Ordered new laptop with Win 8 but plan to install Win 7 - partitions?

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  1. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #41

    Are both of your Win 8 and Win 7 installed in this GPT mode? If I've got the terminology right?

    Also, you say that your 5th one is for your data and/or Win XP so would that leave me with 4 partitions visible?
    6 with DATA partition.

    Ordered new laptop with Win 8 but plan to install Win 7 - partitions?-delete-win-7-010.png
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 11,408
    ME/XP/Vista/Win7
       #42

    Partitions that should be created (automatically?) include System, recovery and MSR which will be hidden within Windows
    Unknown without a screenshot.

    Install Win 7 in UEFI mode using a USB boot drive I will create while in Win 8 from the DVD
    DVD or USB.
    If using USB, take note of step 11.
    UEFI Bootable USB Flash Drive - Create in Windows
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  3. Posts : 92
    Windows 7 Home-Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #43

    Can't take a screenshot or anything yet - laptop won't arrive until 9th/10th/11th January. I'll continue then.

    Also, this whole thing about installing on a clean partition-free disk is confusing me - can I do it without errors?

    From: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr.../gg463525.aspx

    Manipulating GPT Disks and Their Contents
    Q. How do I create a GPT disk?

    A. You can create a GPT disk only on an empty, unpartitioned disk (raw disk or empty MBR disk).
    For more information about creating GPT disks, see Using GPT Drives.
    If this remains a problem, could I install Windows 7 on a different partition using MBR rather than GPT? I understand there are some advantages in GPT over MBR but I don't know if I'll notice them or not. So long as I can get both Windows 7 and Windows 8 working with dual boot I'll be happy. I understand that with MBR I would be limited to 4 partitions on a single HDD.
    Last edited by jayrap; 06 Jan 2013 at 08:00.
      My Computer

  4.    #44

    jayrap said:
    If this remains a problem, could I install Windows 7 on a different partition using MBR rather than GPT? I understand there are some advantages in GPT over MBR but I don't know if I'll notice them or not. So long as I can get both Windows 7 and Windows 8 working with dual boot I'll be happy. I understand that with MBR I would be limited to 4 partitions on a single HDD.
    I gave you this option earlier in Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7 . There was a full discussion about it.
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  5. Posts : 92
    Windows 7 Home-Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #45

    gregrocker said:
    jayrap said:
    If this remains a problem, could I install Windows 7 on a different partition using MBR rather than GPT? I understand there are some advantages in GPT over MBR but I don't know if I'll notice them or not. So long as I can get both Windows 7 and Windows 8 working with dual boot I'll be happy. I understand that with MBR I would be limited to 4 partitions on a single HDD.
    I gave you this option earlier in Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7 . There was a full discussion about it.
    Cheers, sorry about that - to be honest, I may try doing it that was since it should be more straightforward... I hope
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  6. Posts : 92
    Windows 7 Home-Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #46

    Note: Windows 7 by my side but hasn't been installed yet

    So I attempted to disable Secure Boot and UEFI in the legacy BIOS after following the instructions on how to get to there - Windows 8 wouldn't start.

    I then tried to disable secure boot only and restore UEFI - Windows 8 started. I used the command "confirm-SecureBootUEFI" and it came up as true despite having reset the BIOS and disabled Secure Boot in the BIOS (I'm pretty sure I saved it too).

    I then went to look at the disk management and this is what I see:

    4 partitions there - I can't find an option to make another one!

    Need help :S

    Also, I did order a 16GB USB flash drive as I believe one instruction said I needed it for something but that has not arrived yet. I'm hoping to do this tonight!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Ordered new laptop with Win 8 but plan to install Win 7 - partitions?-disk-manager.png  
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  7. Posts : 92
    Windows 7 Home-Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #47

    Learnt how to make a new partition - never mind about my struggle with that - still a SecureBoot problem.

    Here's a question: If I disable UEFI and Secure Boot, so Windows 8 can't boot up, can I install Windows 7 in the new partition I made while keeping the data of the Windows 8 partition even though it's unable to be accessed until I enable UEFI and SecureBoot? If it does work, I may just do that!

    Edit: didn't work - couldn't install because the HDD was setup in GPT

    Looks like I really will need that USB after all!
    Last edited by jayrap; 08 Jan 2013 at 16:42.
      My Computer

  8.    #48

    It makes it quite clear in the Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7 information that this is a destructive process that requires wiping the HD so it will reformat during install as an MBR disk. So I dont' know why you'd have expected Win8 to still start. Did you even read the link?

    The solution to keep Win8 is to disable Secure Boot but install Win7 in a Dual Boot in UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums.

    More here about disabling Secure Boot to install in EFI mode: Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 92
    Windows 7 Home-Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #49

    gregrocker said:
    It makes it quite clear in the Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7 information that this is a destructive process that requires wiping the HD so it will reformat during install as an MBR disk. So I dont' know why you'd have expected Win8 to still start. Did you even read the link?

    The solution to keep Win8 is to disable Secure Boot but install Win7 in a Dual Boot in UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) - Install Windows 7 with - Windows 7 Forums.

    More here about disabling Secure Boot to install in EFI mode: Downgrade Windows 8 to Windows 7
    Sorry, it is a mixture of reading all but that link (I did open it but I had so many tabs open I must have skipped over it again when coming through). Also... desperation - only human :P

    Also didn't see the warning that said to delete the existing recovery partition before shrinking C: - "damage" reparable?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 92
    Windows 7 Home-Premium 64bit
    Thread Starter
       #50

    Argh - this is annoying

    I've been trying to follow all of those links. I'll tell you what I've done and tried.

    1. Did a backup of Windows 8 onto a 16GB USB

    2. Turned of Secure Boot but kept UEFI enabled. "confirm-SecureBootUEFI" shows "False"

    3. I have an OEM Windows 7 Home-Premium 64-bit DVD which I bought specifically for this laptop. I also bought a 16GB USB flash drive specifically for transferring the data on the disk to the flash drive. I have followed the Disk Part tutorial and it all went as it does in the tutorial.

    4. I copied all of the data from the OEM disk to the USB flash drive and followed the instructions on moving different folders and setup files, e.t.c. - I also did the thing required for Windows 7 64 as you, theog pointed out in the tutorial.

    5. I first try to restart the laptop as recommended - just a normal restart - boots straight back into Windows 8 again.

    6. I try an advanced start-up and select "use a device - I use the USB flash drive with Windows 7 on it. Windows loads files. It then gets to "Starting Windows" but freezes half way through.

    7. I then try disabling UEFI in the BIOS after another advanced start-up and get into the whole installation stuff but when I try to pick my partition I made for Windows 7 it's greyed out where it says next. How do I fix this GPT? What did I miss?

    Also, I have no boot menu option in UEFI boot
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