Solved Boot Change Help

[sl2222]

ok, rather than spend 50 bucks to find out whether it will do it or not I think the following might work. I'll be getting around to it tomorrow sometime. And I know I could have just done a re-install or a refresh or a blah blah by now but now i'm doing this more to learn about uefi and gpt. also, it's still a pain to get a machine back 'just right' like u had it if you can't just restore a current image.

Anyway, I'm thinking this...
1. Backup just win 8 PARTITION
2. Disconnect drives totally except for new ssd
3. Install windows 8 on new ssd with uefi turned on in bios
4. reconnect all drives
5. once installed then backup the new drive if it's booting properly. Save this forever as it's a fresh new install of Windows 8
6. restore partition from step 1 and re-boot

then cross my fingers whaddya think? that way, in the future I can always have a choice of efi or mbr and be up and running in any disaster case in a matter of minutes.
AND, most importantly, my system wouldn't be requiring 2 disks in order to boot into windows 8. Now that I've been using 8 for a while I like it. It is a little faster (win 7 is on an ssd also so it's a valid comparison) too.
So right now my default system needs 2 drives to be working or it won't boot. ergo my quest.

 

[theog]

Start at

2. Disconnect drives totally except for new ssd

Than
Make the Windows 8 SSD, disk0 & first HD boot in BIOS.Also connected to the first Sata port on the MOBO.

(Than do a Auto Repair, if needed.)

5. once installed then backup the new drive if it's booting properly. Save this forever as it's a fresh new install of Windows 8

Than

4. reconnect all drives

 

[sl2222]

Well, I was successful (pretty much).
As u can see below, i'm now booting into win 8 via efi and win 7 is there on the E: drive.
The only problem now (and it's not that huge of a deal for me but I'll keep plugging on this too)
is I can't just select the win 7 menu item during boot. it will just reboot to the win 8 installation. I'm pretty sure this is due to the fact that when I installed win 7 it was the c: drive in slot 0. Maybe change the UID in the boot manager? When I change the entry in easybcd to the E: it still shows the UID (Current) which is the win 8 drive.

So if I want to boot win 7 I have to swap the cable from the win 8 drive to the win 7 one and reboot. I leave my case open so it's not difficult at all.
On another side note...windows is showing the win 8 drive in slot 1 not slot 0. The newer motherboards are changing how the slots are numbered and they don't even show a slot 0 anymore. I have 6 sata ports and they are numbered 1-6. The disk management console in win 8 needs to keep up with that apparently.

 

[theog]

Screenshot below is

Sata Port 1 Windows 8 in uEFI mode = Disk 0.
Sata Port 3 Windows 7 in uEFI mode = Disk 1.
Sata Port 4 Ubunttu in uEFI mode = Disk 2.
Sata Port 2 DVD Drive.

 

[sl2222]

Sweet! When u boot into a system do they all load as the c: drive?
any tips on getting my win 7 drive to boot from the win 8 menu?

Screenshot below is

Sata Port 1 Windows 8 in uEFI mode = Disk 0.
Sata Port 3 Windows 7 in uEFI mode = Disk 1.
Sata Port 4 Ubunttu in uEFI mode = Disk 2.
Sata Port 2 DVD Drive.

 

[theog]

Sweet! When u boot into a system do they all load as the c: drive?

All are C:.

any tips on getting my win 7 drive to boot from the win 8 menu?

Set the Windows 8 uEFI mode HDD/SSD as Disk 0,
Set the Windows 7 HDD/SSD as Disk 1, & install in uEFI mode.

 

[sl2222]

I have win 8 in the 1st slot on the MB but it shows as disk1 in the console of windows. There's another drive showing up as 0. That drive is connected to a pci expansion card. I'm pretty sure I'd have to eliminate that drive in order to get win 8 to show as disk 0.
If that's the case when I got everything installed I'm sure if I put the pci drive back in the mix it would screw it all up again.
Am I thinking correct here?

and thanks again for all your help

any tips on getting my win 7 drive to boot from the win 8 menu?

Set the Windows 8 uEFI mode HDD/SSD as Disk 0,
Set the Windows 7 HDD/SSD as Disk 1, & install in uEFI mode.[/QUOTE]

 

[theog]

Yes, you are correct, as HDD on Raid cards will show first in Disk management.

 

[sl2222]

OK, I promise this is the last time I pester you.
Below is my current config. I got rid of the pci card and installed a 3TB drive so that I was able to eliminate that 1 and 1 other.
Now, looking at my system (The win7SSd is not installed), if were to plug in the win 7 ssd and install a fresh copy of win 7 on there wouldn't that screw up the windows 8 boot manager and I'd have to go back and fix that again?

Yes, you are correct, as HDD on Raid cards will show first in Disk management.

 

[theog]

Start at

2. Disconnect drives totally except for new ssd

Than
Make the Windows 8 SSD, disk0 & first HD boot in BIOS.Also connected to the first Sata port on the MOBO.

5. once installed then backup the new drive if it's booting properly. Save this forever as it's a fresh new install of Windows 8

Than

4. reconnect all drives

As above.

Than connect SSD2, as Disk1.

than install Windows 7 in uEFI mode to SSD2.

 

[sl2222]

OK, Thanks 1 more time. I'll mark this as solved.