I need to dual boot Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 through USB but it wont let me.
things I did were:
1. open windows disk management and delete existing volume on my USB Drive
2. create 2 partitions on my USB drive (1 for win7 partition and 1 for win8.1 partition)
3. open WinToUSB and install Win7 on win7 partition.
4. rerun WinToUSB and install Win8.1 on win8.1 Partition.
5. reboot pc and change boot order to the USB drive
6. It auto loads Win8.1 but no OS selection for Win7.
7. after booting to Win8.1, I downloaded EasyBCD and installed it.
8. RunBCD --> Add New Entry --> Under Operating System, Type, Win Vista/7/8 and point to Drive Win7 Partition and Add entry.
9.Reboot Pc then after Win8.1 logo there is now OS selection for Win8 and Win 7
10. I select Win7 and I got BSOD, I restart and tried it again in win7 safe mode but it wont even finish loading.
11.Win8.1 still works but I cant Dual boot
after further more thinkering I found that:
-if I create 2 partitions and install oses, the latter one will only work(like for example if win 8.1 if 1st and win7 is last, win7 will only work vice verca).
-tried EasyBCD to Recreate/repair boot files, Change boot drive from Win8.1 C
the one that works) to Win7 D: but wtill no difference.
reasons why I need to dual boot:
-my USB drive is actually an SSD(240GB Seagate 600)
-while at school, the computers use HDD which is painfully slow so I want to be able to use my SSD as portable OS.
-Yes I tested the SSD under USB 2.0 (which maxes at 40 read and write seq) but there is still massive improvement to loading times due to 4k random read and write and less than 1ms access time.
-I need the Win7 for my trouble shooting/VM class and the Win8.1 for my programming class therefore the need to dual boot.
-Win8 natively supports UAS for USB 2.0 while Win7 does not which has significant performance implication.
more info: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/...42113.aspx
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/usb-...215-3.html
things I did were:
1. open windows disk management and delete existing volume on my USB Drive
2. create 2 partitions on my USB drive (1 for win7 partition and 1 for win8.1 partition)
3. open WinToUSB and install Win7 on win7 partition.
4. rerun WinToUSB and install Win8.1 on win8.1 Partition.
5. reboot pc and change boot order to the USB drive
6. It auto loads Win8.1 but no OS selection for Win7.
7. after booting to Win8.1, I downloaded EasyBCD and installed it.
8. RunBCD --> Add New Entry --> Under Operating System, Type, Win Vista/7/8 and point to Drive Win7 Partition and Add entry.
9.Reboot Pc then after Win8.1 logo there is now OS selection for Win8 and Win 7
10. I select Win7 and I got BSOD, I restart and tried it again in win7 safe mode but it wont even finish loading.
11.Win8.1 still works but I cant Dual boot
after further more thinkering I found that:
-if I create 2 partitions and install oses, the latter one will only work(like for example if win 8.1 if 1st and win7 is last, win7 will only work vice verca).
-tried EasyBCD to Recreate/repair boot files, Change boot drive from Win8.1 C
the one that works) to Win7 D: but wtill no difference.reasons why I need to dual boot:
-my USB drive is actually an SSD(240GB Seagate 600)
-while at school, the computers use HDD which is painfully slow so I want to be able to use my SSD as portable OS.
-Yes I tested the SSD under USB 2.0 (which maxes at 40 read and write seq) but there is still massive improvement to loading times due to 4k random read and write and less than 1ms access time.
-I need the Win7 for my trouble shooting/VM class and the Win8.1 for my programming class therefore the need to dual boot.
-Win8 natively supports UAS for USB 2.0 while Win7 does not which has significant performance implication.
more info: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/...42113.aspx
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/usb-...215-3.html