2 Boot Drives, One Laptop

[crayon_proof]

Does anyone know if it is possible to switch a laptop back and forth between two drives with potentially two different versions of windows on them? I want to be able to have an ssd dedicated to video editing that I can pop in, boot into and use, and then shut down, pop in the original hdd, and use it with it's files and programs and everything.

Ideally, the original hdd would stay running windows 7 and the new ssd would be running windows 10.

[Aereldor]

Following. I'd like to know too in order to install a Hackintosh SSD on my PC in addition to the Windows 8.1 I have running right now for games.

[Lukiewookie]

A better option for you would be to partition your hard drive in the following way:

 

1 partition for Windows 10

1 partition for Windows 7

1 partition for storing files, which you can access from both OSs

 

I did that to my laptop but I have Antergos Linux instead of Windows 7

 

EDIT: Have a look at a tutorial here....

 

http://www.howtogeek.com/187789/dual-booting-explained-how-you-can-have-multiple-operating-systems-on-your-computer/

[Mark77]

Absolutely possible.  Very easy if you have a laptop that has an easily removable drive. 

 

Only thing you have to be extremely careful of is that you don't swap while the machines are in "sleep" mode.  Sleep mode, as in, the laptop is still sort of powered up, with its RAM running, but the memory has not been committed to the SSD.

 

There's some laptops, like certain (older) Dells/HP/Lenovos, where you can actually swap drives in and out with an easy swap tray. 

[crayon_proof]

Just now, Lukiewookie said:

A better option for you would be to partition your hard drive in the following way:

 

1 partition for Windows 10

1 partition for Windows 7

1 partition for storing files, which you can access from both OSs

 

I did that to my laptop but I have Antergos Linux instead of Windows 7

Yes, but I already have over 200 gigs of files, photos, and programs on the original hdd. I want to be able to keep it just as it is and have a second, unrelated drive with a separate os. The only thing that I can see that would stop me is the recovery drive; I'm not sure how it would handle two separate os's from two seperate drives. I would hope that it would be similar to booting into an os from a usb drive, but I don't know.

[migeo]

 

1 minute ago, crayon_proof said:

Yes, but I already have over 200 gigs of files, photos, and programs on the original hdd. I want to be able to keep it just as it is and have a second, unrelated drive with a separate os. The only thing that I can see that would stop me is the recovery drive; I'm not sure how it would handle two separate os's from two seperate drives. I would hope that it would be similar to booting into an os from a usb drive, but I don't know.

why don't you try then dual booting? If you have 2 os, when you're turning on your pc, you'll get the option to chose which os you want to use. you then select win 10 or win 7 or whatever else you want.

[migeo]

[crayon_proof]

Just now, Mark77 said:

Absolutely possible.  Very easy if you have a laptop that has an easily removable drive. 

 

Only thing you have to be extremely careful of is that you don't swap while the machines are in "sleep" mode.  Sleep mode, as in, the laptop is still sort of powered up, with its RAM running, but the memory has not been committed to the SSD.

 

There's some laptops, like certain (older) Dells/HP/Lenovos, where you can actually swap drives in and out with an easy swap tray. 

Good to know! do you know how it would handle the recovery drive though? I was under the impression that it was a separate drive, not a partition of the hdd, but I don't know. 

[crayon_proof]

Just now, migeo said:

But doing that is still on one drive though right? I'm hoping to have a separate ssd with a clean install of windows so that I can keep it running fast and unadulterated.

[Mark77]

3 minutes ago, crayon_proof said:

Good to know! do you know how it would handle the recovery drive though? I was under the impression that it was a separate drive, not a partition of the hdd, but I don't know. 

I almost always wipe that 'recovery' stuff away, but its generally stored as a (hidden) partition on the hard drive that comes with the computer.  Not a separate area or drive.

 

Which kind of surprises me.  With UEFI these days, you think that the laptop OEMs would just do away with "recovery" disks and have a UEFI feature to download/install the OS media from their website.  Seems simple enough conceptually.

[migeo]

1 minute ago, crayon_proof said:

But doing that is still on one drive though right? I'm hoping to have a separate ssd with a clean install of windows so that I can keep it running fast and unadulterated.

Oh sorry didn't read well what you wrote. Yeah this is on one drive. it would be much easier on a desktop since you don't have the same limitations as a laptop. you could always get a usb ssd or something like this and when you want to use it, you can just select it in the bios. But to do this you musn't forget your ssd. I personnally wouldn't switch the hard drive itself because I would be worried of the connector not lasting long if you switch the drives often. a usb is a much safer bet imo

[crayon_proof]

Just now, migeo said:

Oh sorry didn't read well what you wrote. Yeah this is on one drive. it would be much easier on a desktop since you don't have the same limitations as a laptop. you could always get a usb ssd or something like this and when you want to use it, you can just select it in the bios. But to do this you musn't forget your ssd. I personnally wouldn't switch the hard drive itself because I would be worried of the connector not lasting long if you switch the drives often. a usb is a much safer bet imo

Oh, good point about the connectors. Would booting via USB bottleneck read and write speeds though? 

[migeo]

Just now, crayon_proof said:

Oh, good point about the connectors. Would booting via USB bottleneck read and write speeds though? 

Probably. For sure if you use a usb2.0. a bit less if you use a usb 3.0 and if you actually have a modern laptop (really recent), if you use your usb 3.1 type c, there won't be a notable difference. If you have thunderbolt as well.

[Moonzy]

errr u mean just install windows 7 in the hdd and windows 10 in the ssd

install drivers in both and pop whichever in and boot from them? o-o

 

if you meant you want to keep the files and everything while u switch over to the other windows then you have 2 options

1) partition the drive into 2 or 3, 2 for different os, one for software and files

2) just install windows on the HDD and SSD seperately, add another HDD/SSD into your drive bay for software and files

 

though why you would want to do this is beyond me, and im wondering if im misunderstanding something tbh lol