Dual boot - basic questions.

[kidrow]

Hi, i already have win 7 32bit installed on my laptop but i wish to have a dual boot option with win 7 64bit as well. I have a few basic questions -
1. Does it matter that the 32bit os is installed first?
2. Once i create a new partition d: and install win 7 64 on it, will the system drive be c: or d: , when booted into the 64 version? What location would the programs installation default to?
3. Can files be shared between the 2 with or without limitations and how and when?
4. Can programs be shared?
5. If at a later stage, i wish to remove the os installed earlier, the one which occupies c: , is it then possible for the remaining os to reclaim the space left behind? How practical is it?
6. If the drive letter of a partition is changed, does this adversely affect the programs installed on that partition? In other words, what happens to c: program files if the drive letter is changed to d: ?
Thanks a lot guys.

 

[CA50]

Bofe that, why do you want to instal two same OS twice?

Answers :
1. No, it doesn`t matter. You can install either of the OS.
2. The system drive for the first win 7 which is installed in C drive will be C-drive and the next which is installed in D drive will be d drive, but it will assum the d-drive as c-drive so in both the case your system will show the system drive as C-drive. But in reality it would be C or D depending on which drive it is installed. For 1st OS it would be "c:\program files\" and for the 2nd it would be "c:\program files\". [i think you got the point]
3. Yes you can share files between the two.
4. Yes program can be share but better to install them in both the OS. Programs like VLC, pdf reader can only be shared. Those files that keeps their shared files in user documents and in system32 folder cannot be shared. For example you cannot share a common AV etc. Games can be shared easily.
5. I think you can reclaim the free space, but if you format the c:\, the second OS will not boot, for that you will have to repair the 2nd OS.
6. You cannot change the drive letter of the system drive, if you change the drive letter of another drive from where you share programs, them you will not be able to share those program as they will be no longer available.

 

[kidrow]

Thanks a lot for your reply bro. You've answered my queries really well. Can't really think of koi shak ya sawaal atm because of your excellent reply.

Bofe that, why do you want to instal two same OS twice?

a. The laptop I bought has DOS, while the same bought directly from Dell has win 7 x64 installed. So only the 64 bit drivers are available from Dell. My vendor installed the x86 version. Though there are no issues with the drivers currently installed, I just thought that if it's not too much trouble I'll go the 64 bit route as well. Just so if I have trouble in the future I will know that its not the drivers.

b. I'm also contemplating increasing the RAM to 4gb for multitasking graphics apps. Only x64 will make use of more than 3.3-3.5gb [?].

c. Just curious. Now is the time to experiment as there's hardly anything installed on the machine.

Now for my next question,

7. How do I go about sharing files? Do I simply keep data on a separate partition, which will be automatically seen by both? Or is there more to it?

8. Also, win 7 has created a system reserved partition. So will I have 2 of these in a dual boot or just one? What ramifications will this have? For instance, if I remove any 1 OS later...?

TIA.

 

[St.John]

a. The laptop I bought has DOS, while the same bought directly from Dell has win 7 x64 installed. So only the 64 bit drivers are available from Dell. My vendor installed the x86 version. Though there are no issues with the drivers currently installed, I just thought that if it's not too much trouble I'll go the 64 bit route as well. Just so if I have trouble in the future I will know that its not the drivers.

You'll not have trouble with any of the OS's.. Usually people dial-boot when they have a software which is not compatible with the current OS.
b. I'm also contemplating increasing the RAM to 4gb for multitasking graphics apps. Only x64 will make use of more than 3.3-3.5gb [?].

Yes, you are correct, 32 bit OS's are capable of handling upto 3.25 GB of RAM..

c. Just curious. Now is the time to experiment as there's hardly anything installed on the machine.

You don't need to, just install the 64 bit version... There are currently no softwares that works with 32 bit Windows 7 and not with 64 bit Windows 7.

Now for my next question,

7. How do I go about sharing files? Do I simply keep data on a separate partition, which will be automatically seen by both? Or is there more to it?

That's pretty straight, Booted into any of the versions, the other Windows partition will be recognized. The files though should be kept in a separate partition from the Windows Partitions (safety measure, that's it).
8. Also, win 7 has created a system reserved partition. So will I have 2 of these in a dual boot or just one? What ramifications will this have? For instance, if I remove any 1 OS later...?

If you are talking about the 100 mb partition, well that happens when Windows 7 gets installed on an unformatted partition, don't touch that partiton, your current OS will crash.. BTW that partition contains the Boot-manager...

No, since now you'll be installing Windows 7 64 bit on a formatted partition, a separate partition will not be created.

 

[CA50]

^^ what the hack???
did you quote the previous reply or ....

For quoting use the "" encloser.

@kidrow

7. How do I go about sharing files? Do I simply keep data on a separate partition, which will be automatically seen by both? Or is there more to it?

Yes just copy the files to be shared to the other partition. if you want the 32-bit drivers you can get it from dell site.

 

[kidrow]

....You don't need to, just install the 64 bit version... There are currently no softwares that works with 32 bit Windows 7 and not with 64 bit Windows 7.

Certain plugins for PS or 3d Max do not work on the 64 bit version of these programs, is what I've heard.

If you are talking about the 100 mb partition, well that happens when Windows 7 gets installed on an unformatted partition, don't touch that partiton, your current OS will crash.. BTW that partition contains the Boot-manager...

No, since now you'll be installing Windows 7 64 bit on a formatted partition, a separate partition will not be created.

So if I remove any 1 OS later will the boot screen still give me the options to dual boot [erroneously] since the 100mb partition has the boot manager? Or will the changes be automatically made?

Yes just copy the files to be shared to the other partition. if you want the 32-bit drivers you can get it from dell site.

Dell doesn't list the 32 bit drivers for the inspiron 1564.

Thanks for all your help you guys.