Win10 dual boot

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by Brian K, Mar 14, 2018.

  1. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Anyone who is dual booting two Win10 OS on the same GPT disk? How did you set it up?
     
  2. MisterB

    MisterB Registered Member

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    I just set up Windows 7 8, 8.1 and 10 on a gpt disk. I don't think two versions of windows 10 would be any different. I install on a separate disk and then clone the OS partition to the main disk. Then it is an easy matter to edit the BCD to put the OS on the boot menu. I use Bootice for that. It conveniently loads the system BCD without me having to go through hoops to access the EFI partition. Once a Windows partition is correctly referenced, it boots and I don't see any problem booting two versions of Windows 10. I just wouldn't let the windows installer see the other version because it will want to upgrade it rather than do a clean install. That is why I do the initial install on a separate disk. On that particular system, I'm done with Windows installations and now doing Linux. I'm installing Linux on a 16gb MBR thumb drive and then cloning to the gpt HD. After the clone, I edit the fstab on the cloned system to correctly reference the EFI partition and do an update-grub command and the newly cloned Linux distro is added to the grub boot menu which also can load the Windows BCD. I haven't yet found a way to get the Windows boot loader to chainload grub.
     
  3. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    MisterB,

    Thanks. I'll try your method.

    The reason I started this thread is because I could do it three years ago with Win8 and Win10 but I couldn't do it a few days ago with two Win10. I saw error messages such as "the ESP is NTFS and not FAT32", "Could not prepare the install", "Could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation", "Unexpected error encountered".

    I have found the problem. I had two other GPT disks in the computer, each with an ESP. After I disconnected these disks the second Win10 install to HD0 proceeded without an issue. The method I was using is clunky and I doubt anyone will use it but it does produce independent OS with no sharing of booting files in a single ESP. No BCD Edit is needed.

    https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/dual-boot-os-in-uefi-mode.376522/

    https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/multi-boot-identical-os-on-a-gpt-disk.376428/

    Since those posts I have automated the restore procedures and Partition Type changes so it only takes a minute to change OS.
     
  4. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    All OK with my method now. Using the restore image technique (second link above) I had 7 identical Win10 OS working on HD0. I did find I had to disconnect one (not two) GPT disk for the restore phase but it could be reconnected after the HD0 restores had been completed. The disconnected disk contained an old Win10 setup (working).
     
  5. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    MisterB,

    I like your method. I restored two Win10 images to follow after the Win10 partition. Edited with BootIce to produce 3 working Win10. All boot. The non booting Win10 partitions don't have drive letters and that is great.

    It's far easier than my method.
     
  6. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    A refinement so everything is done in the one boot session.

    Boot IFL media
    Restore as many Windows images as you like, to free space on HD0
    Open the PartWork component of IFL
    BCD Edit
    Edit each of the new OS... Use Copy button, then edit Device, OS Device, Description
    Done, when you restart you will see the Microsoft boot menu wth your multiple OS
     
  7. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    An extra OS....

    Linux Mint was installed to the free space following the Windows partitions. Grub was installed into the ESP. The computer starts with a Grub boot menu containing Mint and Windows Boot Manager. All OS boot.
     
  8. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    To remove Mint...
    boot IFL media
    PartWork
    delete the Linux partitions and remain in IFL
    remove Grub by opening TeraByte Explorer
    mount the ESP
    delete the /EFI/ubuntu folder

    To remove a particular Win10
    boot IFL media
    PartWork
    delete the Win10 partition and remain in IFL
    BCD Edit
    delete the Win10 entry
     
    Last edited: Mar 16, 2018
  9. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    I've decided to use my original method of restoring the relevant ESP and Recovery partitions along with changing the OS Partition GUID Types. I like the method but I doubt others will find it attractive. I have a new script (which runs in a virtual WinPE) to change from one OS to another. This takes less than 20 seconds and the new OS boots. No USB flash drive is used. The UEFI BIOS boot menu isn't used. The choice of the next OS is decided while you are in Windows. I'm currently running three different Win10. Each OS is independent of the others.
     
    Last edited: Mar 21, 2018
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