This is what I want. I currently have Windows 7 Ultimate installed (Activated with DAZ Loader) on a 1TB internal mechanical drive drive letter C. This internal drive also have a D partition where I store all my media files. I also have a 750GB external drive with the drive letters F (FAT32 partition) and G (NTFS). My DVD burner is drive E. I am going to install Windows 8.1 on my new SSD. I will also be installing a new 2TB Internal mechanical drive. But I will keep all other drives disconnected during the Windows 8.1 installation. I want the new 8.1 installation to become my new C drive. I want the drive letters on my current drives/partitions to be preserved. So I only want my current C partition with Windows 7 to change. How do I do that? Is it possible to change it to for instance H while the other partition on the same drive is still kept as D? I also want to have the ability to boot into my Windows 7. So I want the dual boot option during startup. Do I have to do anything special during the Windows 8.1 installation for that to happen? Do I need to update my computers UEFI Bios prior to installing Windows 8.1? My Bios is the original one from 2011 ( I have an Asrock Z68 Sandy Bridge Mobbo). I have some more questions later on but I let you answer these first...
You can just change drive letters inside Windows via Disk Management. Keep your C drive connected while Installing if you really want to dualboot (not sure why you would though, complete waste of time).
I installed Windows 8.1 on a Windows 7 machine a while back and created a dual boot system. 1.) You do not have to disconnect any of your drives. 2.) You can install Windows 8.1 on any partition you whish (with the exception of your current Windows 7 partition) and do not have to rename the partition "C", in a dual boot system whichever system you boot into will automatically become your C drive while that OS is in use. For example, your existing Windows 7 setup is currently your C drive, you choose to install Windows 8.1 on drive X (X being whatever partition or drive you choose), after installation of 8.1 on drive X at boot Windows 8.1 takes over and presents you with a screen that will ask which OS you would like to boot to, you choose one by clicking on it (or tapping on it if you have touch capabilities), if you choose Windows 8.1 then that will be your C drive until you boot back to 7 even though 8.1 is installed on drive X. It's kind of weird to explain but it was actually really easy to do. The only thing that sucks is that you cannot bounce back and forth between OS's without rebooting, if you want to switch to the other OS you have to reboot. But once you get used to it you'll find you can transfer files between the two without rebooting just so long as both your Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 accounts are both Administrators. Let's face it, although improved, Windows 8.1 is still not the friendliest of operating systems, I chose to do a dual boot system simply because I am a customization freak and Windows 7 is VERY friendly towards customization, Windows 8.1 ..... not so much yet. I suppose as improvements are made and workarounds found I will slowly merge from Windows 7 to 8.1 or whatever it may be at the time. I also have years of work on 7 created with software that is still not yet available for 8 or 8.1 so I am actually still tied at the hip with 7 while getting a jump start on 8.1 to make the transition easier when it happens.
I also users of Windows 7, 1st time use, I got some trouble on Windows 8.1, but after a few days use, I do not want to go back using windows 7. Windows 8.1 is much better than windows 7 for me. I still use windows 7, but in the virtual machine, and I use at certain times.
Dual boot causes some complications as I did have two OS on my laptop.Anyway installing one of the two OS on virtual machine is recommended .
What kind of complications are you talking about? other than having to reboot to switch OS's is really the only thing I can see. I have had the dual boot system set up that I mentioned above now since the release of 8.1 and have yet to come across any real complications, 8.1 installed without a hitch and both systems run slicker than snot.
What a coincidence. I had the same issue. I installed 7 first, then installed 8.1 on a different partition. My 8.1 install considers itself installed on C:, but the 7 install considers itself installed on G: Who cares, as long as the isht works The biggest mistake I made was to mess around with the bootloader, and it has become a nightmare. The first time I did it, my PC refused to boot. After some frantic searching, I managed to fix the boot issue but bootloader had changed from the new blue GUI to the old boring one. I stayed there for a while, then tried again. This time, 7 totally vanished from the bootloader and 8 was my only option to boot. Now after endless struggling, it's like this: I rarely shut down, and even when I have to restart, 8.1 is set as my default OS (I disabled the choice). But to boot into 7, I have to go to PC settings -> Advanced startup etc etc. Funnily, when I restart from 7, the bootloader goes missing. I have to repeat a long and painful procedure (insert disc, repair mbr, bootloader and bcd, then restart) to be able to use 8.1. Wonder how to fix that though.
Sounds like something XP does. I have to unplug my memory card reader or the installer for XP will refuse to use letter C for the OS partition. The installer for Vista and later ignores the memory card reader and thus no OS partition drive letter issue. To me, it looks like Windows 8.1 or its loader changed the letter that 7 assigned. 7 usually uses letter C for its partition. C is the default for 7. XP defaults to probably at least "E" with my memory card reader plugged in.
Yeah, most of it went over my head. TBH, EasyBCD was what prompted me to go about messing with the bootloader in the first place. Guess I'm not too comfy with bootloaders... Now don't put ideas into my head, I don't want to mess isht up again