Multiboot - Having more then One operating system installed on the computer

Posted Date: 03-Jul-2010		Category: Microsoft Windows
Author: shivani sathi	Member Level: Gold
Rating:	Points: 20 (Rs 15)

This resource is for explaining the concept of Multiboot which is also termed as dual-boot. Multiboot feature is nothing but installing two operating systems on one computer. The pre-requisites for having the multiboot feature are also explained here.

Multiboot functionality with Windows

Reading the title, the first question that comes up in your mind would be "What is MultiBoot?".

In this resource, I would like to introduce the concept of multiboot and the pre-requisites for having this feature on your PC.

What is Multiboot functionality

Multiboot functionality is quite simple. it is the condition in which we have more than one operating systems installed on the same PC. This functionality of multiboot is also known as dual-boot functionality.

Pre-requisites for implementing Multiboot functionality

1) Make sure that you have enough free space to install two operating systems on your PC. Every OS has its own amount of free space required for it to get installed.
2) Your hard disk must be partitioned to allow the installation of two OS on your PC. Do not get worried of the word partitioned. It is nothing but having more than one drives on your system.
3) Take a backup of all your important files and folders before starting with installing the two operating systems.
4) Make sure that the older version of windows are installed first followed by the latest versions.

Disadvantages of Multiboot

1) Programs installed on one operating system does not run when logged on to other operating system. To access the same program from both the operating systems, one needs to install it in both the OS. This consumes a lot of space.
2) If we want to install an older version of the OS, the current version which is the latest one should be uninstalled first and then both should be reinstalled.

Sample scenarios which demand for Multiboot

One requires to use Multiboot functionality in several scenarios. Few of them are

1) To try out the latest features that come with the latest operating system.
2) To run few applications which are compatible with an OS that is not our current OS and we also do not want to remove our existing OS.

Considering the mentioned advantages, requirements and the availability one can definitely opt for multiboot functionality.

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