Setup dual boot on Surface Pro 3?

[New2ToMe]

I don't mean to be too rude here, but you seem to be making decisions without complete understanding of the issues involved. I would strongly suggest you do the media install thing and stop trying to mess with dual boot.

I am a retired programmer of 45+ years experience, with a Degree in Mechanical Engineering and another in Electronics. I built, my first computer in 1972 using a soldering iron and a Printed Circuit I had to make using layout tape and Ferric Chloride. I do NOT use dual boot anything. I DO use VMPlayer. Surely that should tell you something.

>> i don't really like VM's.

This tells me you do not understand enough to be doing what you are trying to do. Hyper-V is a BUILT IN part of Windows Pro.
If ANY application is not actively running then it is consuming nothing. Hyper-V, Player etc., only consume power when running. You will see VM... stuff in the Services list, but they will be shown as "Stopped"
Connected standby has nothing to do with this conversation.

BitLocker - go to the Control Panel and click "BitLocker Drive Encryption" and see what it says in there.

 

[ahooper]

Next, you CANNOT just install a dual boot system on a UEFI BIOS device

This is not really true. I run Linux dual boot with secure boot on and it was simple. Windows 10 was simpler still. Please don't spread FUD.

 

[ScottyS]

Next, you CANNOT just install a dual boot system on a UEFI BIOS device

This is not really true. I run Linux dual boot with secure boot on and it was simple. Windows 10 was simpler still. Please don't spread FUD.

Yes, I have been dual booting Win8 & Win10 TP on my SP3 since the first build.

 

[Haldi]

This tells me you do not understand enough to be doing what you are trying to do.

That's exactly the Problem! i have litterally NO idea how Virtualisation really works, i do know few basic things you read in the news about new ULV chips supporting VTd and stuff but thats it! So i never really considered using it.

I've been using dualboot on my normal Computer for ages(in my time relation^^ ), started with the first vista builds on XP. The Big benefit of Dualboot is you can actually use two OS separate... switch bewteen them with a simple reboot, and once you're done you can delet one and have a normal fully working OS.... mostly...
So i tought i could install the win10 Tech preview here, and if it had problems or some Programms would create problems i could simply reboot and all would work as before! and after a few months when win10 has proofen usefull i can simply delete Win8.1 and run Win10 as main OS.

BitLocker - go to the Control Panel and click "BitLocker Drive Encryption" and see what it says in there.

Again looks like it's unlocked to me. so i assume i don't even have a key?





BTT: so Dualboot is working, but in my case as i have no (more) mean to shrink my volume c: i can't use it
Except a fresh install of Windows 8.1




P.S
I've been installing Hyper-V and vSwitch and it seems like a VM could do the job for playing around a while... i'll a full wipe with dualboot on a later date.

 

[New2ToMe]

@ahooper and @ScottyS

The Key is in the complete sentence and not just the convenient gist. The keyword of the gist-less version is "JUST."

On win7 and prior, it WAS a simple matter of installing another boot partition alongside as many as your HDD would stand. Hell, that's what XOSL was invented for, to manage multiple Boot partitions. To have a fully working and fully functioning UEFI system fro BOTH OS' is certainly not a simple thing.

It is obvious to me at least the OP's technical computer skills are not as robust as some others here. While multiple boots certainly can be done, it is not something for the faint of heart or the uninitiated. Using a Virtual machine is much more simple to install and use and totally forgiving of a finger mistake in the Boot.ini file.

@ahooper: The installation might have been simple for you, but BOTH OS' have limitations imposed on them in that situation. Again, not something for the uninitiated or faint of heart. I am trying to help people, not show how smart I am. I still say that using a VM is the obvious and sensible approach. But WTF would I know.

@ScottyS: - Do not understand what "FUD" means and I am too lazy to look it up. But might I suggest that rather than thumping your chest with claims of great ease, you outline to the OP the steps needed to simply install a dual boot system on their PC. That would be much more helpful.

 

[ScottyS]

I did not use FUD, @ahooper did. I had to look it up.

I am not an IT person and cannot outline all the steps off the top of my head. I had lots of help, mostly on other thread of this forum.

 

[ahooper]

Go to control panel-system and security- system then click system protection on the left. There you can turn of protection for your c: drive. This removes a marker used by the restore partition from the end of the c: partition. Shrink the drive as much as you like and turn the protection back on.

 

[Haldi]

finally found out where to deactivate device protection -.-
there are to many settings for bitlocker.....


But it's taking some time to deencrypt... decrypt?

 

[Haldi]

I've strayed from my path!
thanks to this guy here : http://blogs.msdn.com/b/cesardelato...ws-8-1-update-natively-from-a-vhdx-image.aspx
I've now used Nativ Boot on a .vhdx Virtual Drive.

so i can start Hyper-V an use a VM whenever i am on windows8.1 or i can simply restart and boot native directly into this .vhdx
Now if i only knew if it would be possible to clone a .vhdx drive into a real partition.....

but performance wise it seems to be doing pretty fine

Normal Windows 8.1




Normal Windows 10 Tech Preview Booted from a .vhdx Virtual Harddisk




Win10 Tech Preview Running in a Hyper-V VM on Windows 8.1



the only bad thing is that you can't have Hyper-V running AND have connected Standby at the same time
http://winsupersite.com/mobile-devices/surface-pro-3-tip-hyper-v-vs-connected-standby

Greetings
Haldi

 

[Spider]

I've been using dualboot on my normal Computer for ages(in my time relation^^ ), started with the first vista builds on XP. The Big benefit of Dualboot is you can actually use two OS separate... switch between them with a simple reboot, and once you're done you can delete one and have a normal fully working OS.... mostly...

I too was a big fan of dual booting from the time I upgraded from W95 to WXP. I wanted to use a 64 bit WXP to take advantage of the extra memory on my new system, but several of the programs I wrote back in the 80's wouldn't run on a 64 bit system. I decided to dual boot 32 bit and 64 bit WXP systems, and I was very happy to have everything running again with a "simple reboot".

Last Spring, when I had to dump WXP, I switched to a 64 bit W7 and tried running those 32 bit programs in a 32 bit W7 VM instead of dual booting.

My 2¢: I'd NEVER go back to dual booting again. That "simple reboot" took several minutes, since it's actually 2 shutdowns and 2 boots. The VM is a 5 second boot the first time after booting my host ( Just a click after that, since I can leave it "Running" with no performance hit on the host whatsoever ). Going back to the host is also just one click, AND I only have to back up one system now, ( Since the VM is part of the host ).

So i thought i could install the win10 Tech preview here, and if it had problems or some Programs would create problems i could simply reboot and all would work as before! and after a few months when win10 has proven useful i can simply delete Win8.1 and run Win10 as main OS.

If the W10 caused problems, wouldn't you be going back to the same problems? You'd have to reinstall anyway. I'm thinking, after the Tech preview is over, we'll probably have to reinstall to get the "Real" W10 running with the serial number, updates etc. If not, TIA MS.

 

[leeshor]

I don't think so. Last I read the Windows 10 upgrade will be an in-place upgrade using the "Upgrade Windows" option in the control panel.

 

[agt499]

BTT: so Dualboot is working, but in my case as i have no (more) mean to shrink my volume c: i can't use it
Except a fresh install of Windows 8.1

My experience with the SP3 was that shrinking C is very challenging after the device has done much. I ended up reinstalling, then doing the partition change almost immediately.