Install Win 7 on a parallel drive

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My Win 7 Pro 64bit installation that is around 3 years old is finally getting a bit wonky. It seems to be a registry problem that is affecting some software installations. The system is installed on a 256 GB SSD. I wonder what problems I should expect if I install another 256 GB SSD in parallel with the current root drive and install a second copy of Windows 7 on it. I know that means making some boot changes in BIOS. What I’m trying to accomplish is to simply duplicate my current system as much as possible and then remove the original SSD from the system. I have several system backups and images made over the last couple of years. I would appreciate helpful opinions or suggestions from anyone.

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If you are having problems with your current install of Windows 7, then it would be good to do a clean install of Windows 7, because if you try to transfer Windows 7 from the old SSD to the new, you will likely transfer the problems as well.

If it was me, I would make careful note of everything that is installed on the current drive, including install keys and config info. I would then do a backup of the current SSD, remove the current SSD, and install the new SSD. I would then do a clean install of Windows 7 on the new SSD.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Thanks Jim for the reply. I guess I was unclear in my initial message. I want to do exactly what you are suggesting; I don’t want to really duplicate the problem I already have. I have a brand new Samsung 250 GB SSD on my desk waiting for a new installation of Win 7 Pro. I just wondered about the wisdom of connecting it as a new partition on the problem machine and rebuilding a setup on it similar to the bad one I now have. It is just a matter of convenience to me. I could always install it in another computer and load it with the same applications I am running on the “sick” computer but that would be somewhat inconvenient having to deal with parallel machines.

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What you are describing is a simple dual boot. Yes, you can do it by booting Windows 7 installation media and installing on the empty drive. The installation process will recognize the existing installation, and add your new installation to the BCD, giving you the option of which installation to boot into when you start the PC.

The only caveat is that it requires two licenses.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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The only caveat is that it requires two licenses.

??Wouldn’t the “30 days to activate” give him time to sort things out before uninstalling the original (corrupted) install?

Zig

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??Wouldn’t the “30 days to activate” give him time to sort things out before uninstalling the original (corrupted) install?

Zig

Yes, it would. Activation would probably require the usual call to Microsoft RE changing out drives, etc.

I always dual boot, so I wasn’t even thinking along those lines. Thanks for bringing that to light, Zig.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Thanks guys! I have a new Samsung SSD that I’ll install and build a parallel but clean system on. I don’t see the 30 day activation to be a real problem. I should be able to do what I need to do in a week, tops. It is a pleasure to deal with good people like you. I haven’t consulted a BBS type system in a long, long time because I found that too many people who didn’t know what they were talking about felt compelled to respond to my inquiry. Not the case with Windows Secrets or the old, venerable Langa Letter of course.

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