No installation is required to isolate dual boot windows.
No installation is required to isolate dual boot windows.
You're looking to run two Windows 10 installations side by side on the same PC, each using its own SSD. You want complete separation so they don't interfere with each other or access shared files. Since you couldn't find a clear solution online, here are some steps you could try:
- Use separate partitions or drives for each installation.
- Consider using virtual machines or dual-boot setups with distinct boot orders.
- Explore partitioning tools to isolate data and settings.
- If using USB drives, ensure they're kept separate and not shared between installations.
Let me know if you'd like more detailed instructions on any of these methods.
Encryption is essentially the sole choice available. Every installation must be performed independently, including the bootloader, with the selection of which drive to start from determined in the BIOS.
The quick method is to turn off or disable the storage device in BIOS before starting it. The more reliable approach is using Bitlocker encryption, though it seems you need Windows 10 Pro or 11 to activate it. Perhaps the best solution is running a Windows installation inside a VM.
Set up one SSD, install it, activate BitLocker, swap it out for the other, and repeat. Once both are connected, you should be able to link them together. You may need to turn off TPM and make BitLocker unlockable via USB flash drives—each person should have their own drive for that. This avoids needing to re-enter the recovery key every time you boot, even if TPM is enabled. The setup should allow a flash drive to serve as the recovery key even when TPM is active, which resolved an issue on a machine where it didn’t work automatically.