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Dear SevenForums:
Dave C here, with a bit of a "challenge" facing me as I prepare my winter-2015-built, "relatively new" homebrew desktop PC to take Windows 8.1 in its 64-bit edition, to run SolidWorks Student Edition for my college coursework!
I have Win-7 Pro 32-bit running my PC as it exists, using a "plain-Jane" Master Boot Record-style 250 GB capacity Seagate SATA-3 hard disk with a Biostar A85S3 motherboard. Since the Windows 8.1 64-bit OS install (primarily for running SolidWorks) REQUIRES a GPT-style formatted hard disk, I've ordered a twin to the Seagate HD that Win-7 is on, so that the Win-8.1 64-bit OS CAN have a completely separate GPT-formattable hard disk to reside on for the present.
From what I've found at the Wikipedia article on the subject of GUID partition tables/hard drives, though, particularly in the "Operating systems support" section detailing "Windows: 32-bit and the follow-on "64-bit", it SEEMS like
I'd NEVER be able to place an additional bootable partition for my Win-7, 32-bit OS on the new GPT-format physical hard disk that would already be hosting the newly-installed 64-bit Win-8.1 OS. Of the 250 GB available on the new hard disk, I was planning on allotting around 110 GB for the main Win-8.1 volume, then sometime later attempt to use MiniTool's PartitionWizard to create a new 110 GB bootable GPT partition for my Win-7 Pro, 32-bit environment on the same hard disk that will be hosting the Win-8.1, 64-bit install. I've been hoping to return to only using ONE bootable hard drive on my main CAD system, in addition to my matching and separate 250 GB Seagate SATA-III hard disk hosting my F:/ drive for all my applications and data files.
So — as the third hard disk (with one Seagate 250 GB capacity device hosting 32-bit Win-7 with MBR formatting, and the other being the aforementioned "apps & data" hard drive) WILL be dedicated to first being GPT-formatted, and installing my copy of 64-bit Windows 8.1, will the GPT formatting for the "third hard disk" make it impossible to eventually move my 32-bit Win-7 OS environment onto the GPT-format hard disk that will be holding the 64-bit Win-8.1 OS?
Thanks in advance and Yours Sincerely,
Dave C.....just a BIT confused about all this with different Windows versions and GPT hard disks!
Dave C here, with a bit of a "challenge" facing me as I prepare my winter-2015-built, "relatively new" homebrew desktop PC to take Windows 8.1 in its 64-bit edition, to run SolidWorks Student Edition for my college coursework!
I have Win-7 Pro 32-bit running my PC as it exists, using a "plain-Jane" Master Boot Record-style 250 GB capacity Seagate SATA-3 hard disk with a Biostar A85S3 motherboard. Since the Windows 8.1 64-bit OS install (primarily for running SolidWorks) REQUIRES a GPT-style formatted hard disk, I've ordered a twin to the Seagate HD that Win-7 is on, so that the Win-8.1 64-bit OS CAN have a completely separate GPT-formattable hard disk to reside on for the present.
From what I've found at the Wikipedia article on the subject of GUID partition tables/hard drives, though, particularly in the "Operating systems support" section detailing "Windows: 32-bit and the follow-on "64-bit", it SEEMS like
I'd NEVER be able to place an additional bootable partition for my Win-7, 32-bit OS on the new GPT-format physical hard disk that would already be hosting the newly-installed 64-bit Win-8.1 OS. Of the 250 GB available on the new hard disk, I was planning on allotting around 110 GB for the main Win-8.1 volume, then sometime later attempt to use MiniTool's PartitionWizard to create a new 110 GB bootable GPT partition for my Win-7 Pro, 32-bit environment on the same hard disk that will be hosting the Win-8.1, 64-bit install. I've been hoping to return to only using ONE bootable hard drive on my main CAD system, in addition to my matching and separate 250 GB Seagate SATA-III hard disk hosting my F:/ drive for all my applications and data files.So — as the third hard disk (with one Seagate 250 GB capacity device hosting 32-bit Win-7 with MBR formatting, and the other being the aforementioned "apps & data" hard drive) WILL be dedicated to first being GPT-formatted, and installing my copy of 64-bit Windows 8.1, will the GPT formatting for the "third hard disk" make it impossible to eventually move my 32-bit Win-7 OS environment onto the GPT-format hard disk that will be holding the 64-bit Win-8.1 OS?
Thanks in advance and Yours Sincerely,
Dave C..
...just a BIT confused about all this with different Windows versions and GPT hard disks!