Dual Boot Windows 10 & 11

Countcussy

Countcussy

Countcussy

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10 Nov 2006
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Just wanting to check what I want to do will work...

I need to become more familiar with Windows 11 in general, as its being rolled out on our work machines.
All my stuff at home is still on 10, so I am planning to upgrade & dual boot.

My plan is to backup my current Windows 10 partition with Acronis. Then Upgrade that partition to windows 11 using the free upgrade.
Then Restore my Acronis Windows 10 backup to a seperate partition on the same ssd, & Choose which version of windows to use at the boot menu.

Sounds too simple.
Any possible issues?
 
Should work in theory
I have multiple windows installations
But I put mine on separate drives
Not partitions on one drive
Since if that drive fails you lose both windows
And can't do anything until you replace the drive

As for acronis I can't even get it to work
Just gives scheduling service error
Even after trying everything support suggested
So I stuck with macrium instead
Does acronis allow testing your backup?
A backup is great but until you actually try to use it
No way to tell if it works
Macrium let's you test them in it's VM (viboot)

Any possible issues?
Yeah messed up boot record could be one
Should work in theory
Isn't the same as does work every time In practice

Main thing is have backups of anything important
Before you do anything
 
Thanks for the replies.

I have used my Acronis multiple times, including a few backups and restores. Tempting fate now but it's never missed a beat. I upgraded my ssd at the weekend and cloned the m2 without issue.
Fwiw, It's a paid version From 2020.
It currently backs up to my Nas every few days.

Re the bootloader. I remember dual booting XP and Win 7. Windows just let me choose at boot.
The option of having a 2nd bootable os got me out of trouble a few times.
Has this behaviour changed?
 
Last edited:
Countcussy said:
Re the bootloader. I remember dual booting XP and Win 7. Windows just let me choose at boot.
The option of having a 2nd bootable os got me out of trouble a few times.
Has this behaviour changed?
Click to expand...
You can still do it. The PC I'm typing on now has Windows 10 and Windows 11 on separate physical installs (I mean, not the same disk) and it defaults to Windows 11 if you don't move the mouse/press a key, but you can choose whatever you want.
 
.likewise as I said
Mine are on separate drives
I can choose from windows boot menu
Or by pressing the F8 key on boot up
Or in the bios for more permanent effect

In the ops case
It's having them both on one drive
That's something I haven't done in a very very long time
And totally don't remember

Worst happens
Might need to use easybcd or similar
And edit the boot menu as long as one OS boots up
If nothing boots up cmd and bootrec commands
 
Countcussy said:
Has this behaviour changed?
Click to expand...
It hasn't changed, but I think the issue is that restoring a backup to another partition isn't going to automatically create that boot menu.

Also I don't know how well multiple partitions will work with the e.g. uefi boot partitions that windows creates during installation.


You may be better off with separate drives, and keep them completely separate and just hit the bios boot menu key to boot the 2nd os
 
Yeah separate drives would be my choice
Not sure if there's a limit
But got 3 x windows and 1 x macrium recovery environment
On my boot menu
So can certainly have 4

Separate drives also gives you a backup plan
If the drive with partitions fails
Then you have no backup
 
Fair points.

I get it now. A clean install of Windows 11 on the 2nd partition would "Enable" the boot menu.
A restore of my existing would need extra work. I had not thought of that.

Agree on the separate drives, and that is how I have done it in the past.
Was just trying to be clever with disk space.

Thank you all.
 
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Yeah the clean install would look
And see the existing one
And add both to the boot menu

The other way
You would have to try to boot either windows
And modify the boot record
To show 2 windows
As restoring the image would be "dumb"
It wouldn't look for existing windows

As long as you have backups
No reason not to give it a try anyway
Just to see what happens

That's usually how I learn
By breaking stuff then sorting it lol
 
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