Although Windows is the most popular desktop operating system, Linux wins in the server department, and is also the platform of choice for developers and enthusiasts. But Linux and Windows are far from being the only operating systems worth using. There are many others, and some enthusiasts even run macOS on a PC. Normally though, a computer will only run a single platform, and it often is not easy to set up a dual boot or multi boot system. Still, there are many reasons you might want to, such as for testing software on another platform, trying out a pre-release version of a popular operating system, or even finding out which Linux distro best suits your needs. But to do this, you will need to make a few important preparations first.

Every operating system needs its own partition to run on. You cannot install more than one platform on a single partition, since they need to function separately. Also, many operating systems use different file systems, which might not be natively compatible with one another. Once you have set up a partition for the new operating system, you will then need to install your chosen platform on it. Then, to create a reliable dual boot or multi-boot environment, you will need to go into the BIOS setup utility and choose a default boot device. However, you will need to change this setting every time you want to boot up into an operating system other than your primary one, unless you take a few extra steps.

Setting up, managing, and using dual boot and multi-boot environments with no specialized solution for doing so is tedious and unreliable. The BootIt Collection is a set of two professional-grade boot managers providing users the ability to set up dual boot and multi-boot systems. The two programs are BootIt UEFI and BootIt Bare Metal. BootIt UEFI is designed to run on most modern systems, which use the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface, which is found on most computers less than five years old. However, if your system uses legacy BIOS firmware, the BootIt Bare Metal version provides the same degree of functionality, and it is included at no extra cost. With the right option, you can run practically any number of operating systems.

The BootIt Collection is an industry-leading boot manager, but it goes far beyond simply allowing you to run multiple operating systems in parallel easily. It also includes a built-in partition manager, which lets you set up your hard drive into multiple logical blocks known as partitions. Each one of these functions like an independent storage device, which also means you can run a different operating system on each one. You can easily change the size and file system of each partition to accommodate the platform of your choice. Furthermore, you can use the included disk imaging feature to create a complete byte-by-byte copy of all the data on a storage volume. This is ideal for transferring your operating system and all your apps to a new drive or computer without having to reinstall everything manually.

The latest edition of BootIt Bare Metal (v. 1.68) and BootIt UEFI (1.20) have been updated to include Image for DOS/UEFI 3.41 and TBOSDT scripting 2.01. Several other bug fixes and changes are also included. Find out more at https://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootit-collection.htm .