Thread: How to Install on Different Partion?

Like Windows 7 It gives you the option for a Custom Install after you click the install button, and agree to the EULA. Click "Custom" then select your partition.



By default it doesn't give you the boot option until it starts booting to 8. Just before it finishes booting it will give you the option of which operating system you want to start. At the bottom of the screen there will be an options box. Click it. It will give you the option to change your default OS (it makes 8 the default when you first install it). Change it to 7 (or whatever your default OS is), then reboot. You should then get the traditional boot screen.

thank you for replying.

the installation screen on my win7 is different thank the one you posted, but i'll give it a try.

That's wierd, because the whole install process was exactly like windows 7.

Originally Posted by BigFeet

That's wierd, because the whole install process was exactly like windows 7.

Agreed very similar if not exactly the same. I think you need only click the Hardisk/Partition "Options" button to successfully choose your disk or partition??

Originally Posted by Mesho

Hi, I have a Windows 8 Dev. Preview, I burned it on DVD and Installed it, the Win8 is installed on the C partion (without asking me which partion to install on) which has my original Win7, Since both of them are Win I thought that Win8 will give the choice of which to boot Win 8 or 7, it did but it's not working, when I choose Win7 it boots Win8.

now I wanna know how to create a new partion on my HDD for Win8 and force it to install in it, and when I boot up I wanna have the choice of Win8 or Win7.

thank you all in advance <img class="inlineimg" title="Fat" border="0" alt="" src="http://windows8forums.com/images/smilies/fat.png" smilieid="72">

I'm afraid what you actually did was to replace your Win 7 installation for the Win 8 Dev Review. As others have mentioned, you need to tell it where to install, or it will choose what it thinks is the best choice, which is the first disk, and good-bye Win 7

I hope you have an Up To Date Image of your Win 7 installation (I recreate Images when ever I make changes to my OS. This allows the shortest possible restoration times.) Otherwise I foresee a reinstallation of Win 7 in your near future. After you have Win 7 back, either use a VM for Win 8 or tell the installer to install in the partition you created for this.

OK I decided to try this. I extracted the Win 8 iso file to allow installation without burning to DVD (did not have a DVD with enough space). The Setup works fine, but like with the original OP, I was NEVER given the option of Custom install, and never had the opportuninty to selct which partition to install on. Fortunately I did have a new Image of my Win 7 installation to restore to. I have yet to find a way to install my Win 8DP to my new partition. Still looking.

edit: Installing from the HD by extracting the file with a zip utility then installing from within the present OS will always replace the OS on the HD. You must boot from a removable media such as a DVD or flash drive to install into a different partition or unallocated space.

Installing into a VM is the only way to install Win 8 DP from within your present OS.

After some horrendous mistakes of the past (experience is truly the best teacher, especially when it's a BAD experience) I've made "Safe, not Sorry" my favorite saying. WELL, at least in the top five.
There's absolutely NO WAY in H*** that I would EVER put two OS's on the same HD.
I know, there's guys who have gotten away with it, but it only takes one mistake to quickly make a believer out of a guy.


Here's how I did it.....
First I downloaded the ISO for win 8.
Then I burned that to a new DVD, using "ImgBurn".
Then, I unplugged the power to my main drive.
Then, I plugged in a spare HD that I had laying around and just put it on the desk next to my tower.
Then, I booted up the PC with the new Win-8 install DVD and proceeded through the install.
It truly was very similar to Win-7, but not exactly. I did have to ask the Installer to format my drive as NTFS. I think it was FAT-32, from an old XP install.

Now, I just plug the power into the drive I want to boot from. Neither OS ever sees the other one, so there can be no Hanky-Panky between them. My main drive remains inside the PC, while the Win 8 HD sits outside.
That looks something like this:



In this pic, there are actually two drives connected outside the main tower. In this picture, I'm cloning one to the other.

Now, when I wanted to try Win-7 on my netbook, I had to rig up an external DVD drive and an external HD, both on USB cables.
I loaded my Ghost backup program from the DVD drive and backed up Win XP to my external Hard drive, then.....
I booted up with my Win 7 DVD and installed Win 7.
Two days later, I decided I really didn't like Win 7 on that little netbook, so again I booted up the Netbook with my Ghost boot disk and did a RESTORE of Win XP from my external HD. No files were lost in the process, but a few electrons were slightly inconvenienced.

So think ahead, make a plan and then work the plan.

Cheers mates!
The Doctor

Very nice Doc, almost reminds me of Fred's setup (from another Lounge forum). In my case my Desktop is upstairs in the study and gets very little use any more (Plus it's x86 whereas our Laptop's are x64). I'm generally on my Laptop in front of the TV. This is the biggest reason why I set up a dual boot senario as follows:

Win 7 (C Drive)

Data (D Drive)

Win 8 DP (W Drive) Chose a high drive letter to avoid conflicts with other storage devices on Laptop.

As stated earlier I did try the VM installation method but had some problems and did not like the slow down involved when using a VM. The dual boot works very nicely for me at the moment.