a newer system to sysprep/capture I can tell you that it works just fine, and I've experienced more errors going from older to newer, than I have by using a newer OS and adding older ones such as win7, server2008, and 2012. Don't take my advice about it. Don't take someone else's advice about it. Test it for yourself. I think you'll find that I know what I'm talking about.