In the same way, there are certain programs or games that are specially prepared and designed to work in this version of the system. Therefore, if we have Windows 7 together with other more modern versions of the Microsoft, we will be able to execute these programs without problem in the version that has already disappeared from the operating system. It can also be used to carry out certain tests, or simply to entertain ourselves and remember old times.
What we need to install the two operating systems
What is certain is that, if our computer is already running Windows 7, it will be able to run Windows 10 without problems in most cases. The only thing that we are going to need to be able to install these two operating systems on the PC is:
- USB or Windows 7 installation media that serves as the starting point for installing the software.
- USB or Windows 10 installation media, as in the previous case, to put it into operation on the PC.
- Two hard drives. Or, failing that, two partitions (one for each operating system), something that we will talk about below.
As always, we also recommend having a backup of the most important files on our computer. The process is completely safe, but we can always make a mistake in one of the steps (for example, when choosing a hard drive or partition), and therefore it is always better to prevent.
To all this, we will have to add that the coexistence of both operating systems on the same computer will require additional storage space. That is why, as expected, to carry out all this that we are going to tell you, it will be necessary that we have a drive or drives with sufficient free space. Of course, at this point perhaps the most interesting thing is to partition them in order to separate both platforms and make them work that way.
Another aspect that we must also take into account is that to install Windows 7 you will not need a valid license, since, otherwise, we will not be able to get past the installation screen. With Windows 10 it will also be necessary, however, if we can skip the step in which the license number is requested, allowing us to enter it later or use it without a valid license, although we will not have the option to modify the configuration options Windows.
If we take into account that Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft, if we want to use a valid license, we will have to use one that we used on an old computer that has passed away and we have cornered somewhere in our house. It is not recommended to use a pirated version that omits the section where we must enter the license number or use a license that circulates on the Internet, since, once connected to the Internet, Microsoft will detect that it is an invalid number and will block the system forcing us to enter a valid license number.
Advantages of a Dual-Boot vs virtualizing
There are many users who defend the use of virtual machines when having a second operating system installed on the PC. And, depending on the use that we are going to make of this second OS, we may be more interested in installing it in a virtual machine.
On the one hand, a Dual-Boot allows us to be able to use all the hardware of our PC, without limitations, in both operating systems. The resources of the virtual machines are limited, so we will not be able, for example, to use them to play games or to edit video.
But the Dual-Boot has drawbacks. The first of these is that it is much more complicated to run than a virtual machine. It is also important to note that, to change the operating system, we need to restart the entire PC, we cannot use both at the same time as we do, for example, with VMware or VirtualBox. And of course, if something goes wrong, we can be left without both operating systems.
If we are looking for something simple, for sporadic, undemanding use, or for testing, a virtual machine is much better. In addition, if we opt for the use of these virtual machines that we are talking about, we will have the possibility not only to test and use Windows 7. We say this because in the program that we use for virtualization we have the possibility to test all kinds of Linux distributions in addition to even older versions of the Redmond operating system. In the case that, for example, we use VirtualBox, one of the most popular proposals in this sense, the creation of a new virtual machine is a matter of a few minutes. Maybe the first time it costs us a little more, but it is so easy to use that the following ones download much more quickly.
But, if we need our Windows 7 to perform at 100%, then we have no choice but to install it like any other operating system: physically on the PC.
The trick: install Windows 7 first
Whenever two or more operating systems are going to be installed on a computer, it is recommended to install them from the least compatible, or oldest, to the newest or most compatible. For example, in the case of a dual boot Windows-Linux it is always recommended to install Windows first, so that Linux, and its bootloader, detects Windows directly. Doing it the other way around can cause problems.
In this case, what we should do is install windows 7 first. If we have not yet created the partitions on our hard drive, during the Windows 7 installation process we can do so. And it is that at this point it is interesting to say that in the event that we are going to use several operating systems on the same computer, we install them in different partitions. In this way, we somehow separate the operation of one and the other and better organize the drives that we have in the computer. Although it is not a very common type of use, the use of several partitions and even to manage and control the types of data that we store in the PC disks, it will be very useful for us. Even more so when we are talking about different platforms that can be started on the same PC.
If not, we can also use the partition manager of the Windows 10 installation wizard to create them, and then start the installation of Windows 7.
Once we have the partitions, we install Windows 7 in the partition we want, and we follow the wizard until the installation is complete, until we see the desktop of our operating system on the screen.
Once we have reached this point, the next step is to install Windows 10. During the installation process we must choose the second hard drive or the second partition that we should have created.
We continue the wizard until the installation of Windows 10 is finished, as we are used to on other occasions.
we already have our dual boot installed. If we enter the advanced boot options of Windows 10 we can see how the two operating systems have detected us. These will be the ones that from now on will form part of the startup of our computer and thus we can choose the one that interests us the most in each case. Obviously they will work independently and we will be able to do everything we want with each version of Windows without the changes affecting the other.
And when we start the computer from scratch we can choose which one we want to do it with, whether with Windows 7 or Windows 10, as we mentioned before and see in this screenshot.
And what happens if I install them backwards?
Although nothing has to happen, and everything should work normally, since Windows 7 is an older operating system than Windows 10, it may not detect our operating system.
But if we have Windows 10 already installed on our computer, and we don’t want to delete it to install Windows 7 after reinstalling 10, then we can try our luck. We will install Windows 7 on our second partition, or hard drive, and that’s it.
When the installation process is finished, and we have reached the desktop, we can restart. If everything went well, we will see the classic Windows 7 boot manager (which is uglier than Windows 10) and from it we can choose which operating system we want to boot.
And if we don’t like him Windows 7 bootloaderwe can always install an independent manager that allows us to control the operating systems that we have installed on the PC.
Even reserve a third partition for Ubuntu, having Windows 7, Windows 10 and Linux on the same PC.
Windows XP and Windows 10
We may not be Windows 7 so much as Windows Xp and what we are looking for is to install this other operating system together with Windows 10 with a dual boot. While Windows 7 isn’t usually a problem, going back as far as installing XP can be a lot more difficult. Moreover, we could say that, if Windows 7 is not recommended in current computers due to the security problems that this can cause, it goes without saying that we are going to run when installing and using Windows XP in the most modern versions of the operating system.
If everything worked correctly (that is, if we have old hardware that is 100% compatible with XP) the process would be the same. That is to say, install XP first then 10. But if not, we can meet many compatibility issues. Many new components (including processors) are not compatible with this very old system. The graphics drivers and the motherboard are not prepared for it either. And that’s not counting the fact that we’ll need the SATA drivers to install them on this type of hard drive. Thus, if we have more than 4 GB of RAM (which we certainly do) use a 64-bit XP, a rather strange issue.
This setup is not worth it. If we need XP it is better to install it in a virtual machine. Our PC, and our security, will thank us. And it is that we must take into account that, despite its enormous popularity and acceptance, XP is an abandoned system. Therefore, in addition to the possible problems related to compatibility, the issue of security also comes into play.
It’s not hard to imagine that today Windows XP is full of potential vulnerabilities. Therefore, working with the system together with the one we usually use is not the most recommended. Once this is known, as we told you, it is best to visualize XP. That way, if some kind of attack happens, all of it will not affect our main operating system.
And what about Windows 11 and Windows 7?
With the arrival of Windows 11, Microsoft introduced a series of essential requirements to be able to install the operating system. Among others, the most important is having to configure the computer as a UEFI system with Secure Boot enabled. Without it, we will not be able to install Windows 11 on the PC.
However, Windows 7 is a very old operating system that is not ready to be installed on computers with UEFI (hence, we have to activate Legacy mode to install this system). And by doing so, Windows 11 will stop working.
It is true that there are some very specific ISO images of Windows 7 prepared to boot and run smoothly in UEFI mode with…
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