Set up Dual Boot Windows 7 and 8 with a few twists

I currently have Windows 7 installed on my PC with room on boot/system drive for a second partition. All Programs are on the system drive and all data is on a second drive.

I would like to set up my system with Windows 8 in a second partition on my system drive so that the system could boot to either Windows 7 or Windows 8 with a choice made on power up. However, I would prefer to do this by putting a copy of my current windows 7 installation on the second partition and then upgrading that partition to Windows 8 rather than doing a fresh install of Windows 8. This is due to the fact that I really want to just check out Windows 8 and how my current programs work on it without spending days reloading software and while keeping my current Windows 7 install operational while I check out Windows 8 and decide if I want to do a complete switch to it.

I have a copy of Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite which I bought last fall when I set up my current system. I run my backups on an older version of a competing backup program (Acronis) but could switch the the backup program included in the Paragon 12 Suite or upgrade Acronis if needed.

Can anyone let me know if what I want to do is possible, what programs are needed and a direction to where I could find information on how to do this?

Thank you

 

I did this recently but using a slightly different setup to you. I had Win7 on one HD and Win8 on another and switched between them simply by replugging the cables. I set it up like this simply because I didn't want to lose a reliable Win7 installation and because I was interested in trying Win8 out and keeping 7 to fall back on. I had to shrink each installation in turn, create a new partition on the 7 disk and then restore 8 onto it.
I use Terabyte's BIBM to manage the booting but I'm sure there are many others that should work.
The important thing for me was to make sure that the first partition is hidden when booting from the second (and vice versa), else the disk assignments get messed up. In effect, neither installation knows about the other so they don't interfere with each other, although some apps recognise that there is a hidden partition there.
Anyhow, good luck with yours however you decide to do it. I've ended up in the situation that I like them both and can't decide what to do next.

bob