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Dual Boot Win7 - Win7

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f0dder:
Depending on what you need to do on the test install, 2GB of RAM just might be enough, actually. Granted, you probably don't want to have Photoshop and SQL server and other memory hungry stuff running at the same time, but for simple testing purposes my guess is that it'd work.

Or you could shell out for some extra RAM, it's not super expensive atm :)

czb:
1. set up the 2nd system from within the 1st win system. I.e., boot into the 1st win 7, and run win 7 setup there. The setup program should create the boot loader menu you need. There will be only one boot loader, residing on the 1st win system's base hard drive.
-mwang (September 10, 2009, 06:51 AM)
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yeah that is what I have tried but, I do not know why, win 7 did not create loader menu...

Try using EasyBCD to create a second boot entry from within the bootable installation. You need to set the path of the second installation to the drive letter recognised by the running system (eg. your running system is on drive C: but the non-booting version appears as drive E: then set the path in EasyBCD to E:\).
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I have also tried that. But there is no option for Win7. There is only vista / longhorn option which does not look like it is working. I always set up the second system correctly with correct letter assigned but still no option appears at the boot.

What I would like to do is to have one system for work and the other for stuff like F# which needs beta of ms studio etc... So I would not worry about messing up the system.

Thanks for your ideas I will keep trying until I make it work :). Or another ram might also be a solution ;)

f0dder:
Thanks for your ideas I will keep trying until I make it work :). Or another ram might also be a solution ;)-czb (September 10, 2009, 01:54 PM)
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It would by far be the most comfortable solution - virtual machines (especially with disk snapshots!) are so much easier to maintain than dualbooting, and it's much nicer just booting the VM than having to reboot your system.

I might have a spare block or two lying about, if they weren't stolen when my basement storage room was broken into; but with the prices the postal service charges, it might end up being more expensive than buying locally ;P

Eóin:
The "Vista / Longhorn" option in EasyBCD should really work just fine. Can you see the second Win 7 install drive for within the one which is currently booting? What error do you get if you tell EasyBCD to add an entry for "Vista / Longhorn" on the drive and then select it at the boot menu?

mwang:
It would by far be the most comfortable solution - virtual machines (especially with disk snapshots!) are so much easier to maintain than dualbooting, and it's much nicer just booting the VM than having to reboot your system.-f0dder (September 10, 2009, 03:48 PM)
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Agreed. My secondary Win 7 (not actually 2nd system since it's installed first) was my only Win system before I got the SSD, and is kept for maintenance purpose. I boot into it only when I need to image or restore my main system, or when I need to wipe the SSD clean. OCZ's "sanitary erase" tool only work in Windows.

czb, assuming you still want to try, the "bcdboot" that comes with Win 7 should work. Boot into the 1st system, and execute "bcdboot e:\windows" should do it (assuming the 2nd system is on e: when seen in the 1st system). Try the "/m" option if bcdboot can't find your original system. The GUID can be found with EasyBCD. And I agree that the "Vista / Longhorn" option in EasyBCD should really work just fine.

How many physical HDs do you have? (Are the partitions on the same HD or on different HD?) If you have more than one, are all of them MBR disks? (Any of them GPT?)

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