How to Dual Boot Windows and Android on Your PC
Just like Windows, you can also install Android on your PC. But doing so will dedicate your PC to Android only. And if you wish to use Windows, it will not be possible unless you format your HDD and install Windows again. However, if you dual boot Windows and Android on your PC, you can enjoy both of them.
Installing Android with Windows is quite similar to dual-booting two Windows operating systems in one PC. But with Android, you need to make sure to install Grub otherwise, you will lose your Windows. So, before you start, make sure you have Windows already installed on your PC.
SEE ALSO: How to Install Remix OS 3.0 on your PC alongside Windows 10?
Dual Boot Android KitKat 4.4 and Windows 7 on your PC
In this tutorial, we have used Windows 7 with Android KitKat 4.4. So, you need to install Windows 7 first. Besides Windows 7, you can also install Windows 10 as well. After you are done with Windows, you can follow these steps to install Android KitKat on your PC. You can download the Android KitKat 4.4 ISO file from here.
Step 1: Create Bootable Installation Media for Android KitKat
First of all, you need to create bootable installation media from the downloaded ISO file. The ISO file which you have downloaded is a bootable ISO file. So, you can simply burn it to a CD using ImgBurn.
Besides bootable CD, you can also create a bootable USB disk using Rufus or using Windows image burner utility or even Command Prompt.
Step 2: Insert Installation Media and Restart your PC
After you have created Bootable media from the downloaded ISO file, you need to set up your PC to boot from CD or USB Drive. Please note that you will have to make changes to BIOS for that.
After that, insert this bootable CD or USB into your PC. You should be able to see it on My Computer or This PC.
Now, restart your PC to boot from the installation media. So, go to Start, and in the Shutdown menu, select Restart. After restart, you will be able to boot from CD or USB to dual boot your existing Windows with Android.
Step 3: Select to Install Android on your PC
Your PC or Laptop will boot from the Android KitKat CD or USB. You will see the boot menu showing several options for Android. Here, you can even try Android OS before actually installing it on your PC.
So, to install Android on your PC and dual boot with existing Windows, select the “Installation – Install Android-x86 to hard disk” option and press Enter.
Step 4: Format the Hard Disk Partition to Install Android KitKat
If you have Windows 7 or above installed on your PC or Laptop, you will see a list of available drives on your Hard Disk. Usually, sda1 is the System Reserved partition for Windows, so, you have to select the second option i.e. sda2 for Android installation. You can also create a separate partition to dual-boot Android KitKat with Windows if you have unallocated free space.
Select the second option and press Enter to install Android on this partition. Remember, we are installing Android on the same partition as Windows. Though it is not recommended, we are doing it for testing purposes.
Android setup will ask you to format this partition. Remember, DO NOT format this partition otherwise, you will lose your Windows installed on that partition. So, select the Do not format option and press Enter.
Step 5: Install GRUB to Dual Boot Android and Windows
Now, you will be asked about installing boot loader GRUB, so, select Yes and press Enter. It is necessary to detect existing Windows installations and dual-boot Android with it.
Android installer will look for other installations on that partition. Once it detects already installed Windows, it will ask you to create a boot item for Windows.
This is the most important step to follow. So, make sure to select Yes and press Enter to make a boot screen entry for Windows. If you select No, you will not be able to use Windows after Android installation.
Step 6: Install Android and Dual Boot with Windows
It’s time to make your installation directory read-write. It is recommended for debugging. Select Yes and press Enter.
Finally, Android installation will start. It will write Android files on the selected partition. This may take some time.
Android installer will create a disk image for saving user data. The minimum size for a disk image is 512MB, and you can select any value between 512MB to 2047MB. Select Yes and press Enter.
An input box will appear, enter size of size of the disk image and press Enter. This disk image will act as RAM for Android.
After you enter the size, the installer will create the disk image. It will finish in less than a minute.
Finally, Android has been installed successfully. You can start it from here or you can reboot your PC. Select an option and press Enter. Now you can dual boot Android with Windows.
Step 7: Use Windows or Android from the Boot menu
Eject Android KitKat bootable CD or USB and reboot your PC or Laptop after Android installation. On startup, you will see boot options as shown below.
The first four options are for Android KitKat 4.4 and the last option is for Windows. If you want to run Android select the first option and press Enter. And if you want to start Windows, select the last option and press Enter. Rest 3 options in between are used for Android Debugging. You can leave them alone unless you wish to troubleshoot your Android installation.
After Installation, you need to configure your Android like you do in Android Phones. You can check here to see how to configure Android for first Use. Remember, these steps can be different for each Android version, so, use common sense.
SEE ALSO: How to install Google Play Store in Windows 11 and run Android apps?
Install Android and Windows together on your PC
Now you have both Android and Windows installed on your PC. You can use whichever you want. Just reboot your PC and on startup select which one you want to start and press Enter. You can also install the latest Android Marshmallow 6.0-based Remix OS alongside your Windows.
Hope you liked this tutorial. Should you face a problem with installation, comment below. Comments are always welcome. You may also like to subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest updates via email.
