Solved UEFI or Legacy?

[clicky]

Hello,

I have just finished making myself a decent gaming rig and im on the last step at the moment; which is installing Windows 7. I have noticed that when trying to install Windows on my pc there's two option: one is Legacy and the other is UEFI, and since I'm not really and expert when it comes to such things, I decided to postpone the installation process until I figure this out. So, which of these should I choose as an installation method? I'd really appreciate it if someone could help me with that. Thank you!

 

[VistaUltimate]

UEFI has some advantages over BIOS,such as:

Faster booting
Support of 128 logical partitions
Support for disks which have a size of over 2.2 TB
Support for Legacy BIOS

Since your desire is gaming,install with UEFI. There's no reason to go with BIOS unless you have old hardware.

This tutorial shows you how to install Windows in UEFI:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-7-a.html

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I think UEFI has a few new features such as Secure Boot and boots a bit faster. Maybe supports booting from a larger partition? That might be useful if your OS drive is 3 TB.

I'm not sure UEFI has any advantages to speak of once you are into Windows.

I've seen it advised to not do UEFI-native installs to MBR-formatted disks, or BIOS compatibility installs to GPT-formatted disks.

I haven't got it entirely sorted out myself.

Are you using a large boot drive? Do you intend to use an MBR boot disk or a GPT boot disk? You can have an MBR boot disk and a GPT storage drive on the same system.

 

[clicky]

UEFI has some advantages over BIOS,such as:

Faster booting
Support of 128 logical partitions
Support for disks which have a size of over 2.2 TB
Support for Legacy BIOS

Since your desire is gaming,install with UEFI. There's no reason to go with BIOS unless you have old hardware.

This tutorial shows you how to install Windows in UEFI:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-7-a.html

Much appreciated, VistaUltimate. I'll go ahead and install it now. Solved.

 

[clicky]

I think UEFI has a few new features such as Secure Boot and boots a bit faster. Maybe supports booting from a larger partition? That might be useful if your OS drive is 3 TB.

I'm not sure UEFI has any advantages to speak of once you are into Windows.

I've seen it advised to not do UEFI-native installs to MBR-formatted disks, or BIOS compatibility installs to GPT-formatted disks.

I haven't got it entirely sorted out myself.

Are you using a large boot drive? Do you intend to use an MBR boot disk or a GPT boot disk? You can have an MBR boot disk and a GPT storage drive on the same system.

Hello, ignatzatsonic. I appreciate your help.

I have a 240GB SSD and a 1TB HDD, and I do not know what I want to use for booting, I'm trying to figure this out myself.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Hello, ignatzatsonic. I appreciate your help.

I have a 240GB SSD and a 1TB HDD, and I do not know what I want to use for booting, I'm trying to figure this out myself.

You'd be a fool not use the SSD as your boot device and for as many applications as will fit on it. Why wouldn't you want to take advantage of its speed?

With drives of that size, you could avoid GPT entirely--stay purely with MBR. Or go with GPT all the way. Either way.

Barring some peculiar requirement, I'd just use a single C partition on the SSD and then use the HDD for storage, also as a single partition.

 

[VistaUltimate]

ignatzasonic,UEFI of course doesn't have many advantages that are seen while into Windows. UEFI supports GPT boot drives only if you are in UEFI Mode. If you are in Legacy BIOS (or BIOS originally) Mode,you must have an MBR boot disk,otherwise "no bootable media.Press Ctrl+Alt+Del".

UEFI is also safer. Now that Windows 8 is here,it's going to be used more. When it was released,it had the name "EFI" and it was available for Itanium computers only. Windows Server 2003 was the first OS to provide support for Itanium x64 (IA-64). Windows Vista SP1 was the first OS to provide support for UEFI but few used UEFI. BIOS is dying gradually,as VHS did with DVD. BIOS was released in the 1980's while UEFI (originally EFI) was released in 1999-2000. VHS was released in 1976 while DVD was released in 1996-1997.

If you don't have many apps,use the SSD. You can transfer your videos,pictures,documents,music to the HDD.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

VistaUltimate:

I'm going to rebuild in a few months from the ground up, with all new hardware.

I'm contemplating going purely with GPT/UEFI, with no traces of MBR/BIOS at all.

But I'm interested in the shortcomings of that strategy.

Such as full compatibility with imaging applications other than Windows built-in, which I don't use.

Advantages such as a bit faster boot or support for large boot drives don't matter to me compared to possible shortcomings--which is what I'm trying to research.

Opinions?

 

[VistaUltimate]

I would tell that a built-in application doesn't work with UEFI (bootsect.exe /nt52,bootsect.exe /nt60).
Possible shortcomings? I don't think you will have problem with UEFI,unless you have old hardware (2006 and older). Applications other than the built-in ones should work normally.

 

[clicky]

I appreciate your help, VistaUltimate & ignatzatsonic. I have just finished installing my Windows 7 using UEFI and so far so good. Thanks again. Solved.

 

[gregrocker]

Your imaging app will need to support UEFI as does the favorite here Macrium Imaging - Windows 7 Help Forums.

I would always first install to UEFI to experience the features of your BIOS which is no longer even called a BIOS but is now UEFI firmware.

When we first encountered BIOS here we had to help many Bypass UEFI to Install WIn7 but this has not been necessary for nearly a year now as only one case I can recall has not been able to install to UEFI after most BIOS' have had the necessary firmware updates to cover deficiencies by being created for Windows 8 without realizing it was going to be such a flop. So there is almost always a configuration to install Win7 to UEFI, often only disabling Secure Boot on the Security tab, rarely needing some level of CSM or Legacy BIOS.

I've been running UEFI for two years now on my laptop and notice no downside. I was ready to abandon Acronis 2010 anyway since Macrium is superior.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I've been running UEFI for two years now on my laptop and notice no downside. I was ready to abandon Acronis 2010 anyway since Macrium is superior.

OK, thanks Greg.

I would hope you would publicize any eventual shortcomings that are noticed with a UEFI/GPT only system, particularly as regards software incompatibilities or any form of regret.

I've never had an issue with Macrium yet, but that app would be a key must-have for me on a UEFI/GPT system.

I'm pretty much indifferent to UEFI advantages, but am willing to play along as long as it doesn't have any long-term pitfalls of any type.

 

[gregrocker]

One thing just dawned on me is that I've not seen tested but will soon how well Paragon Adaptive Restore works on UEFI.

I use it a lot to move around images especially since leaving behind Acronis 2010 with Universal Restore. It has remained popular here since 2010 with Kaktussoft even writing a tutorial to Make Windows 7 bootable after motherboard swap that has frequent activity here.

Anyone know if UEFI spits it out?