How to Dual Boot Windows 11 & Windows 7 – Complete Guide

With Windows 11 becoming wildly popular among Windows users and tech enthusiasts, Microsoft had released preview builds for testing. The preview build has been download and used by millions of users who are currently exploring the new features in the OS. Microsoft has planned to release the official Windows 11 OS later in 2021 so that they get time to fix bugs and glitches.  This article will be covering the topic of how to run two Windows OSes on a computer. So hop on and learn to do it, so you can enjoy Windows 11 without removing your old OS.

How to Dual Boot Windows 11 & Windows 7 - Complete Guide

Well, dual boot mode has been used for decades where users can use two Windows OSes on the same computer. So this feature can be implemented and users who wish to use the new Windows 11 on their computers can install it and also run their old Windows OS. tech enthusiasts who prefer to run the build version of Windows 11 can install it without damaging their 

Well, this can sound complex but the process is pretty simple. Before you download and install Windows 11 on your computer, you have to know some basic information about the OS. Windows 11 needs improved requirements and especially it requires TPM 2.0 which is a hardware security module. So, to know the exact system requirements for running Windows 11, here is the list of requirements that your computer needs.

Recommended Post:- How to Change Startup Sound on Windows 11 – Easy Way

PC Requirements for Running Windows 11 on a Computer

  • CPU: the minimum CPU capacity should be 1 GHz CPU with 2 cores. The CPU must be 64-bit compatible.
  • RAM: The minimum RAM required to run Windows 11 is 4 GB.
  • TPM: Trusted Platform Module version 2.0 is needed to run Windows 11.
  • Motherboard Firmware: UEFI.
  • Display: 720p compatible display.
  • Graphics Card: DirectX 12 compatible with the WDDM 2.0 driver is essential.

Now that you know the system requirements to run Windows 11, you can now install the OSes on your computer and run them in dual mode. Well, the methods are pretty tricky but here you will find a detailed step-by-step guide that will make things easier.

How to Dual Boot Windows 11 and Windows 7

There are two methods that you can use to dual boot Windows 11 and Windows 7 on your computer.

Method 1: Install Windows 11 before Windows 7

The choice is yours, you can either install Windows 11 and then install Windows 7 on your computer so, let’s begin with installing Windows 11 first. This method is for people who have Windows 11 installed and what Windows 7 on their computer.

 Create a Windows 7 partition on your Windows 11 Computer

  • To create a partition, press the Windows key and X key on the keyboard. Here, select disk management.
  • Here in the disk management tool, select the partition that has free space available. Make sure you select the partition with a minimum of 20 GB of free disk space.
  • Now, right-click on the selected partition and then select the shrink volume option.
  • Now, a new pop-up window will open in which you have to enter the amount of space you need to shrink. Enter the value of at least 20000 MB.
  • Click on the shrink button to shrink the partition.
  • In the disk manager, you will notice unallocated space will appear. Right-click on it and select the new simple volume option.
  • Now, set the value in MB, you can enter a maximum value and hit on next.
  • Once you are done, click on the finish option to save and quit.

Download Windows 7 ISO file to boot it

  • To download the Windows 7 ISO file, search for Windows 7 ISO download and choose an authentic website to make the downloads.
  • Now, once you have the Windows 7 ISO downloaded on your computer. 
  • Now, install a tool named Rufus from GitHub.
  • Run Rufus and select the flash drive you intend to use as a bootable device..
  • Here, in the drive properties click on the select option and choose Windows 7 ISO file.
  • Now Windows 7 ISo is selected click on start, this will start the format.
  • A small pop-up window will open asking you whether to format the drive, select Ok,
  • The formatting process will happen and you have to wait for some time.

Booting using the Windows 7 Flash Drive to Install Windows 7

  • To boot using a Windows 7 drive, connect the drive containing the bootable Windows 7 file to the computer.
  • You now have to restart your computer and then press the boot mode key on your computer to enter the boot mode (every computer manufacturer will have a separate boot mode key, so find yours.
  • Once in the boot menu, select the flash drive containing Windows 7 to boot the computer.
  • Now, choose the language and proceed with the installation.
  • Choose the option custom and advanced in the install Windows wizard.
  • Select the partition you have created on your computer to install Windows 7.
  • The installation will occur. Once Windows 7 has been installed, select Windows 7 from the boot screen.

Method 2: Install Windows 11 on a Windows 7 Computer

Here is the detailed method for correctly installing Windows 11 on a Windows 7 computer.

Create a Partition to Install Windows 11

  • To create a partition for Windows 11, open the disk management by entering diskmgmt.msc in the run command.
  • Here choose a partition you want to shrink and right-click on it and click shrink volume.
  • Now, set the size of the partition in MB(50000 to 100000).
  • Now, right-click the unallocated space and select a new simple volume.
  • Set a maximum size for the volume. You can select the drive letter for the volume.
  • Now, click on finish.

Download Windows 10 ISO

Windows 10 ISO is used as Windows 11 is unofficial and cannot be downloaded in this manner.

  • To download the Windows 10 ISO, go to Microsoft’s official website and download the Windows 10 media creation tool.
  • Now, open the media creation tool and select, create installation media(USB flash drive, DVD, or ISO file) for another PC and then click on next.
  • Connect a formatted USB flash drive of a minimum of 8 GB.
  • Now, select the USB flash drive.
  • Wait for the process to complete.

Boot using the Windows 10 Installation media

  • Connect the USB flash drive to your computer.
  • Restart your computer and enter the boot menu.
  • In the boot menu, select the flash drive as a bootable drive.
  • Now, select the language in the Windows setup wizard to proceed with installing the OS.
  • In the setup wizard, select the OS version you want ie Windows 10 and then install it.
  • Now in the Where do you want to install Windows option choose the partition you have created previously.
  • Now, install the OS on your computer.

Once the OS has been installed select Windows 10 in the boot screen to boot using Windows 10. Once booted, join the Windows insider program and then download Windows 11 OS.

  • To join the Windows Insider program go to the settings of Windows 10, and then select the updates and security.
  • Here, select the Windows Insider Program.
  • Now login with a Microsoft account.
  • Choose the option dev channel and click on confirm.
  • Now restart your computer.
  • Now, go to the updates and security settings, and check for updates.
  • Windows will download the Windows 11 OS and install it.

Well, this is how you can dual boot Windows 11 and Windows 7. Since Microsoft had discontinued Windows 7 and Windows 11 is unofficial, you have to think twice before doing something on your computer.

Hope the information provided above was helpful and informative, try out Windows 11 developers build and find out the awesome features of the OS.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *