Dual boot win 7 with win 8.1

[#1]

I am having a problem with installing Win 7 as a dual boot with my Win 8.1 system....
I have changed the boot order on my machine... but it still boots into windows... as normal.... boot order is    USB...... DVD Drive.... HDD.... WIndows Boot Manager... there is an option to uncheck devices (presumably so they are ignored at boot up )... so I have unchecked Windows Boot Manager... but it still boots to windows, and ignores the Re-install disc in the dvd drive.... it also ignores the bootable USB stick in the USB slot, with Linux Mint 17.2 on it...
I can access the .exe file on the re-install disc via the "File Explorer"... and it will show the normal start up box with select your language,  on top of the Desktop Pic...
Can I continue to do the install from here, or must it be done "direct" from the Boot Option.....? 
( I wish to keep the win 8.1 on the machine so that it does not affect the warranty by being removed......)

[#2]

Windows 8/10 machines never really switch off.  They use a system called Fast start-up, which isn't compatible with dual boot so you need to switch it off.  See instructions here: http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6320-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-8-a.html

[#3]

If that does not work it may be something to do with UEFI.  This is the modern replacement for BIOS and it came in with Windows 8.  If your computer uses UEFI then it loads Windows differently and needs the boot loader on other bootable devices to be able to cope with this.  So I think the right answer was 'Windows Boot Manager', the option you removed!!!  There should then be a 'Use a Device' option which allows you to select a DVD or USB device.   

[#4]

OK.... Thanks... Will have a shot at that ! ! ...
Why do they make things so difficult in the name of "Upgrading">>>> ! 

[#5]

"Restricted Boots" by Erik Steinmann - https://www.fsf.org/news/fsf-announces-winner-of-restricted-boot-webcomic-contest. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Restricted_Boots.jpg#/media/File:Restricted_Boots.jpg

[#6]

unchecked all the drives...... re-checked the Windows boot  Option..... which brought up the "normal" boot order pane.... moved the devices into the order I wanted... then UEFI was still selected.... so I went to the BIOS menu.... and clicked "Advanced Boot Options"..... then checked  "Legacy Option Roms"  clicked on APPLY and it self exited...... auto re-booted.... and started to load up the DVD for Win 7 Pro... which was in the tray...... Cancelled that...... and inserted my USB stick.... and it re-booted into Linux Mint 17 from the stick.....  GREAT STUFF !
with no DVD in drive.....    and no USB stick in USB..... I get the message....... "No bootable drive..... no operating system"  or similar......  Presumably because the HDD is UEFI  ....
If that is the case....then I cannot access Win 8.1 on the HDD unless I go to the BIOS before booting and reselecting UEFI  ? ?  is that correct ?

I am typing this on the LINUX MINT 17 usb device.....  and I have another problem......... The touch pad is still active with the mouse plugged in, and is causing all sorts of typo`s and deleting stuff I have already typed, if I brush against it with my thumbs.....Hopefully this can be sorted later

[#7]

Leave the BIOS settings as they were originally.
Press the F12 key as the computer starts (Dell option) and you should get a boot device menu.
Select "Windows Boot Manager".
Choose 'Boot from device' in the options screen.

[#8]

I think I tried F12 when I first wanted to get to Boot Options menu...... as that was the way I did it on the Dell 1545... F2 was the other way..... On the 1545 on boot up, it would give the options F2 or F12 as a message...but this machine doesnt do that... .... Will be going out shortly, so will leave it for now... and reset BIOS Settings to original and see if F12 works.... maybe I missed the time slot, before.... ! ! ! ...
Thanks for assistance, so far..... Much Appreciated.

[#9]

You don't want to have to access the 'BIOS' every time you want to use an external device, so I hope the F12 option works.
If not you'll have to change the boot order to put 'Windows Boot Loader' before HDD, I think.
If you then install Windows 7 I'm not sure if you'll end up with the 7 or 8 boot loader.

[#10]

Unfortunately, It seems I do have to access the BIOS to change the boot order..... using F12 is a "one time boot option"... and I can`t see a way on there to make the "traditional" boot order list, as can do on my old 1545... ( and on this one, provided i disable "secure boot"... and use " Legacy Option Roms".... then choose "Legacy" over UEFI as the boot system)...
Doing the latter, enables me to use the DVD drive and the USB drive for booting up... but does not allow to boot to Win 8.1 if nothing is in the DVD tray or USB slot.... then I get the message about "No Bootable drive"...
Also... as mentioned... I still have the problem of the Touchpad being active now, while the mouse is plugged in....
I`m thinking, that, as I want to revert back to Windows 7 Professional, and not use WIN 8.1 .....
to back up all recent work on 8.1......then choose the "legacy option roms" route... to install Win 7 Pro from the DVD drive... re-do all the drivers (?)  ( I have a DVD with the Win7 drivers for this machine).... and start afresh....
leaving it with the "legacy option roms" as the boot order... I think this will give me back control of the drives and also the Win 7 will NOT be UEFI controlled, so should boot up without anything in the DVD tray or the USB slot .....
Am I thinking correctly about this  ? ....  

[#11]

Quote from: shutter

using F12 is a "one time boot option"... and I can`t see a way on there to make the "traditional" boot order list, as can do on my old 1545

Time was when any old CD/DVD left in the drive or any old USB stick left plugged-in could boot the computer and potentially do all sorts of damage before you knew what was going on - if indeed you ever did.  So on modern machines with a UEFI BIOS running Windows 8/10 there is a two-step process to prevent that happening.
Press f12
Select Windows boot loader
Select boot from device
Choose your DVD or USB drive
Seemples
So, Shutter, you have come up against a safety feature that is meant to be protecting you.  It's not there to stop you booting from a DVD or USB if you want to.  

   

[#12]

AAaah!  So !....    I think I am seeing the light now !....      So... here goes... with installing WIndows 7 Pro on this machine from the DVD drive.....
Thanks for you patience.... and I really do mean...." It is appreciated. " 
The help people give on this forum is amazing....

[#13]

Well, after all that.... it seems I cannot install windows 7 Pro for dual booting ,  on my 500GB hdd because it is not formatted to NTFS...
See pics below... ( first two to show the 6 partitions, and the next 6 to show "WHY" windows cannot be installed on each partition )....
This is a "new" machine from Dell... now about 2 weeks old.... Apparently, according to one of the Dell chat agents... If I wipe the HDD of the software... and install my own , then I won`t have any warranty on the machine.... BUT... as far as I am aware, I only have 1 year RTB warranty on the "hardware"..... as when I queried something that appeared to be a software problem, the ( different ) agent said that I would be charged for any help with software as this machine was only on "basic warranty", which did not cover software....
Any advice on the warranty confusion, guys? 

[#14]

Quote from: shutter

Well, after all that.... it seems I cannot install windows 7 Pro for dual booting ,  on my 500GB hdd because it is not formatted to NTFS...

That's a little misleading; you have Windows 8 installed in UEFI/GPT configuration and you're trying to install Windows 7 in (legacy) BIOS/MBR configuration which isn't going to work.
You need to install both in either UEFI/GPT or BIOS/MBR mode.

[#15]

Win 8.1, as mentioned, is already installed on this new laptop... from Dell... and the partitions have been made up by Dell... and there is no way I can access those partitions, unless I delete them... and then I can Install Win7 ...