Dual boot in windows OS simply means running two different versions of windows on the same PC, like install windows 10 and windows 7 on the same PC. Different people have their reasons for running two different versions of Windows OS on their PC, the common one being to be able to use an important software that only works with an older version of windows.

In this tutorial, we will pilot you through the steps needed to dual boot windows 7 or Windows 8 with microsoft windows 10. I will assume you already have windows 7 or windows 8 currently running on your Pc and you want to add windows 10 to decide if you are going to upgrade finally or keep the two versions of Windows OS.

I will also assume you have windows 10 on a DVD or you have a bootable windows 10 USB stick. If NO, make use of Microsoft media creation tool here to do so. So now that you have a copy of Windows 10 to install, you can proceed with the steps below.

HOW TO DUAL BOOT WINDOWS 7 OR 8 WITH MICROSOFT WINDOWS 10

Just as have always said, before you install any program, application or software on your PC, always create a system restore point. In this case, you should make full backup of your data.
STEP 1: CREATE A NEW PARTITION

Before you can dual boot another version of windows with your current one, you have to create a space for it on your hard drive (C. In case of Windows 10, you need to assign atleast 30 GB of storage for it. To create this new space, follow the steps below;

Navigate to Windows Disk Management by holding the Win key + R key to open the run dialogue box
Inside the run dialogue box, type diskmgmt.msc and click OK or hit the enter key
On the Disk Management interface, you will see different available partitions on your hard drive, right-click on the primary drive (Usually the C: drive) and select Shrink Volume.
Another window will appear asking you to enter the amount of space you want to shrink in MB. enter 30000 (30GB)
This will modify the partition, providing you the space needed to install Windows 10

STEP 2: INSTALL WINDOWS 10

Insert the created DVD or bootable USB stick of windows 10 into your PC and reboot your windows computer.
You will be taken to the installation process, but if your machine goes back to your normal operating system straight away you’ll need to adjust the boot sequence in your BIOS which varies from Pc to Pc depending on the manufacturer. Check online for yours
When the install sequence starts, you’ll be asked which type of installation do you want? select the Custom option
This will open up a panel which asks you Where do you want to install Windows? From the list of options, select the one entitled Unallocated Space, which should be 30GB. Click Apply, wait for windows to create the partition, then click Next.
From this point, follow the installation guide and installation should go through as normal.

Anytime you reboot your Pc, you will have the option to choose between the two operating systems and you will even have access to your files irrespective of the version of Windows you choose to run.

I write on tech @ http://naijnaira.com/