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Solved Windows 10 on VM or Dualboot?

Install Windows 10 preview as VM or DualBoot


  • Total voters
    4
  • Poll closed .

rege0039

Member
I started with a VM but quickly decided that a proper trial needed dual boot. Gave me a much fairer view of the new o/s which I have to say I really like. Being able to run modern apps in a window is great as I think there are some great modern apps but I want to see them on my desktop (i.e. Word on desktop with Laridian's excellent PC Study Bible) right next to it - I know you can do that with snap but it's easier with windowed apps.
 

GreyFox7

Super Moderator
Staff member
I started with a VM but quickly decided that a proper trial needed dual boot. Gave me a much fairer view of the new o/s which I have to say I really like. Being able to run modern apps in a window is great as I think there are some great modern apps but I want to see them on my desktop (i.e. Word on desktop with Laridian's excellent PC Study Bible) right next to it - I know you can do that with snap but it's easier with windowed apps.
The point of Boot from VHD is that you are running on bare metal not a VM its just running a virtual disk or you could think of it as a virtual partition on the C: drive. A VHD can be created with the Disk Management tool or Diskpart.

Here's an article describing using a Win7 host running Win8 from VHD.
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/how-to-use-a-vhd-to-dual-boot-windows-8-on-a-windows-7-pc_p2/4847
 
OP
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Dblkk

Member
I started with a VM but quickly decided that a proper trial needed dual boot. Gave me a much fairer view of the new o/s which I have to say I really like. Being able to run modern apps in a window is great as I think there are some great modern apps but I want to see them on my desktop (i.e. Word on desktop with Laridian's excellent PC Study Bible) right next to it - I know you can do that with snap but it's easier with windowed apps.
How did you get to install it for dual boot. I finally got a 50gb partition made to install it. But now I cannot boot from usb to save my life. I tried the windows 7 download/install tool, twice, and on 2 separate usb flash drives. No luck. Then I tried both drives using rufus t00l which is also a usb boot tool, and that also gave me no luck. I have all bios options off for secure boot ect. I try going to recovery, and then advanced, and then select usb boot. that just leads to a normal boot. I try holding volume down button while starting, that leads to normal boot. I launch into bios, have usb boot as #1 priority, and still leads to normal boot. I then stick my usb into an older windows 7 laptop of mine that my wife uses, and booted into windows 10 install just fine.

What am I missing here?
 
OP
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Dblkk

Member
Alright guys, firstly I should really invest in more usb 3.0 drives. As I have several 128gb and 256 gb but I use them all and my smaller 8/16/32gb drives are all 2.0 and really slow.

But really deep searching the internet led me back to a page in this site for windows 10. After reading this and then following links. I found what my problem was. Aparantly the windows 7 download/installer and the rufus tool, format the usb to what once was the correct type, but for windows 8 and 10 the wrong. So following the directions on the link posted below, I am now booted up through the usb, and (slowly since its a 2.0 drive) installing windows 10 preview on my newly created partition (F:/).
 

wynand32

Well-Known Member
How did you get to install it for dual boot. I finally got a 50gb partition made to install it. But now I cannot boot from usb to save my life. I tried the windows 7 download/install tool, twice, and on 2 separate usb flash drives. No luck. Then I tried both drives using rufus t00l which is also a usb boot tool, and that also gave me no luck. I have all bios options off for secure boot ect. I try going to recovery, and then advanced, and then select usb boot. that just leads to a normal boot. I try holding volume down button while starting, that leads to normal boot. I launch into bios, have usb boot as #1 priority, and still leads to normal boot. I then stick my usb into an older windows 7 laptop of mine that my wife uses, and booted into windows 10 install just fine.

What am I missing here?

The trick is likely that you're trying to use an NTFS-formatted USB drive to boot with. It needs to be FAT32 for UEFI (rather than BIOS) devices like the SP3.

I answer a few of the questions in this thread on my post here: http://www.thetechchat.com/2014/10/...0-preview-on-the-surface-pro-3-clean-install/

My biggest issue with dual-booting so far has been some confusion about Bitlocker (Windows 10 doesn't enable it by default, so Windows 8.1 reports that it's "suspended" when it's really not exactly) and the Windows Store being confused about what machines should be in the PC list. That's been causing some issues for me with Windows Store apps needing to be repaired (at least I think that's the issue), because only one system on a physical machine seems to show up correctly at a time in the PC list in Windows Store Accounts.
 
OP
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Dblkk

Member
I have officially joined the hyper_V windows 10 user club. Am I losing any key features running thru a virtual machine.
I think the only thing your 'missing' is the 'fluididity' (no that's not a real word but hope you get the point) of it having100% access/running directly off your surface.
I still have/am using my hyperv windows 10, I reinstalled it to run off my dual partition windows 10. This way anything I do also stays if/when I boot directly into it. Unlike running parallels off bootcamp for windows, allowing the use of programs specific to windows, I use the vm of windows 10 really only to show windows 10 'off' to people interested. That's about it.

I still use my windows 8.1 for everything school/work. But for home/recreational times, I use the windows 10 preview. Not that its better (as I love windows 8 on surface) but this way I can help/give my input on/for the preview.

The lack of IE 'metro' is the only thing that really gets me. Desktop IE windows 8/10 really isn't great when using SP as a tablet, as its really mouse/keyboard based, not so much touch.
 
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