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Multi boot OS

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 5:53 pm
by SSDi
I am trying to setup a multi boot system with an existing Win XP on a HD. On a second HD, I want Win 7 and Win 10. I have BM installed on the second HD in it's own EMMBR. I want Win 7 in it's own MBR with 3 partitions. One for Windows. The second for Win 7 drivers. The third for Win 7 Program files(Exes). I want the same for Win 10, with 3 partitions. I want another block of partitions for working files, outlook.pst and etc.

Where and how to start??

Re: Multi boot OS

Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2016 10:46 pm
by TeraByte Support
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=339


"SSDi" wrote in message news:13093@public.bootitbm...

I am trying to setup a multi boot system with an existing Win XP on a HD.
On a second HD, I want Win 7 and Win 10. I have BM installed on the second
HD in it's own EMMBR. I want Win 7 in it's own MBR with 3 partitions. One
for Windows. The second for Win 7 drivers. The third for Win 7 Program
files(Exes). I want the same for Win 10, with 3 partitions. I want
another block of partitions for working files, outlook.pst and etc.

Where and how to start??


Re: Multi boot OS

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 6:42 pm
by SSDi
Thank you for your reply. You had sent that before. I am missing something about setting up EMBRs and logical sub partitions. I assume an EMBR is required for each operation system (W7 , W10, XP). I would prefer to have everything associated with the operating system under the EMBR.

The disk I am setting up is empty. I have BM installed. In the manual, after installing BM, you want to setup the menu, and select the operating system. Nothing is installed yet. I need to setup the logical partitions before installing anything.

I would like to setup 150 GB for W7 and 200 GB for W10, with each block divided into 3 logical partitions. Do I make the EMBR = 150 GB and format for NTFS? I would prefer for W7 to be in a 50 GB partition with 2 additional 50 GB partitions. The same for W10 with W10 on a 100 GB partition.

I want a third EMBR for my working files, broken into 5 logical partitions.

The part I am missing, is once I create the EMBR, what size should it be and how to make logical partitions under each EMBR?

Re: Multi boot OS

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 7:19 pm
by mashedmitten
You don't need an EMBR for each partition, just for each disk. BIBM only needs 8MB to install to so that should be the first partition on each disk. Doesn't have to be, but I prefer setting everything up from scratch. After that, create whatever partitions on whichever disks and install whichever OS's and move data to whatever partitions. Once done, you use Boot Edit to choose which data partitions are visible to which OS partitions using the fill button in the Edit menu for each boot entry.

Re: Multi boot OS

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 7:45 pm
by Bob Coleman
I'm not the authority here, but there's something wrong with your terminology.

EMBR means Enhanced Master Boot Record, Extended Master Boot Record or something like that. You (may) have one per hard disk, not one per operating system.

If you have BIBM installed, you have an EMBR on at least the hard disk on which BIBM is installed, I think.

I'm guessing from your description that you want three operating systems on one Hard disk. Correct?

Since you have BIBM installed, you now use it to define partitions, not EMBRs.

You have to make a choice whether to use a standard setup with a maximum of 4 primary partitions per hard disk (limited primaries) or a Terabyte exclusive (as far as I know) of unlimited primaries (only 4 of which can be simultaneously used).

Unlimited primaries could well be more flexible and efficient, but perhaps more difficult to come to grips with initially.

I'm a little confused by some of your description. You mention wanting three operating systems (W7 , W10, XP), then describe Win7 and Win10 in some detail and then say you want "a third EMBR for my working files".

Knowing exactly what you want would influence any advice given.

One problem I have right now is that I don't know/remember whether any or all of the mentioned operating systems can actually be installed into a logical partition. Do you have to install them or do you have backups of them that you can restore?

BIBM already occupies one primary partition. If you allocated one primary partition for each of three operating systems and used limited primaries, you would have used the maximum number of primaries and would have no place for additional logical partitions.

Based on what I know now, my advice would be:

Choose unlimited primaries.

Allocate a primary partition for each operating system.

Install or restore the operating systems into those primaries.

Allocate one or more extended partitions to hold your preferred combinations of logical partitions (volumes, in Terabyte parlance).

Set up boot items for each operating system. Each boot item should include the primary partition for that operating system and whichever extended partitions are needed to give the operating system access to whatever logical partitions you desire.

Re: Multi boot OS

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 8:01 pm
by mashedmitten
He's got XP on disk 1 and wants 7 and 10 on the second disk. Data partitions on both. He needs unlimited partitions and an embr on both disks.

Re: Multi boot OS

Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2016 10:46 pm
by SSDi
Let me make one thing clear. I do not know much about MBRs and multi boot systems. This is a first, and maybe last.

The XP drive has to stay intact. I cannot take a chance on damaging it.

BM is on the second, new drive, with W7 and W10.

I was under the assumption that I needed a separate EMBR for each operating system. If that is not the case and all I need is separate partitions, that I can handle.

I would like W7 on one partition and W10 on another partition. At this point, I would want W7 to be the default boot drive and XP and W10 to be alternates.

Are there any gotchas with what I am doing?

Thank you,

SSDi

Re: Multi boot OS

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 7:46 pm
by Bob Coleman
mashedmitten wrote:
> You don't need an EMBR for each partition, just for each disk. BIBM only
> needs 8MB to install to so that should be the first partition on each disk.
> Doesn't have to be, but I prefer setting everything up from scratch. After
> that, create whatever partitions on whichever disks and install whichever
> OS's and move data to whatever partitions. Once done, you use Boot Edit to
> choose which data partitions are visible to which OS partitions using the
> fill button in the Edit menu for each boot entry.

I also have the personal preference to have BIBM be in the first partition on the disk, but I'm pretty sure that it doesn't have to be (probably shouldn't be) "on each disk". Just on one disk, I think.

Re: Multi boot OS

Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 8:10 pm
by Bob Coleman
SSDi wrote:
> Let me make one thing clear. I do not know much about MBRs and multi boot
> systems. This is a first, and maybe last.
>
> The XP drive has to stay intact. I cannot take a chance on damaging it.
>
> BM is on the second, new drive, with W7 and W10.
>
> I was under the assumption that I needed a separate EMBR for each operating
> system. If that is not the case and all I need is separate partitions,
> that I can handle.
>
> I would like W7 on one partition and W10 on another partition. At this
> point, I would want W7 to be the default boot drive and XP and W10 to be
> alternates.
>
> Are there any gotchas with what I am doing?
>
> Thank you,
>
> SSDi

There is definitely only one EMBR pr disk. The partition definitions are contained in the EMBR.

"I was under the assumption that I needed a separate EMBR for each operating system. If that is not the case and all I need is separate partitions, that I can handle".

I think that's a correct understanding.

I now think you still have a choice between limited and unlimited primaries. You could keep primaries limited (maximum of 4 per disk).

First primary: BIBM
Second primary: Win 7
Third primary: Win 10
Fourth primary: An extended partition containing multiple logical partitions/volumes.

If you have existing, working Win7 and Win10 systems each contained in a single partition and backups of which you can restore into those partitions listed above, this should be fairly straightforward. If either of these systems already exist in a configuration that includes an OS partition and a system reserved partition, you'll be back to the case where you have too many partitions for limited primaries unless you combine the two partitions associated with each OS into one. Terabyte has instructions for that somewhere in its database.

Also, if you install Win7 and/or Win10 from scratch, they will probably want to create two partitions each. Some of us have successfully avoided that by insuring that four partitions are visible to the installation process making it think it has no place in which to create a system reserved partition.

Unlimited primaries probably gives you the most flexibility especially in the case of possible future expansion, but limited may feel more comfortable at the moment.

If you do decide to use unlimited primaries, don't use anything other than BIBM to create, resize, etc. partitions.