Dual Boot Arch with Win10, BIOS/MBR-Boot

Tim.Hilt · 2018-06-16 19:27:53

Hi there!

This is my first post. Until this moment, i've been getting away with googling and reading manuals and stuff, but now i'm stuck.
I use Arch for a little longer than half a year right now and don't want to go back to another OS or distro as my "daily driver"!

I'm studying Embedded Software Development at a German University and in the next Semester we will have to use a few different Softwares, that are easiest to use in Windows, so i figured i'd just install Windows, shrink my main partition and install Arch from a USB-Stick onto the new partition (and continue to use Arch for everything else), as i would with any other Distro.
I thought i'd just try it but as i rebooted the PC, i'm just seeing the Grub menu and Arch Linux as my boot option.
I erased the Linux partition and repaired the Windows Bootloader from a Windows Installation USB-Stick and here i am back in Windows.

I did some more googling and found out that it makes a difference, whether Windows boots in UEFI/GPT Mode or "legacy", which basically means BIOS/MBR Mode, which happens to be the mode of my device.

There are a few step by step manuals that explain things for UEFI Mode but i haven't found anything that made me comfortable in trying it out. Reinstalling Windows in UEFI Mode is an option, but i think that
1. reinstalling all of the Software that i already have in Windows would take much more time and effort than it would be to get around with BIOS/MBR
2. I would like to learn how to do this, if it's possible! I read so much about Installation and Dual Booting, that i actually want to get it done, if possible and "conquer" this problem, rather than choosing a workaround.

Is my project doable? Am i even right with all my thoughts about how tricky this process is?
Can anyone help me out with this?

Thanks in advance!

Tim

Last edited by Tim.Hilt (2018-06-16 19:32:17)

jasonwryan · 2018-06-16 19:54:58

Is it doable? Of course, it is documented in the wiki. How tricky is it? Not particularly, read this (and the rest of the page)
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Du … imitations

Can someone help you with it? That's what the wiki is for. If you have a specific question, ask it.

Tim.Hilt · 2018-06-16 21:29:47

jasonwryan wrote:

Is it doable? Of course, it is documented in the wiki. How tricky is it? Not particularly, read this (and the rest of the page)
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Du … imitations

Ok, so honestly, i don't find that article very helpful, me having German as my main language and being not that experienced in installing Arch (just in using it after a completed install).
So here are the steps i've taken previously and my assumptions in where i got wrong:

1. Shrunk down the volume of my C-Drive in Windows (aka created an empty partition)
2. Booted from an Arch-Iso-USB-Stick and followed this guide: https://wiki.archlinux.de/title/Anleitu … Einsteiger
3. Created new Linux filesystem on the empty partition
(Note especially the section about installing grub!)
4. Rebooted my System and seeing nothing but Arch to choose as Boot-Option in Grub.

I think what i got wrong is the bootloader! I think i understood, that the goal is for the Windows Bootloader, to chainload Grub which let's you choose the Boot OS.
So i think my issue is something Bootloader- or MBR-related.
I don't know how to prepare Windows and where the Dual-Boot-Install differs from the regular Arch Installation-Procedure!

In some threads i read, that i should deactivate Windows' fast-startup-option, which i've done in the meantime. But i can't believe, that that's the only thing that i have to change!

jasonwryan · 2018-06-16 21:40:10

If you are using Grub, then paste the config you created for the Windows machine.

Tim.Hilt · 2018-06-16 21:44:15

I actually didn't create any config for Windows! I basically just did:

# pacman -S grub
# grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
# grub-install /dev/sda

and rebooted. If there's anything additional that's required to do or to configure, i would need help or guidance with that.

jasonwryan · 2018-06-16 21:47:35

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GR … 2FMBR_mode

Tim.Hilt · 2018-06-16 21:55:21

Wow thanks! That's something that i haven't stumbled upon yet! I will try it tomorrow and keep you informed about how things went.

loqs · 2018-06-16 21:56:23

See also the tip box from GRUB#Generate_the_main_configuration_file

Arch Linux

#1 2018-06-16 19:27:53

Dual Boot Arch with Win10, BIOS/MBR-Boot

#2 2018-06-16 19:54:58

Re: Dual Boot Arch with Win10, BIOS/MBR-Boot

#3 2018-06-16 21:29:47

Re: Dual Boot Arch with Win10, BIOS/MBR-Boot

#4 2018-06-16 21:40:10

Re: Dual Boot Arch with Win10, BIOS/MBR-Boot

#5 2018-06-16 21:44:15

Re: Dual Boot Arch with Win10, BIOS/MBR-Boot

#6 2018-06-16 21:47:35

Re: Dual Boot Arch with Win10, BIOS/MBR-Boot

#7 2018-06-16 21:55:21

Re: Dual Boot Arch with Win10, BIOS/MBR-Boot

#8 2018-06-16 21:56:23

Re: Dual Boot Arch with Win10, BIOS/MBR-Boot

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