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Shrink it to make enough space for the other Windows system. (Do this by pressing Windows Key + R, typing diskmgmt.msc into the Run dialog, and pressing Enter.) Right-click the Windows partition and select the “Shrink Volume” option. If you already have enough free space or you’re installing the second copy of Windows to a different hard disk entirely and it has available space, you can skip this.īasically, this involves booting the existing Windows system on your computer and opening the Disk Management tool. You’ll now need to shrink your existing Windows partition to make room for the second copy of Windows. This means you won’t have to resize partitions later. Leave enough space for the other version of Windows. If you’re installing Windows fresh, you’ll want to choose the “Custom install” option when going through the installation wizard and create a smaller partition for Windows. If your computer already has Windows installed on it, that’s fine. Install the first version of Windows on your PC, assuming it’s not already installed. Pro: What's the Difference? Install the First Version of Windows, If It’s Not Already Installed You’ll then be able to choose which copy of Windows you want to boot at boot time, and you can access the files from each version of Windows on the other one.

Install it alongside the previous version of Windows, in a different partition on the same disk or on a different physical disk. Ensure you choose the “Custom Install” option, not the “Upgrade” option. Install the Second Version of Windows: Next, you’ll install the second version of Windows.You could also insert a second hard drive into your computer (if it’s a desktop computer) and install the second version of Windows to that hard drive. If you have Windows installed, you can resize the partition. Make Room For the Second Version of Windows: You’ll need available hard drive space for the next version of Windows.You may want to use custom partitioning settings and leave free space available on your hard drive for the second version of Windows. Install the First Version of Windows: If you already have a single Windows system installed on your computer, that’s fine.The process for creating a dual-boot system is similar no matter what operating system you’re dual-booting with.

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