Windows 8 forum: Can I install Windows 8 alongside Win 7 in a partition

And forget the big one.

by R. Proffitt - 11/19/12 11:33 AM

In Reply to: Many problems with that. by R. Proffitt

Current versions of Windows use more than one partition. Folks that remember XP that could do that often are floored when they try to put 7 or 8 into a single partition.
Bob

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Windows 8 and Windows 7 On One Computer

by Ronseals69 - 12/23/12 2:53 PM

In Reply to: Many problems with that. by R. Proffitt

I installed both on my computer by havingeach on a diferrent hard drive. I just change the boot sequence in my mbios at start up to go to one or the other. I ve been able to move most file that I use from one to the other with no problems. I just use the admin account to open files and go from there.

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Violation of License

by richardgc_1 - 12/24/12 7:53 AM

In Reply to: Windows 8 and Windows 7 On One Computer by Ronseals69

Bob is right you violate your license if you reinstall Windows 7 when that was qualifying OS for upgrade. No matter where or how you in stall Win 7 it is not permissible. The Win7 license was voided the minute you upgraded. The only answer is an OEM copy of Win8.

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With the changes to the licenses.

by R. Proffitt - 12/24/12 8:00 AM

In Reply to: Many problems with that. by R. Proffitt

My answer is now outdated. Remember that Microsoft's licenses often have teeth. That is, if you try to get around the limitations, it often shuts down.
Bob

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Answer Best answer as chosen by user ccjgrant

I've been doing it since Feb. this year

by wpgwpg - 12/24/12 8:47 AM

In Reply to: Can I install Windows 8 alongside Win 7 in a partition by ccjgrant

On my test PC desktop I have XP, Win 7 32 bit, Win 7 64 bit, and Win 8 Pro all on the same physical 500 GB hard drive. I've installed 3 versions of Win 8 in the same partition, now having the released upgrade version I downloaded for $39.99. The two earlier ones were the pre-release ones. In September when I had one of the pre-release versions of Win 8 installed, I installed a fresh new copy of Windows 7 64 bit Home Premium with no problem. All of this is on the same hard drive.
When you install Windows 8, it will update the BCD (Boot Configuration Data) to make Windows 8 the default, but you can still boot to the other OSes, and you can go to the System applet of the Control Panel and set the default boot device to one of the other ones if you wish.
Since I never read the EULAs (does anybody?), I could be violating something, but technically I haven't had the first problem of any kind with this setup.

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