Best way to Dual Boot 32-bit Windows 10 with 8.1

cereberus said:

A virtual disk IS NOT a virtual machine. It is just a software emulation of a physical drive.

As your pc supports legacy bios and UEFI, it cannot be one if the obsolete 32bit UEFI pcs.

You are overthinking things. Either do 32bit mbr or 64bit uefi.

You can native boot into vhdx files. Look in tutorial section.

I see good to know the difference of a virtual disk from a virtual machine, now this is an option too then.

Too bad at least now I know it cannot support UEFI in 32-bit maybe some netbooks are able to do this ?

I just need to know if W8.1 or W10 installer will give that 'blue' dual boot menu. And it looks like GPT can work with MBR BIOS, if 4 primary partitions is not enough, but how do I setup that up ?

Nice I will look into how to boot from a VHDx file in the tutorials for sure too

SIW2 said:

win8.1 x86 and win10 x86 support efi boot, but I don't know if your bios supports it.

Well, that is also some good news to hear, but how to know if my bios can support this ?


Yes, I will use EasyBCD for sure or will I actually need to use EasyUEFI and how to know which one ?

Megahertz said:

Win 8 UEFI install on a GPT drive. Win 10 32 install on a MBR drive. You can't install both on same drive.
As you have two independent drives, install Win10 32 as legacy on the spare drive.

Set BIOS to boot as UEFI or Legacy.

Remove the Win 8 drive before you install Win 10 or you may have a boot manage in Win 8 drive and Win 10 32 OS on the other.

Once you have each OS in its own drive you set the priority boot drive on BIOS. When you want to boot the other drive you launch the boot menu during POST

As I mentioned, need W8.1 32-bit and W10 32-bit too, and only have one M.2 SATA drive. Again, this Dell Latitude 7350 2-in-1 only supports one hard drive at the most so none of this will work for me here.

I do not think this applies for one drive it looks like.

Yes, I was told to do something like this if was going to install W8.1 and W10 on separate drives, but that is not the case, at least for now.

Sure, If I ever install W8.1 and W10 on different drives will take note of all this then. Yes, I will bring up the BIOS boot menu and pick the drive that has W8.1 or W10 that is fine.

Well, this 512 GB M.2 SATA drive is blank so no need to convert it to MBR but can format it and then install Win 8 32 and Win 10 32 on this also. It looks like Dell's support site only has 64-bit drivers for W8.1 and W10.
This has a legacy boot option I already checked for that and it works too.

cereberus said:

Where do you get this idea that 64bit is no good for 4GB and 32bit is better?
In fact 64GB can use all of the 4GB but 32bit is restricted to around 3.2 GB as it reserves RAM for video, but 64bit shares RAM more effectively.

I have a 4GB travel laptop and 64 bit works fine!

32Bit uefi is not possible unless device has specific firmware.

These were common when tablets only had 1 or 2 GB RAM. Now virtually all devices have 4GB, devices are virtually all 64 bit.

All new pcs with Windows 11 are 64bit as 32bit Windows 11 does not exist. Plenty of devices with only 4GB.

Also, many modern packages are only available as 64bit and will not run on 32bit.

Not sure it is something I almost came up with but maybe that is not right.
I think you mean 64-bit can use all 4 GB but 32-bit is restricted to about 3.2 GB, I heard this is a Microsoft limitation, but we are going off topic.

Yes same here this Latitude 7350 2-in-1 works fine on 64-bit

I see that makes sense so it was a time frame from early to mid 2000's when tablets had no more than 2 GB of RAM

Yes it is fine that all new pcs with Windows 11 are 64-bit only. Yes, they are the low end devices got 4GB.

Sure, I know most new software these days is 64bit and 32bit is not made anymore



So, will both W8.1 and W10 installer give that 'blue' dual boot menu, how to setup this drive as GPT, is any way to find out if my bios can support W8.1 x86 and W10 x86 efi boot, and how to know if I need EasyBCD or EasyUEFI here ?

cereberus said:

If pc has a uefi option, it will support W8.1 and W10.

You only need easybcd if you install second OS in a virtual hard drive rather than a second partition.

Simplest option is to have two partitions.

I cannot make it any clearer than that.

Rather than keep asking questions, try it.

Yes, but does that mean it will support W8.1 32bit and W10 32bit ?

I see will put off easybcd for now as going for a second partition and not virtual hard drive yet.

Sure that is what I aim for as well here.

Yes that is clear enough for me I hope so.

I need to find 32-bit drivers first then will try.

Megahertz said:

The 512 GB M.2 SATA could have been initiated as GPT so it is not warranty that it is MBR.
Insert the USB Win 8 installation drive. Don't enable updates or connect to the internet during installation.
During POST, press F12(?) to launch the boot menu. Select USB (name) to install as Legacy-MBR.
Go to install and delete ALL partitions on the main drive till you have one and only one unallocated space
Create a 70G partition, select the partition and then proceed.
After Win 8 installation has finished, shut down.
Insert the USB Win 10 installation drive. Don't enable updates or connect to the internet during installation.
During POST, press F12(?) to launch the boot menu. Select USB (name) to install as Legacy-MBR.
Create a 70G partition on the unalloacted space, select the partition and then proceed.
If you don't want to use MS account, don't enable updates or connect to the internet during installation.

Create a data partition on the remaining unalloacted space (512-70-70) to be used by the two OSs

I see, is any way to find out for sure if this 512 GB M.2 SATA drive is GPT and not MBR ?
Sure this is what I usually do when installing any Windows is disconnect from internet to not get updates online.
Yes that is the way to install Windows, or any OS on USB, is to pick it from the boot menu from BIOS.
I know when going ahead with the installation it will not detect any partition as the drive is blank and empty.
I will make my partition 100G as that is a good size
It is a good idea to shut down Windows when the install is over
Sure this is what I usually do when installing any Windows is disconnect from internet always.
Yes that is the way to install Windows, or any OS on USB, is to pick it from the boot menu from BIOS.
I will make my partition 100G as that is a good size
I never use a MS account, and save that for post-installation, for Windows Store and the like.

Yes I have been making a 'Data' partition for many years now to share things with all my OSes

Megahertz said:

Boot from a Win 10 installation drive and at the Windows Setup screen, press Shift+F10 simultaneously to open a command line prompt. Type:

Diskpart
list disk (see if it has an * on the GPT colum)

If it has an * on the gpt column it is a gpt drive

To convert it to MBR, still under diskpart
sel disk n (replace n with the drive number found with list disk)
clean
convert mbr
exit (to exit diskpart)

Nice to know we can open the command prompt at the Windows Setup screen, I can see that being very handy in the long run if things get messed up

Will take note of the * in the gpt column for sure

I may not need to convert it to MBR, as GPT works with BIOS

cereberus said:

For crying out loud.

UEFI 32 bit is not an option.

Is there any part of the above statement you do not understand?

I hear ya loud and clear

But someone else in this thread says it is an option

The other person said it will work if my BIOS supports it, how to know that ?