upgrade/dual boot question

[jim532]

In theory would this work?

Install Vista on one partion and then create an image of that partition and copy 2 a second partition and make it dual bootable, then upgrade Vista the second partion to Windows 7.

What bumps in the road can be foreseen with this scenario?

[cauzomb]

If you are able to perfom a clean install of windows 7, the best way is to create a new partition for 7 in vista. If all of your drive is allocated for the Vista installation, you would need to "shrink" the partition, by the amount (size in Megabytes) that you want to use for the new partition. This is done via the Disk Management Console, found in the control panel under; administrative tools/computer management/storage.

Ensure that you are logged on as administrator and before you resize (shrink) the partition, you want to turn off virtual memory/pagefile, then defrag the primary/vista boot drive/partition. This is to help ensure that there are no system files in the area of the partition that you want to free up for the windows 7 partition.

Once you have shrunk the partition, so there is enough space "minimum requirement for windows 7 installation, or greater" you want to go back into the disk managmenet console and create a new partition in the unallocated space.

Here's a link to microsofts instructions for creating a new partition.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...disk-partition

Once you have your new partition setup, run the windows 7 installer, select "custom" and select the new partition to install windows 7 on.. Carefull not to select the wrong partition cause if you choose your current boot partition, you could wipe out your current vista install.

Best practice suggests to make a backup of your current vista installation, just incase something goes wrong.

Once the installer is complete, you should have a new bootloader entry for windows 7

[cauzomb]

second note, if you only have the "upgrade" for windows 7, I think there is some stipulation that allows 7 to install clean on a new partition, but according to the EULA, the previous OS installation, in your case, "vista" is no longer licensed, except for the purpose of re-installing the OS that you upgraded to.

[jim532]

The purpose of this is to retain a functioning copy of vista till migrating to Windows 7 is completed.
The copy I will have is Windows 7 upgrade. I understand that a clean install is better but that may not be an option.
What are these stipulations you mentioned that would allow me to do a full install with the upgrade media?

[cauzomb]

The clean install using the windows 7 upgrade installer disc happens when you select custom install and point it to an empty partition. Keep in mind that the EULA provides only the option to perform the clean installation, on a PC with a qualifying product (windows XP or Vista) iether installed, or the qualifying product/s (XP or Vista) installation media at hand, to be inserted when the windows 7 installer asks for it, for verification purposes..

According to the documents regarding installing the windows 7 via the UPGRADE media. The previous OS that you used to perform the upgrade verification with, will probly no longer be licensed/activated, so you won't be able to keep it for dual booting, and may not be able to re-activated it if you decide that windows 7 is not to your liking.

[cauzomb]

I would suggest doing a few google searches for the same subject, and read lots of them regarding clean install, and upgrade media. There's alot of usefull information that might save you some trouble down the road. I don't think using the upgrade media is the same as using the full retail non upgrade media, even if a clean install is used, in regards to your previous OS.