Running two Operating Systems with one PC?

[neworldman]

Hello,

I am getting ready to use a SSD drive as my main drive. I have a SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb as my main drive right now. Should I just keep the W7 OS that is on there now and use it as a backup or should I wipe the drive clean and use it for store only? Is there a certain program to run two OS with one PC? Also if I leave the W7 on the Samsung drive will I be able to move files from my new SSD drive to the Samsung? The SSD drive will have W7 also.

[RabidDog]

Vitrualbox will run multiple instances of OS's.
Dual booting is different.

keep the w7 as backup (on its own small partition) on the Spamsong.
The disk will function as normal.
CLONE your existing w7 installation to your new SSD drive. saving all your settings,bookmarks,mail etc


"You cant have an IPHONE4"

[G)-(OST]

What exactly do you want the second OS for? If you just want to test different OS's, then the first one that RabidDog mentioned (though I would suggest VMWare) would be your best bet, no extra harddrive required, virtual machines are a really good way of testing many different OS's including Linux distro's (in a contained environment), you can store the VM's on a USB stick and use them on other PC's that run VM software.

[cowboyup910]

i would backup all my personal files to a flash drive or a secondary hard drive. then install wis 7 OS on the SSD by itself. i would then partition the 1GB hard drive with at least two partitions. a DATA partition where user files can be save and programs ie vlc. then i would make another partition for system imaging/backups. restore your files that you saved to that DATA partition.

you could always CLONE your existing win 7 OS on your new drive, but i would just do a fresh install so that the main OS is not flooded with program and files.

if you want to experiment with running multiple os's i too would run them in Virtualbox, dont dualboot unless you know what your doing, you could messed things up and not be able to boot at all. lol

take care.

[neworldman]

What exactly do you want the second OS for? If you just want to test different OS's, then the first one that RabidDog mentioned (though I would suggest VMWare) would be your best bet, no extra harddrive required, virtual machines are a really good way of testing many different OS's including Linux distro's (in a contained environment), you can store the VM's on a USB stick and use them on other PC's that run VM software.

The reason I asked about running two OS is just because I am getting a new SSD for my main drive... because it is so fast for all apps and files transfer and web surfing. I heard it makes a huge difference. So I was not sure if I wanted to wipe off the other 1tb with W7 or not. But from what I have read the dual booting is very easy to do. So I guess I will keep the W7 on the 1tb drive. I will do a complete fresh install of W7 on the new SSD. Don't really want to test different OS they both will be W7. Not sure why I ever would what to run XP or other OS.

[cowboyup910]

doesnt make sense to have two of the same operating systems. dont even think u can have two of the same unless one is x32 bit and one 64bit.

[RabidDog]

Have you actually bought your SSD yet? I'll let you into a little secret.. if you wait for six/seven months you'll be able to get it for half the price, OR get a bigger faster SSD for the same money. This is because the secret alien tech that powers all this is moving to a new node, 28nm, while they mine all our gold to save their Alien world from Burning UP.*

*contains unverified facts

[G)-(OST]

Don't really want to test different OS they both will be W7

Don't see the point then. Why don't you use one of the drives as a mirror/clone of your main operating system, that way if something goes wrong...........

because it is so fast for all apps and files transfer and web surfing. I heard it makes a huge difference.

You will be disapointed if you think it will make a "huge difference" especialy in your websurfing activety.