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Question

How to set up multiple OS's plus Windows 10 question.

Aug 4, 2015 2:21PM PDT

Hi! I hope everybody is doing well. Forgive me if this is placed in the wrong place. Since it's a question about more than one OS I didn't think it would be appropriate to put it in a single OS board. Please bear with me, because the description leading to the question is a little long-winded. Here goes.

So I recently picked up the Samsung SSD 850 EVO (1TB) and I want to use that as my main drive for Windows 10 and all of my installed applications, games, etc. I have my old 1TB Seagate HDD (I forget the exact model) which I want to use for holding most of my date (like documents, or work I'm doing at the time such as word documents or programming code I don't need access to immediately). So there are a few things I want to do, and I'm not sure how to approach it exactly because I've always just done simple clean installs of single OS's on single HDDs.

I'm currently running Windows 8.1 on my computer. I want to replace it with Windows 10 then do a clean install (this I know how to do, which is simple enough). From there, I want to format my old drive and if possible, I'd like to install Chrome OS, Steam OS and then have some space for storage. I have a vague understanding of partition a drive, but would I be able to use this feature to do what I want, or would this be a bit too risky to try and do?

While I don't know exactly how to partition a drive, (having only done it once many many years ago), I don't remember it being too hard, so that I can figure out with a little research. I just need to know if I could put 2 OS's on the drive AND have a part of the drive for storage access (I was thinking of doing 100GB for Chrome OS, 400GB for Steam OS and the rest for storage).

Playing off of that, when I start up my computer, would it ask for which OS I want to start at boot or would it automatically do Windows 10 since that would be my primary drive (in which case, how would I be able to access the other OS's whenever I wanted to switch)?

Finally, this is a question of pure opinion. Would you guys think it would be easier to to a full clone of my current HDD onto the SSD using Samsung's feature, upgrade to Windows 10, THEN do a clean install? Or would it be simpler to just upgrade to Windows 10 on my old HDD, then use the USB install to do a clean install onto the SSD, THEN wipe the old HDD and set it up for the other features?

I apologize if a lot of this is very simple, but since I'm completely new to doing this I want to make sure I get some good advice before I dive into this project. Thanks a ton for all of your guys' time and attention!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
First I haven't partitioned in advance for Windows in over
Aug 4, 2015 2:33PM PDT

A decade. Microsoft changed so much that I'm using the old "leave space open" or unpartitioned method. I find folk that partition in advance either go down in flames or post far and wide why this is. Again, I leave space unpartitioned and as I install an OS use it's own methods to select how much space to use.

Which leads us to boot managers. Microsoft still doesn't support more than its own. Yes, yes there are articles that appear to conflict so if you feel you must try, try and then you can ignore this.

https://sites.google.com/site/easylinuxtipsproject/windows covers the usual BIOS changes.

At this point you install your OSes of choice but my bet is that you'll install 10 first then the others.

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Automatic Partition?
Aug 4, 2015 4:03PM PDT

Wait, so if I understand this correctly, when I try to install a new OS it'll ask me if I want to partition? Assuming that is true, are you saying that I could just assign what I need to as I try to install each OS? If so, that will actually be a ton easier.

Also, my main SSD will be the one with Windows. My old HDD is going to be the one with Steam OS and Chrome OS so if I understand the process correctly, Windows should have anything to do with those installations, right? Since they will be independent drives.

Thanks a ton, by the way!

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I wouldn't. I want space for other OSes.
Aug 4, 2015 4:12PM PDT

Each OS has a process or place it asks. You can select all or some. Your choice but partition before the install is something like a train wreck. I've seen it fail for too many people, it's not the method I use.
Note: Corrected spelling error.

Post was last edited on August 4, 2015 7:03 PM PDT

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Makes Sense
Aug 4, 2015 5:34PM PDT

That's actually extremely useful information. Thank you so much! I think that really addresses the main issue to be honest. You are awesome!

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Answer
First of all I know nothing about chrome OS but...
Aug 4, 2015 3:28PM PDT

if it's anything like linux, you should have any problem with dual boot. Here's probably how I would do it. You clone the old Hdd. now disconnect the old and put the new clone in. Now use that to uprade to 10. After that's done, you can now play with your chromeOS. Now with the old you also got yourself a backup. Good luck.

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So Clone first?
Aug 4, 2015 4:05PM PDT

So you recommend cloning everything to the new SSD, doing the upgrade then doing a clean install? Out of curiosity, why do you prefer that over upgrading on my old HDD then creating a boot USB and using that to install W10 on the SSD?

Also, for clarification, the HDD with Chrome OS / Steam OS will be completely independent from the one I'm using as my main W10 SSD. I actually have two separate 1TB drives for backup so that's not an issue.

Thanks for the input, by the way!

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Clean install?
Aug 4, 2015 11:17PM PDT

No need because everything that was in the old has already been cloned to the new. Just do the upgrade and see if you are satisfy with it. After that, you can think about what to do with Chrome OS. Like I said before, if chrome is like linux then there should be no problem.