XPS 8960, how to dual boot from 2 different SSDs?

It depends on the operating systems loaded -- you can set up the Windows boot manager, or if one of the OSes is Linux, grub, stitch etc -- but it has to be done at the OS level, not at the hardware (firmware) level.

Download and use EasyBCD to create the dual boot.   Easiest way to do it.

EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies

@ejn63​ My second SSD will have Windows on it too. Coming to think of it, I might just clone the current SDD for easiness or is it better to have a clean installation of Windows?

@fireberd​ Thanks. just had a look at the website and I can't see if I can boot from a 2nd SSD with another copy of Windows?

@LuigiYou​ You can do it.  I'm dual booting two Window 11's.  One is the internal SSD in my Laptop and the second is the external USB connected SSD.

Hi All,
I've recently bought a spare 2230 nvme ssd.

My plan is to use this ssd as a dual boot OS to put other files etc on it.

So all you want to do is to have another place to put FILES on?

Adding it to the motherboard and if it IS formatted (most are) it would appear on the PC as another drive.

You could assign a DRIVE LETTER to it via Disk Manager even if the default choice is not what you'd want (usually the last letter after DVD/CD drive if you have it or even the external cards or USB drives if attached.

On my XPS:

Drive letters, K; L:, and P: are assigned that way as I matched the old PC that had the letters that was as the external SD card slots and USB slots were lettered on it and I was copying over the old drives and programs, so I wanted to keep the letters the same.

The first drive listed came with the XPS, but I changed it to have 2 partitions.

Boot Manager is usually used to boot different (or test) OS's. You do not need it if both OS's are the same version. Just put in the drive, format if needed, and set the drive letter to whatever you wish. It will be seen in Windows File Manager as another drive, and even in a command prompt or  'save' or 'install' dialog box you could/should change the default location to be on the other drive (usually would default to C:) and create a new folder or select via BROWSE one already there.

If I got this wrong, and you have another reason for wanting two OS's, ignore all this.

@fireberd​ ah good to know! I used to have a similar setup: internal SSD and another external SSD with another copy of windows. However I used to boot up the external one via restarting the PC and pressing F12 to boot into the BIOS to load it.
EasyBCD will make it a lot easier especially with both SSDs as internals now! Thanks!

Another question, the plan down the road is to install another internal mechnical HDD as spare storage.

Is it possible to only have this HDD connected to one SSD and not the other? Ie the main SDD OS will also see the HDD but if I boot the 2nd SSD it wont see the HDD?

@ispalten​ Thanks for you help but you are correct, you got it wrong. I do not need the 2nd SSD as addtional storage ie extra drive letters.
I want it as an additional OS so that both SSDs can't see each other. So it's like having 2 physical PCs.

@LuigiYou​

Another question, the plan down the road is to install another internal mechnical HDD as spare storage.

Is it possible to only have this HDD connected to one SSD and not the other? Ie the main SDD OS will also see the HDD but if I boot the 2nd SSD it wont see the HDD?

I don't think so.  It will be visible to both OS's.

@LuigiYou​ 

They can see each other normally.

You will not have 2 PC’S as only one OS can run at a time.

Want 2 machine at a time, use a VM.

However it really seems like you want to share files across 2 different OS’s?

If you want two different users, make another on the same PC.