Multiple Windows Installations on MBP

[teameurox]

I currently have SL, DP4 Lion, and Windows 7 64 schemed on my hard drive using Refit.


Just curious with all the press about Windows 8, when the time eventually comes to beta status, is it possible to have multiple Windows installations? I would really like to beta Windows 8 but don't want to have to give up some what stable Windows 7 install.

 

[ayeying]

Yes. There shouldn't be issues.

 

[balamw]

Yes. There shouldn't be issues.

Certainly true if Windows is run in a VM.

A standard/supported Boot Camp setup only supports a single Windows partition and going non-standard (multiple partitions) can lead to some issues.

(e.g. you might no longer be able to boot one or both of your Windows installs as a VM in VMWare or Parallels).

B

 

[Xgm541]

in refit, trying to run a windows installer leads to it loading your original windows partition

at least when you try to do it through USB

 

[teameurox]

I'm trying to run local not virtualizing. I no longer have a pc, Like I did for windows 7 betas I had multiple partitions installed on my old XPS for testing. I would be looking not to run it on external drives ( too much of a headache) , just another small partition for the upcoming version of windows

 

[balamw]

I'm trying to run local not virtualizing. I no longer have a pc, Like I did for windows 7 betas I had multiple partitions installed on my old XPS for testing. I would be looking not to run it on external drives ( too much of a headache) , just another small partition for the upcoming version of windows

Part of that will depend if W8 will have better support for GPT. The main challenge with running multiple Windows natively on the Mac is that they rely on MBR, and by the time you add one more partition to a standard Boot Camp partition you have the four partitions MBR will allow.

B