Dual booting same Disk two Windows OS partitions HOW TO..

gundobaldo66 · Jan 21, 2025

I have two Windows 11 Pro OS partitions in the same disk ,( please refer to the attachment ).)

Partition ( C:) is on a SSD drive and partition (D:) on a SATA drive. I have created a Drive image of (C:) with Macrium Reflect and recovered it on (D:). The idea is to be able to boot alternatively from either drive, if need be. In the older computer I had two SATA HDD and I was always able to switch beteeen the two operating systems with dual booting. With the new computer I have difficulties.

Also, the new Dell UEFI BIOS doesn’t detect the SATA HDD , so I cannot set it as a 1st Boot priority.

The SATA HDD listed in the UEFI ADD ON option, but then I cannot add it to the boot configuration because Keyboard and Mouse are disabled and I cannot type in the name of the file. In fact, I get a message” The file location and boot option name must be provided to add the new boot option” . How can I enable keyboard and mouse? I had some hints from the WEB but none works on my UEFI Bios. What can I do about this. ? The two issues are related.

Thanks

Gundobaldo

Dronix · Jan 21, 2025

gundobaldo66 said:
I have two Windows 11 Pro OS partitions in the same disk

Your attachments are displayed like this:

Berton · Jan 21, 2025

Just comments. The Subject/Title mentions a single drive but the questions seem to be about 2 different drives.

Description: SSD is Solid State Drive [no moving parts], HDD is Hard Disk Drive [has moving parts]
An HDD can be either 3.5" or 2.5" in size and both have the SATA connection.
The 2.5" is either HDD or SSD, the 3.5" is HDD [haven't seen a 3.5" as SSD].
The other SSD drive is frequently an NVMe M.2, plugs into a socket on the motherboard.
The SATA connection is by cable, one for data and one for power.
I got a new Desktop with Win11 in Apr. '22, boots to and runs Win11 on a 512GB NVMe M.2 drive and I added a 2TB 3.5" HDD for added storage.

badrobot · Jan 21, 2025

You don't wanna do that on the same drive. You will have the worst time during updates. It will keep messing up everything. Even two separate drives can be a mess sometimes if you don't know what you are doing. It's not gonna be fun doing it on the same drive.

gundobaldo66 · Jan 22, 2025

Dronix said:
Your attachments are displayed like this:

View attachment 122775

Sorry, something went AWRY. Here it is again

Dronix said:
Your attachments are displayed like this:

View attachment 122775

Sorry, something went awry. I'll resend the attachment. While working on this, The Disk management layout has slightly changed .
My post should read like this now.
The partitions in question are (C\ and on Disk 1 and (H:) on Disk 0

The Disk management layout ( attached) shows two Disks : Disk 1 SSD with partition ( C:) containing the OS and Disk 0 SATA HDD with partition (H:)
I have created a Drive image of (C:) with Macrium Reflect and recovered it on (H:\) :) on Disk 0. The idea is to be able to boot alternatively from either drive/disk, if need be, like I did in the older computer with two SATA HDD. With the new comput.er I have difficulties

Also, the new Dell UEFI BIOS doesn’t detect the SATA HDD , so I cannot set it as a 1st Boot priority.

The SATA HDD listed in the UEFI ADD ON option, but then I cannot add it to the boot configuration because Keyboard and Mouse are disabled and I cannot type in the name of the file. In fact, I get a message” The file location and boot option name must be provided to add the new boot option” . How can I enable keyboard and mouse? I had some hints from the WEB but none works on my UEFI Bios. What can I do about this. ? The two issues are related.
Thank you

Gundo

gundobaldo66 · Jan 22, 2025

Berton said:
Just comments. The Subject/Title mentions a single drive but the questions seem to be about 2 different drives.

Description: SSD is Solid State Drive [no moving parts], HDD is Hard Disk Drive [has moving parts]
An HDD can be either 3.5" or 2.5" in size and both have the SATA connection.
The 2.5" is either HDD or SSD, the 3.5" is HDD [haven't seen a 3.5" as SSD].
The other SSD drive is frequently an NVMe M.2, plugs into a socket on the motherboard.
The SATA connection is by cable, one for data and one for power.
I got a new Desktop with Win11 in Apr. '22, boots to and runs Win11 on a 512GB NVMe M.2 drive and I added a 2TB 3.5" HDD for added storage.

You are right. My phrasing was incorrect. As detailed in my reply to Dronix above, there are two internal Drives : a SSD and a HDD SATA 3.5 "on two Disks ( 1 and 0)

Dronix · Jan 22, 2025

gundobaldo66 said:
The partitions in question are (C\ and on Disk 1 and (H:) on Disk 0

Why don't you have drive letters defined in three partitions on disk 0? Assign letters. I don't see the H disk.

Berton · Jan 22, 2025

This is my main Desktop, not shown are the USB drives [I don't dual-boot] and Disk 1 is an NVMe M.2 SSD:

gundobaldo66 · Jan 22, 2025

Berton said:
Just comments. The Subject/Title mentions a single drive but the questions seem to be about 2 different drives.

Description: SSD is Solid State Drive [no moving parts], HDD is Hard Disk Drive [has moving parts]
An HDD can be either 3.5" or 2.5" in size and both have the SATA connection.
The 2.5" is either HDD or SSD, the 3.5" is HDD [haven't seen a 3.5" as SSD].
The other SSD drive is frequently an NVMe M.2, plugs into a socket on the motherboard.
The SATA connection is by cable, one for data and one for power.
I got a new Desktop with Win11 in Apr. '22, boots to and runs Win11 on a 512GB NVMe M.2 drive and I added a 2TB 3.5" HDD for added storage.

You are right. As explained above, the layout consists of two drives and two Disks: a SSD drive (C :) on Disk 1 and a SATA HDD with partition (H:) on Disk 0.

Dronix · Jan 22, 2025

gundobaldo66 said:
and a SATA HDD with partition (H:) on Disk 0.

No offense, but I don't see partition H on disk 0 in your screenshot.

Dronix · Jan 22, 2025

gundobaldo66 said:
I have two Windows 11 Pro OS partitions in the same disk

Similar to your situation: Windows only detects one NTFS drive when two are connected

gundobaldo66 · Jan 22, 2025

Dronix said:
Why don't you have drive letters defined in three partitions on disk 0? Assign letters. I don't see the H disk.

I had assigned letter (H :\) to the partition in question in Disk 0, but I must have sent by mistake the Disk management attachment before assigning the letter. Sorry.
It is there now.
For the other partitions in both disks they don't have a letter (except C:\ in disk 1) because when I click on the partitions there is no option for assigning a letter.

Thanks

Gundo

KYHI · Jan 22, 2025

What a waste of Disk Space....
So much unallocated drive space on those disks...
Disk 2 does not need Logical Partitions...

You need to use Diskpart and BCDedit commands to Configure the "Disks" for Dual Booting (so either is bootable, if one was removed or if the Primary HDD is changed in the BIOS)....
But there is no reason why you can not Boot Either "OS Partition" from the BCD Store on the other "Disk"

Here is a good tool to help you Partition, Resize and Layout those disks..

MiniTool Partition Wizard Free 12.9

gundobaldo66 · Jan 22, 2025

Dronix said:
Similar to your situation: Windows only detects one NTFS drive when two are connected

At boot I have in fact two Windows 11 OS to choose, but the second one doesn't boot and I have an error message that Windows 11 needs to be repaired., so I can only boot from one, in drive C:\. The other one in drive (H:\) is unbootable. Perhaps this is because, as you say, Windows only detects one NTFS drive when the two are connected? If so, I am afraid there is no way around this, I guess.
I still have sort out, though, the BIOS UEFI issue. Why can't I use the mouse and keyboard to complete the ADD ON process, if needed? May be this is outside the purview of the current thread and I have to start a new thread?
Thanks so much for your help

Gundo

hsehestedt · Jan 22, 2025

Have you considered perform a native VCHD boot\ for the second+ installation of Windows? I love that method because it can be cleaned up in mere seconds.

You end up with a single file that contains the new Windows installation (a VHDX file). So, to delete it you simply remove the boot ebntry using MSCONFIG and then delete that file. Done.

Windows Videos - Windows 10 Help Forums

Information Hi geeks and geekettes! This thread is to show your Windows 10 related tutorial and instructional videos. If you have made a

www.tenforums.com

KYHI · Jan 22, 2025

run MSCONFIG and remove the boot entry for the non C drive OS....
Then use CMD Prompt(Admin) and type >

Code:

BCDBoot x:\Windows

replace X with the current drive letter of that other OS Partition
-

hsehestedt · Jan 22, 2025

KYHI said:
run MSCONFIG and remove the boot entry for the non C drive OS....
Then use CMD Prompt(Admin) and type >

Code:

BCDBoot x:\Windows

replace X with the current drive letter of that other OS Partition
-
View attachment 122904

You don't even need to run the BCDBoot command. You can simply select the correct OS right there on the screen you show and click on "Set as default", but either method will work.

KYHI · Jan 22, 2025

hsehestedt said:
You don't even need to run the BCDBoot command. You can simply select the correct OS right there on the screen you show and click on "Set as default", but either method will work.

I want the "Non Bootable" OS BCD Entry Removed/Cleared and Redone.. If the OS remains Non Bootable, then we know it is the OS (as the Partition most likely changed and the BCD is not pointing correctly...

gundobaldo66 · Jan 22, 2025

KYHI said:
run MSCONFIG and remove the boot entry for the non C drive OS....
Then use CMD Prompt(Admin) and type >

Code:

BCDBoot x:\Windows

replace X with the current drive letter of that other OS Partition
-
View attachment 122904

I have done it. It still doesn't work.

gundobaldo66 · Jan 22, 2025

KYHI said:
I want the "Non Bootable" OS BCD Entry Removed/Cleared and Redone.. If the OS remains Non Bootable, then we know it is the OS (as the Partition most likely changed and the BCD is not pointing correctly...

How do I remove , clear and redo the OS BCD entry?

Dual booting same Disk two Windows OS partitions HOW TO..

Member

Attachments

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Ret. ATC

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computers

Member

Attachments

My Computer

Member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Ret. ATC

My Computers

Member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computer

Member

Attachments

My Computer

Well-known member

MiniTool Partition Wizard Free 12.9​

My Computer

Member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Well-known member

My Computers

Well-known member

My Computer

Member

My Computer

Member

My Computer

Similar threads

MiniTool Partition Wizard Free 12.9