# Why Can't I dual boot with Win7 and Win10 ?



## victord66 (Apr 30, 2005)

I have an SSD drive in my pc which is running Win7 Pro64. I have a second SSD on which I restored a system backup of my first drive using Paragon. With the first drive unplugged, I upgraded the second SSD drive to Win10. So now I have two SSDs, one with 7 and one with 10. I have them both connected and am booting using the OS selector in the bios. I worked with Win10 for a few days, only to have the internet drop out. I could find no solution, so I booted back to Win7. During the boot it ran disk checks on all of my 3 internal HDDs as well as the two SSDs. When it booted into Win7, there was no internet and once again I could find no solution. I physically disconnected the Win10 SSD and hard booted the system three or four times before the internet would come back on. At this point I'm quite reluctant to re-connect the Win10 SSD either in a dual boot or stand alone format. I have read that many people are dual booting between these two OS, so what could be my problem?

Thanks for any insight.


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I am a little confused
As I read your topic you had a Windows 7 Professional 64 bit OS on an SSD drive - lets call that SSD1
You installed the same OS using the same licence on a second SSD drive - SSD2
You then upgraded that SSD 2 drive with Windows 7 to Windows 10
By doing so you gave up the right to use the licence key allocated to the windows 7 on that computer or any other computer WHILST the Windows 1o remains installed

If I am correct in my assumption, then please be advised that you cannot, as I have said, use the windows 7 on that licence whilst windows 10 is installed whether the windows 10 is in use or NOT

As you can see here
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/activation-in-windows-10
your windows 10 was activated on Microsoft product servers by digital entitlement and that digital entitlement was validated by the registration of the hardware and your windows 7 installation.
Such entitlement then as I have said INVALIDATED your windows 7 licence whilst 10 remains installed.


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## victord66 (Apr 30, 2005)

How do these guys get away with it then:

http://www.howtogeek.com/197647/how-to-dual-boot-windows-10-with-windows-7-or-8/
http://www.winbeta.org/news/dual-boot-windows-10-windows-8-1-7


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## Cookiegal (Aug 27, 2003)

Those are for trying the technical preview version. Even MS provided instructions on how to dual boot because it's not recommended to install it as your primary OS since it was in beta. Those have expired now.

You CAN dual boot Windows 7 and Windows 10 but you will have to purchase a retail license to install Windows 10 because you won't be able to get it for free if you're not upgrading from a qualifying OS.


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## victord66 (Apr 30, 2005)

That's fine and I don't mind buying a copy, but I want to ensure I CAN dual boot. Given the problems I was having do you think it's possible?


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## Cookiegal (Aug 27, 2003)

It's not my area of expertise so macboatmaster will be able to guide you on that but I "believe" it's always possible to dual boot. I just wanted to clarify the licensing issue because the links you provided seemed to indicate you thought you could do it without having to purchase another license. I see now that's not the case.


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## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

Just a suggestion; have you checked that ALL of your hardware is supported by win10? If not, that is the very first thing you do when installing any os. Just because an upgrade is offered, does not guarantee that your system mfg has drivers, os has been tested and found to work, etc.


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## victord66 (Apr 30, 2005)

Hmmmmm.... that's something I didn't check. How does one go about that?


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

it does that automatically when you upgrade either via updates or via the installation media and it warns you if anything is incompatible
However that does not mean that you still do not have to install the drivers for 10 either from the computer or mb site if offered or via windows updates, as some windows 10 drivers are not offered on the manufacturers site or the mb site but are supplied by Microsoft via updates

There should be no problem with dual booting
install the older OS first, as is always the case
This computer is a triple boot with xp, 7 and 8.1

There are a few tweaks necessary after the install of the dual boot
When you are setup for the procedure with the aforementioned licensed 10 or 7 post back and we will advise

This will get you started
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2108-windows-10-dual-boot-windows-7-windows-8-a.html


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## TerryNet (Mar 23, 2005)

Macboatmaster said:


> it does that automatically when you upgrade either via updates or via the installation media and it warns you if anything is incompatible


That's only a theory. A false theory. According to that check my old HP laptop is perfectly compatible with Windows 10. In practice there is no driver for the card reader and initially the driver for the Sound card did not work. I managed to find and install a Sound driver that works and now Windows 10 frequently (about every other time I use it) installs the old driver that does not work. (And, by the way, I've found two places to tell Windows to keep hands off my drivers but neither setting has been beneficial in this case.)


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## Macboatmaster (Jan 15, 2010)

I apologise
I was wrong.
My post was misleading.
I missed out -* basic compatibility for system to run windows 10*
Go to the relevant sites for your computer if OEM
for any hardware not part of the original spec - to that site
the motherboard site
the printer site etc.,
and check compatibility with 10 for printer scanner webcam etc
and for drivers offered for 10 for all hardware

As I said


> However that does not mean that you still do not have to install the drivers for 10


and my colleague* crjdriver* posted


> Just because an upgrade is offered, does not guarantee that your system mfg has drivers, os has been tested and found to work, etc.


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## crjdriver (Jan 2, 2001)

victord66 said:


> Hmmmmm.... that's something I didn't check. How does one go about that?


You go to the support page for the motherboard OR if it is a big box system go to the support page for that system. If win10 is not listed under the download section, then it is not supported.

Just because an os is not listed does not mean it will not work. It means it was never tested and found to work. When you use an unsupported os, you are a beta tester; might work and it might not work.
I have one system here running win10 enterprise on a gigabyte 790fx chipset board. No support is listed for win10 however it works fine.


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## davehc (Oct 4, 2006)

Perhaps relevant here.

I use Dells. I have two in my collection, which, on Dells site, state "Not tested for Windows 10". I have come across several posts, querying that they have relatively new Dells, but are apprehensive regarding going ahead with the Windows 10 upgrade.
In my case, both the mentioned machines are running 100% with Windows 10, with all drivers automatically loaded.
fwiw, referring back to the OP and the thread title, one of these is dual booting Windows 10 and Windows 7 - each on its own licence.


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## explosions1000 (Dec 29, 2015)

you cant have windows 7 and windows 10 on the same drive because the computer will just upgrade the windows 7 to windows 10.
So just make sure that windows 10 and windows 7 are on seperate hard drives and make sure they are connected and download the realtek ethernet driver or whatever driver you used before to get the internet connection to work and put that on a flash drive and plug it in the computer. boot either windows 7 first or windows 10 on both of them go to the start menu then search device manager and look at the ethernet or wifi adapter your using to connect to the internet and right click on it then uninstall the driver reboot and install the driver and it should work and if wifi networks are showing ub or the ethernet says its connected but limited connection turn your router and modem off and then back on and if does not fix it call your isp and have them troubleshoot the internet connection. I hope this help and if it does please tell me.


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## davehc (Oct 4, 2006)

I have both on the same drive. Naturally, you need to prevent the upgrade of Windows 7, through the known methods - not too complicated..


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## explosions1000 (Dec 29, 2015)

ok in that case just go to device manager and unistall the ethernet or wifi driver from your computer depending on if you use wifi or ethernet and reboot and then reinstall the drivers and try connecting to the ethernet or wifi. and if it still does not work unplug the power from your router and your modem then plug it back in and wait 5-10 minutes and then go back to your computer and see if it now works if it does not it means that it is not your computers problem so contact your internet service provider about the issue.


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## davehc (Oct 4, 2006)

explosions1000 said:


> ok in that case just go to device manager and unistall the ethernet or ............our computer and see if it now works if it does not it means that it is not your computers problem so contact your internet service provider about the issue.


This is to..?


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## dustyjay (Jan 24, 2003)

It reads like an answer meant of a different thread.


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## explosions1000 (Dec 29, 2015)

I was trying to say to reinstall the ethernet driver and the wifi adapter drivers to fix this issue


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