Attempt to dual boot 2 identical Windows 7 installations fails

[41donwb41]

I have a fully functional Windows 7 Pro 64 bit installation (call it no1) on an internal Hard Drive.

I am trying to achieve a second identical installation (dual boot) on a second separate internal Hard Drive.

The installation (custom) proceeds apparently successfully through each phase, until the final action, which is to restart the computer (actually for the first time).

The computer completes the restart, but only into the existing no 1 windows installation.

msconfig shows only one installation under "boot".

Disc Management shows 21.6Gb of the 369Gb partition have been used.

The contents of the used portion look right for a new Win 7 installation.

So where do I go from here?

Suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[bassfisher6522]

Does this 2nd install have a separate "product key" to go with the install?

 

[41donwb41]

No - I used the same installation disk for both - a fully legal, bought copy I have been using in a single installation mode for several years.

 

[bassfisher6522]

you can use the same disk to install....but you need a new "Product Key" for the 2nd installation to be active/accepted by MS. And when dual booting, the original MBR is what controls both OS boot options for OS choice selection at start up.

 

[41donwb41]

Hi
It’s curious that when I attempted to create a second windows 7 install, that process never reached a stage where it asked for a product key.
Prior to the time when that might have happened naturally during the install process, a reboot occurred and the PC rebooted into the existing Windows 7 installation.
Thereafter I could find no way to get back into the "partially completed" installation, which is still sitting on it's allocated partition.

 

[bassfisher6522]

Did you create a partition for the new install to reside on? Can you post a screen shot of or disk management window?

 

[41donwb41]

Yes - It is on it's own partition on it's own (separate) drive.....
However, the problem is solved.
I don't know how I solved it, but after a lot of playing around with the contents of the partition where it should have installed,
the installation resumed and eventually did ask for a key, which I inputted.
Thereafter, I got the 2 OSs side by side at boot up.

Many thanks for your suggestions.

I should mark this posting as solved / closed but don't see how.