Dual-boot Win 10 Pro and Win 8.1 Pro question

Dual-boot Win 10 Pro and Win 8.1 Pro question

I plan to dual-boot Win 10 Pro and Win 8.1 Pro in a singular HDD.


I have at the moment in an WD 1 TB HDD 2 partitions with Win 10 Pro partition (partition 1 - version 1511 and partition 2 - version 1703 -still on testing). I have allocated a space for Win 8.1 Pro x64 on that same WD 1 TB HDD (WDC-08WN4A0)

I have an existing Win 8.1 Pro x64 partition in use now in a seperate WD 1 TB HDD (WDC-00WN4A0).
Now I plan to use Acronis True Image 2016 to image that Win 8.1 Pro existing partition and recover that to that space I allocated in WD 1 TB HDD (WDC-08WN4A0) where the Win 10 partitions are.


Is that feasible?


I mean, I am planning to do that so I would not format a new partition there with Win 8.1 Pro x64 and install all my programs again there (time consuming). It's sort of transferring that Win 8.1 Pr partition to where the Win 10 Pro partitions are. I will use the previous WD 1 TB HDD (WDC-00WN4A0) for storage --I need the space.


Will the Win 8.1 partition recovered from the image of ATI 2016 boot?


Or I need to first format that allocated space with Win 8.1 Pro x 64 to get the boot files there and then use/recover the system image of the Win 8.1 Pro there...?


I would like to state also that in the Win 10 partitions (in WD 1 TB HDD ---WDC-08WN4A0) I have no System Reserved partition I have transfered it to the Win 10 Pro version 1511 partition via EasyBCD. The partition 2 which has version 1703 also does not have a System Reserved partition.


The boot files of that partition 2 - Win 10 Pro version 1703 is with partition 1 - Win 10 Pro version 1511, correct?
There was this "EFI" folder after I transfered the boot files via EasyBCD to partition 1. (Note: I transfered the boot files when there was still no other system partition -- just a single Win 10 mPro version 1511 existing. I just later formatted the partition 2 with Win 10 Pro version 1703 using the sources folder 4 days later).






Can you help me with this guys..?


Thank you!

I formatted a new partition from the Win8.1 Pro activated it and recovered a system image I made from an existing Win 8.1 Pro. It's working fine now. I now have Win 10 Pro and Win 8.1 Pro in a single HDD.

I'm too late to the party, but I was going to suggest virtualizing Windows 8.1.

DeaconFrost said:

I'm too late to the party, but I was going to suggest virtualizing Windows 8.1.

Why 8.1 and 10 coexist very happily as dual boot, especially on UEFI pcs.

I actually prefer to install 8.1 in a virtual hard drive rather than a new partition when installing on same drive, as it is much more space efficient and does not create lots of partitions.

That's exactly why I'm not a fan of multi-booting. I can bork the VMs as much as I want without harming the host OS or it's ability to boot.

Hello guys,

Thanks for the reply. Sorry also for the late update. I have now the multi-boot working fine here with me but I am interested in virtualizing Win 8.1 Pro but I dunno how?

Hyper-V virtualization - Setup and Use in Windows 10 Virtualization Tutorials

@NavyLCDR,

Thanks I am now checking it out. "NavyLCDR" is that LT CMDR...? You a navy officer? Thanks again :)

damien76 said:

@NavyLCDR,

Thanks I am now checking it out. "NavyLCDR" is that LT CMDR...? You a navy officer? Thanks again :)

I am an O-4 in the Navy, Lieutenant Commander. I am on terminal leave, official retirement date is 31 Dec.