Migrate old Win7 to GPT disk, dualboot with Win8 possible?

Hello,
is there any deployment/partitioning suite able to migrate existing Windows 7 installation from MBR-based computer to new machine with GPT drive and pre-installed Windows 8, so that it can dual-boot?
I have already reserved an empty partition on new drive for the old Windows but am clueless how to adjust all things (boot manager, Windows 7 install etc.). I wonder if there's a tools able to do this?

Hi there
If your computer is NOT UEFI capable then you won't be able to BOOT from a GPT drive.

However to multi-boot just DISABLE PROTECTED BOOT if it's on your system - you don't have to disable UEFI.
Backup your OS('es) first just in case it all goes pear shaped.

Simply install the OS'es -- install to different drives / partitions so at boot time just select which you want to boot via BIOS -- or install something like BCD to give you a boot menu.

IMO unless you have really good reasons for wanting to dual boot I'd recommend installing one of the OS'es as a VIRTUAL MACHINE -- however that's your call.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

If your computer is NOT UEFI capable then you won't be able to BOOT from a GPT drive.

Click to expand...

Yep it's UEFI capable (I already discussed this in previous thread - UEFI can boot to Win8.1 only, non-UEFI can boot to my old bootable media but doesnot seem to see the GPT partion). The key question is if ever Windows 7 can live on GPT disc and coexist with Windows 8.1. So far everything that I tried under UEFI mode seem to have Windows 7 disdained)

jimbo45 said:

However to multi-boot just DISABLE PROTECTED BOOT if it's on your system - you don't have to disable UEFI.

Click to expand...

I don't see protected boot in BIOS, do you mean Safe Boot? And secondly, do I have leave this off permanently if I want launch Windows 7 as ual boot?

jimbo45 said:

Simply install the OS'es -- install to different drives / partitions so at boot time just select which you want to boot via BIOS -- or install something like BCD to give you a boot menu.

Click to expand...

This is quite obscure for me. Actually I don't want install a new instance but migrate existing instance from old computer (I know this is quite breaknecking but I still have many things setup on old OS, so for now I'd prefer to have this available), the old OS neither boot manager is still not adjusted to be ready. I can restore this instance from partition backup but what next?

jimbo45 said:

IMO unless you have really good reasons for wanting to dual boot I'd recommend installing one of the OS'es as a VIRTUAL MACHINE -- however that's your call.

Click to expand...

I'd prefer to use both before I choose the one OS.

Hi there
Clone an existing OS => use something like Acronis or Free Macrium to image the system - then after re-partitioning copy the OS image back to your new partition -- don't forget the boot partition as well. Clone BOTH OS'es if you have both available.

Get your existing OS to boot from your new GPT partition. Windows 7 will boot from a GPT partition as well (you've indicated that your system is UEFI enabled.

You can then install your second OS to your second windows partition - restore your image to the second partition.

By Protected boot I meant the boot where your windows keys are embedded in the BIOS -- this will cause problems with Multi-boot so turn THAT feature off if it's enabled.

I haven't dual booted for years but you'll need some sort of boot menu to enable you to choose the boot unless you want to do it totally in the BIOS by changing the order of Boot Disk priority - then you'll need here two separate disks.

Cheers
jimbo

If you have Windows 7 installed, & two HDD's, you can clone Legacy to UEFI.
Migrate BIOS x64 install to UEFI. Solved - Windows 7 Help Forums

Thanks you, this looks like might help me out.

theog said:

If you have Windows 7 installed, & two HDD's, you can clone Legacy to UEFI.
Migrate BIOS x64 install to UEFI. Solved - Windows 7 Help Forums

Click to expand...

Hello, I didnot get to it as soon as yesterday. Following the link brought me up to Paragon Migrate to UEFI page which offers no download of this. Following Get it now brings me to download page for Paragon uEFI iSCSI Target which I don't know if the same as Migrate to UEFI. Having a quick search I finally found installer for Migrate to UEFI which however requires a product key and serial number which I don't have and except that the version was released in November 2011. This looks like Migrate to UEFI might go a slightly obsolote nowadays, is it really working on new systems and formats?

The option is in
Paragon Hard Disk Manager Professional - Overview

Looks like there is no free version for Paragon 14.

There's Suite as far as I know, therefore wait for HDM 14 Pro?