Dual boot or triple boot really

[anglicus]

To the more knowledgeable than me.
Here's what I want to do. Install Linux on a separate hard drive and put the "boot" on the "/" partition not the MBR. I already have Windows 7 on the main drive and intend to install Windows 8 on a separate partition. Re-connect the drive with Linux installed and install 8. My question is, will Windows 8 find Linux and add it to the start up. Failing that, I know that it can be added somwhere in Windows, but that's beyond me.

 

[SIW2]

Probably the easiest way is to add your Linux install to windows boot menu using Easybcd.

 

[anglicus]

Probably the easiest way is to add your Linux install to windows boot menu using Easybcd.

Thanks for reply. Tried that before, made a complete mess and had to re-install MBR on Windows 7 and re-install Windows 8. So what is the other option where it says Windows 8, Windows 7 or other on boot menu?

 

[SIW2]

That is how I did it - using easybcd because it is simple.

I have 6 o/s to choose from at the moment.



I don't know if there is a way to add it manually using bcdedit - why would MS would include an option to add a non MS operating system ?

 

[XDleader555]

Why don't you have the Linux drive as the second drive and boot from that by changing the boot order in the bios. Then install grub to the first drive's MBR and change the boot order back to default. After, boot into Linux and add all of the windows entries needed.

The boot partition (or folder if you didn't make one) holds the data files for the boot loader. The boot loader is installed to the MBR. You need both.

I'm currently running a quad boot. Linux - Win8 - Win7 - WinXP

 

[anglicus]

Hi guys,
Thanks for replies.
SIW2 you are correct, Microsoft is going to make it difficult if not impossible to use bcedit. I've abandoned the idea and now have Fedora running on a separate M/C.

 

[boyans]

After all Microsoft has designed Windows 7/Vista/8 boot manager to be able to boot any OS (Linux, MAC OS X) using a so called "boot sector loader".
Using a boot sector loader is not so difficult as it seems at first glance. The only difficulty would be how to get the boot sector from the foreign OS. But again this is not a problem - you can use "dd for Windows" or get the image of the boot sector:

- for GRUB based OS - the file needed is "/boot/grub/stage1"
- for Grub2 based OS - "/boot/grub/boot.img"
- for MAC OS X it is the "chain0" file.

 

[whs]

I am a firm believer of keeping Windows and Linux apart. I have seen too many people getting into trouble mixing the two. For experts that may be easy to sort, but for the layman it is not obvious.

I run my Ubuntu in Virtual Box - and that since 4 years. Runs beautifully, is fast and with the guest additions I have everything I need.

Another option is to make a completely seperate installation on a different internal or eSata disk. But then you have to disconnect the other disks during the installation (I wish that were possible with the BIOS - hate the gymnastics). From this independent installation you boot by changing the bootorder in the BIOS.

A double boot of Windows 7 and Windows 8 has it's own problems due to the way the Windows 8 bootloader works. You are well advised if you change the bootorder and put Windows 7 as first in the bootsequence.