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How to dual boot Window 11 + Windows 11 on two SSDs

Copper Contributor

Hi tech gurus,

 

I am not a tech newbie but not a tech savvy too. I need to set up Windows 11 Pro for test purpose on my Windows 11 Home PC. I already connected a separate SSD to the motherboard. How can I dual boot two Windows 11 instances on two different SSDs on my PC? 

9 Replies

@Henrycos 

Download the MCT file (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11 ) from "Create Windows 11 Installation Media".

Run the .exe file and select download to USB.  *All your files in your USB will be deleted.

Insert your USB, reboot your PC, and boot from USB. It will show the setup screen.

Agree to the EULA and select the disk to install the dual system. 

You should be able to access a version selection UI while booting after installing.

@aa The installation failed to continue after selecting the target ssd for installation. Should I format the drive first?

@Henrycos What does it say?

If there is already a backup of the selected SSD on another disk, format the drive.

If it's a File System issue, Press Shift+F10 and use diskpart command to format.

It is a blank ssd and no data on it.

@Henrycos then you should be able to format the drive by selecting the Format button.

How's it going? Or you can change to a new ssd.
Add one, you can download EasyBCD to manage your boot profiles.
There are many reasons for dual-doot failure, the most common ones are wrong disk mode settings in BIOS, and Windows 11 failed to boot from USB.
Which format I should use? FAT32 or NTFS?
NTFS is better.
best response confirmed by Henrycos (Copper Contributor)
Solution

@Henrycos Dual booting two Windows 11 instances on two separate SSDs is possible, but it can be quite complex. The easiest way to do this is to use a third-party software such as Acronis Disk Director or Paragon Hard Disk Manager. These programs will allow you to create a dual-boot configuration and manage the two separate instances of Windows 11. They will also allow you to install the Windows 11 Pro version on the second SSD and configure it with the appropriate drivers and settings.

 

If you don't have a third-party software to manage the dual-boot configuration, you can use UUBYTE ISO Editor to create a bootable USB drive with both Windows 11 Home and Pro versions. This program allows you to easily create a bootable USB drive with both versions of Windows 11. Once you have created the drive, you can then boot up your PC and select which version of Windows you want to run.

 

Source: https://www.uubyte.com/blog/how-to-dual-boot-win11-win11-on-a-pc-from-two-separate-ssds/

 

uubyte-iso-editor-burn.pngwindows-11-installation-start.jpg

1 best response

Accepted Solutions
best response confirmed by Henrycos (Copper Contributor)
Solution

@Henrycos Dual booting two Windows 11 instances on two separate SSDs is possible, but it can be quite complex. The easiest way to do this is to use a third-party software such as Acronis Disk Director or Paragon Hard Disk Manager. These programs will allow you to create a dual-boot configuration and manage the two separate instances of Windows 11. They will also allow you to install the Windows 11 Pro version on the second SSD and configure it with the appropriate drivers and settings.

 

If you don't have a third-party software to manage the dual-boot configuration, you can use UUBYTE ISO Editor to create a bootable USB drive with both Windows 11 Home and Pro versions. This program allows you to easily create a bootable USB drive with both versions of Windows 11. Once you have created the drive, you can then boot up your PC and select which version of Windows you want to run.

 

Source: https://www.uubyte.com/blog/how-to-dual-boot-win11-win11-on-a-pc-from-two-separate-ssds/

 

uubyte-iso-editor-burn.pngwindows-11-installation-start.jpg

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