Dual Boot 7 32bit and 64bit under Uefi

1) If you have dual EFI/Legacy BIOS setting,you will need to Physically disconnect HDD Drive one,
Than install x32 to HDD Drive two.

2) When installed, to boot the x32, use the one time boot menu.

3) When doing any Startup repairs on HDD Drive one, Physically disconnect HDD Drive two.

4) x32 will only use under 4gb of ram.

5) You will need two Product license keys.

Ok, I think I'm narrowing the understanding gap. First off, I don't know if I've got a dual EFI/BIOs boot mode motherboard. Theog, you seem to imply I do. Greg, there is no explicit dual EFI/BIOS setting. I can only tell you my BIOS includes a launch PxE Oprom option which is disabled by default. There is the standard boot order entry of which Win Boot loader is default followed by disk 0 and DVD Rom. Then there is a setting regarding BBS boot options where one can enable or disable the entries at will (perhaps linked to the one-time boot options). Finally, there are lines for adding or deleting boot entries. As things get a bit clearer, yes, I think a visit to the motherboard/bios manufacturer might shed the most light at this point.

Which brings me to the point I most would like to clear up. Theog once again advised to disconnect lst disk before running one-time boot option for the 2nd disk install. As this seems to be a key step regarding these workarounds, I want to ask why. What will or could happen if I try to add a BIOS install of W7 32bit, Vista, Xp or even W7 64bit on the other disk without disconnecting anything? Will both systems implode or will the install just, safely, not go through? Is it an issue of 'active' flags interfering with each other? Or what? The fellow I quoted from the MS Community did not seem to have gone through such hoops to set up his Win 8 on a 2nd disk. Is your prescription an absolute logical necessity or simply a just-in-case optional layer of security (but against what)? Naturally, if I hadn't this worry about respecting the terms of my warranty I would just do it without further ado. But it isn't the case.

sadiesan said:

I don't know if I've got a dual EFI/BIOs boot mode motherboard. Theog, you seem to imply I do.
Dual Boot 7 32bit and 64bit under Uefi

No, you are.

DO YOU HAVE A uEFI/BIOS firmware MOBO?

If you don't want to Dual Boot via the BIOS then try the install in UEFI mode with both HD's plugged in. Let us know what happens. So much is being discovered right now since EFI BIOS are just coming online full stream and each one is different.

Problems with Dual Boots in Win7 and especially with XP were avoided by advising BIOS Dual Boot, but new rules apply with EFI BIOS'.

Yeah, Ok, you've driven the point home Greg. Even if it's been around a few years EFI is still a pretty vague no man's land in terms of functionality. As I understand it the various OEMS can really fiddle with it to their liking. If I read you, a fully connected BIOS install on my 2nd disk can just as much work as it can fail. I will check out the specs, theog, on the motherboard or find a forum that may clue me in. I might turn the question around, however, and ask what could I have else than a dual EFI/LEGACY based BIOS if upon plugging in a USB stick I'm systematically given a choice as to whether I want to go UEFI style or the regular legacy route? From your experience does such an option exist on dedicated UEFI motherboards? Also, I recall reading (but not noting the source) of a method of converting/adopting a BIOS to become dual. Does this ring any bells? I can also recall my vendor saying that the hardware of my N76mv precludes the installation of windows xp, due I think to the unavailability of drivers for it. I'll have to follow that one up.

At any rate, I'll give the darn thing a shot this weekend and let you all know one way or the other what does or does not hit the fan

I've not seen anything yet on converting an EFI BIOS to accept dual/mode installation. It may be default. You'll just have to try.

What does seem to almost always work if EFI install fails is to Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7. There have also been no complaints yet from those who've done so, while the problems with EFI configurations are piling up.

I just found this thread. Asus N76 UEFI - W7 64 Install Hangs on Logo (DVD UEFI Boot) - Windows 7 Forums
Don't know how I missed it. It squarely addresses most of my fears and doubts and is very encouraging. Same machine, nearly the same bios and results to match. The major difference being the OP's intention never was meant to dual boot between EFI mode on one disc and Legacy on the other. He converted both HDDs to mbr. So this will be a bit different. Even if I can't imagine what could interfere. A curious note the OP displayed both EFI and Legacy options for his DVD drive. I've only one. There is no EFI mode. On the other hand the USB stick shows both. Is this readily explainable or another mystery from EFI-land? Well, we'll soon see. Keep tuned.

It may require the DVD to be UEFI compatible and in the drive. Theog may recognize the problem.

I'd also keep my eye on this similar thread we've been struggling with for a week: Ordered new laptop with Win 8 but plan to install Win 7 - partitions? - Page 3 - Windows 7 Forums

There's a convergence of EFI-related threads that have dragged on much longer than our normal Install threads, so we are in the thick of it now.

Thanks, Greg, for that link. Boy, I really feel for the guy. I'm not in your league of course but did he ever say that the Acer repair attempts ever completely succeeded? I mean is it possible that his EFI partition got corrupted? Or a bug with SLIC 3? Sure he got his Windows 8 back, but he did he actually try to reinstall the thing from scratch after he discovered his ACPI / IDE switcheroo? Just speculation.

You mentioned there that before resizing a C: drive one must delete the recovery disk?!? Could you elaborate? I did same without deletion and there were no seeming after effects. Indirectly related, I made my recovery disks after Windows Upgrade got its mitts on my machine. In doing so, the Asus recovery program spent a good 20-30 minutes 'updating' the partition/files before actually copying the files to the dvds. What could this mean and is it normal, coincidental? I thought 'factory state' meant what it meant.

Tonight, I might try and run the setup disc of a Vista install from my previous Dell Inspiron to the mbr partition on my free hdd, or more audaciously try to copy an Acronis image of it. Drivers aside, if that takes I'm sure Win 7 will too. Any betters? Biggest worry is if and how the mbr installation will see the gpt disk. I understand the latter has a pseudo-mbr sector of its own but not sure if that will allow visibility of the individual partitions. Also, neither you nor The Og have weighed in as to what Windows 7 on the efi boot might see on the mbr disc. Ignore it as data partition as it does now, or pick it up as a new Windows version and try to manipulate into its EDP. Or have I already asked that in another form?