Dual booting help.

So I'm currently running Windows 8.1 64 bit on an SSD. I need to run a 32 bit OS whether it be windows 7 or 8. The drive I plan on installing it on is a 1tb hdd with two 500gb partitions. I want to use one of them.

I have put windows 7 32 bit onto a USB drive and was able to boot into it while bios was set to legacy mode. But when I went to select the partition to install it on it says they are all gpt partitions and cannot install. So I booted back into windows 8 and tried to convert them to another partition type but got some error.
Next with bootable USB drive with windows 8 32 bit I've tried using the official windows media drive tool and I was unable to boot into the drive for unknown reasons, boot mode was uefi, tried turning safe boot off, nothing seemed to work, also tried downloading an ISO burning it with several different USB installers none worked, I have tried using a different USB port too. I was able to get some ios I downloaded suggested by another to boot but when installation checks began it said ISO file was corrupt. Formatted and reburned it onto drive several times and get same issue. I have spent many hours for the past week trying to get this to work, any help will be greatly appreciates as I've hot a dead end.

Xinute said:

I have put windows 7 32 bit onto a USB drive and was able to boot into it while bios was set to legacy mode. But when I went to select the partition to install it on it says they are all gpt partitions and cannot install.

Click to expand...

Quote from this post: UEFI Boot Mode (installing using the GPT partition style) and Legacy BIOS Boot Mode (installing using the MBR partition style). -> link

   Tip

Error message when you boot from the Windows installation media in Legacy BIOS Boot Mode:

Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style. (see screenshot below)

That is because Windows can only be installed to MBR disk in Legacy BIOS Boot Mode, but you plan to install Windows on a GPT disk.

- Boot from the Windows installation media in UEFI Boot Mode, so you can use GPT (GUID Partition Table).
- But if you want to use MBR (Master Boot Record) partition table, then delete all partitions on the disk.



Error message when you boot from the Windows installation media in UEFI Boot Mode:

Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks. (see screenshot below)

That is because Windows can only be installed to GPT disk in UEFI Boot Mode, but you plan to install Windows on an MBR disk.

- Delete all partitions on the disk, so you can use GPT (GUID Partition Table).
- But if you want to use MBR (Master Boot Record) partition table, then boot from the Windows installation media in Legacy BIOS Boot Mode.

Click to expand...

genet said:

Xinute said:

I have put windows 7 32 bit onto a USB drive and was able to boot into it while bios was set to legacy mode. But when I went to select the partition to install it on it says they are all gpt partitions and cannot install.

Click to expand...

On the Where do you want to install Windows? screen, you'll need to delete all of the partitions. Select a partition and click on the "Delete" option for each partition.

Quote from this post:

Error message when you boot in Legacy BIOS Boot Mode: Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk is of the GPT partition style.

Click to expand...

I don't want to deleted all partitions, one drive has windows 8 installed on it which id like to keep, hence dual boot, the other has data which stores games, documents ect. I created a partition on the second drive tho is there a way to change the partition without deleting data on other patitions on the same drive.

you are looking to dual boot hard drives.. Disk O and Disk 1

the disk with windows 8 is UEFI-GPT and since you booted the media via legacy (BIOS) - you got a disk error

X86 does not support UEFI so you would have to configure the machine for Legacy boot to install X86 versions of Windows.

Your only options are to install windows 8 x64 in legacy mode or install win 7 x64

Installing Windows 7 on UEFI based computer - Ask the Core Team - Site Home - TechNet Blogs

Here is a very good option> http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2899-vmware-player-install-windows-8-a.html?ltr=V

It allows you to host other OS's within your present OS ( x86 x64x win 7 8 9 10) there is a good video and it is REALLY easy to get setup and going

I second the VMware Player option - it is the way to go.

VM wont work for what i intend to use it for.

Question - why do you need a 32bit OS in the first place. I hope it is not for running 16bit programs because that won't work either way.

Else, VMware Player is a very good option. Have a look here how that would work.

Windows 7 and 8 side by side - YouTube

And here is a tutorial on how to set it up.

VM isn't an option...
I did just manage to boot into windows 7 32 bit setup. get error 0x80300024
After reading around it looks like the solution is to remove the other drive. I'm using a laptop and to do that i would have to break the warranty seal. Is there any other way to do this in bios or something.

yes, reinstall windows 8 in legacy BIOS mode..

or Install windows 7 x64 in UEFI mode..

So I'm currently running Windows 8.1 64 bit on an SSD. I need to run a 32 bit OS whether it be windows 7 or 8. The drive I plan on installing it on is a 1tb hdd with two 500gb partitions. I want to use one of them.

Click to expand...

your gonna break the seal anyway..

Right NOW you only have one SSD and no HDD correct??

Why won't VMware d what you want it to do? I run Windows XP in 32 bit mode in VMware and use the USB port to talk to my wifes sewing machine...it is pretty handy.

the only way you may do it is by installing both hard drives, configure your bios to boot UEFI with legacy support..

Then configure your bios boot order to boot one disk before the other.

you need two hard drives.. or better yet two OS's with compatible disk structures

Once you boot into widows you will be asked everytime to format the other disk..

And you are lucky it pulled an error when you went to convert an active disk, do it with the disk off line and the disk is wiped of all data

Need as much performance as i can get, software im using may not run as intended on vm.

And i only have an SSD and HDD

Like pulling teeth , there is no joy here..

Enjoy!!
KYHI

So lets say i want to reformat and put windows 7 64 bit over my windows 8.1.
Ill need drivers saved somewhere to access internet and other things. I have several files i need a backup of. Is there a way i can do this with my Two drives 120gb SSD (OS Installed), and my 1TB HDD.

Make an image of your SSD to the HDD (root or folder). This program works with and on 8.1

Imaging with free Macrium - Windows 7 Help Forums