Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

an_anth · 2013-10-29 12:56:48

Hi.:)
I have been using Arch for more than an a year. But that was in a system with BIOS. Now I am trying to install Arch in my new Lenovo Thinkpad T530 which already has Windows 7. But I am really confused with the installation in the UEFI environment.
My scenario:

I made a back up of the Windows7 OS and softwares provided by Lenovo by creating the rescue disks.

I re-partioned the my 500GB HDD using gparted from KNOPPIX as:

http://i44.tinypic.com/255437s.png

Basically I need a dual boot system. I intend to use Arch as my base system. But I also need to use Windows because some of the development tools used in my University is run under Windows.
I made the NTFS drive (named Data in the above screenshot) in order to keep my personal data safe in case of a Windows system crash.
So I ended up having 3 Physical drives in my HDD for Windows. With the constrains on the number of the Physical drives in HDD I created the Extended partition for installing Arch.

I am confused with the following topics from the official Beginers Guide
>Partition scheme
Additional required partitions:
EFI System Partition for UEFI motherboards

I did not create an "EFI System Partition" because I thought since I already have Windows installed, the SYSTEM_DRV might correspond to this partion. I think this is where I have gone wrong.

If any one of you can give me some suggestions on how to proceed then it would be really helpful.

Thanks in advance.

PS: Before approching this forum I tried searching all over the net for the posts or articles that could help me with this but I did not find any.

-- mod edit: read the Forum Etiquette and only post thumbnails http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/For … s_and_Code [jwr] --

teateawhy · 2013-10-29 14:56:54

Find out if you are booting Windows 7 in UEFI mode or BIOS legacy mode.

an_anth · 2013-10-29 19:03:21

I am booting Windows7 in UEFI mode.

teateawhy · 2013-10-29 19:19:54

If so, which partition is the EFI System Partition?
The wiki says the ESP must have a fat32 filesystem, but in the gparted screenshot there are only ntfs filesystems.

an_anth · 2013-10-29 19:50:34

Oh....! I thought since the OS was installed by Lenovo the SYSTEM_DRV was related to EFI.

So do I need to make an EFI partition in the "Extended Drive" that I have created and is it possible to do that? since my HDD is already having 3 primary drives...

teateawhy · 2013-10-30 07:55:19

So do I need to make an EFI partition in the "Extended Drive" that I have created and is it possible to do that? since my HDD is already having 3 primary drives...

Please read this article, especially the part i already posted.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Un … _Interface

ANOKNUSA · 2013-10-30 13:18:09

an_anth wrote:

I made a back up of the Windows7 OS and softwares provided by Lenovo by creating the rescue disks.

Quadruple---no, octo-check that. Those "rescue discs" are often just recovery environment discs to restore the factory partition scheme and firmware settings, not back-ups of the operating system itself. Just a warning from personal experience.

There are three differences when installing to UEFI:
- Must use GPT
- Must create a 512Mb FAT32 EFI partition
- Must use a UEF-compatible bootloader.

All those things are covered in the UEFI wiki page. Nothing else changes in the installation process.

an_anth · 2013-10-30 23:10:13

ANOKNUSA wrote:

an_anth wrote:
I made a back up of the Windows7 OS and softwares provided by Lenovo by creating the rescue disks.
Quadruple---no, octo-check that. Those "rescue discs" are often just recovery environment discs to restore the factory partition scheme and firmware settings, not back-ups of the operating system itself. Just a warning from personal experience.
There are three differences when installing to UEFI:
- Must use GPT
- Must create a 512Mb FAT32 EFI partition
- Must use a UEF-compatible bootloader.
All those things are covered in the UEFI wiki page. Nothing else changes in the installation process.

Yes. I am aware of that. Sorry. I needed to be more specific about that.

I will follow what all you guys have mentioned.

Actually, since I was always interrupted due to shortage of time during my Arch installation, I didn't go through the details properly. I am using my university's computer pool PC to read the guide and do installations. This resulted in not having enough time to sit through the entire installation. Hence, to get a clear-cut solution(tailored for my situation) I approached the forum.....hoping to reduce the time requirement for the installation by not having to experiment a lot.

And Thank u all.

an_anth · 2013-11-02 18:24:25

I read the UEFI wiki.

I think I understood where my problem is...

In order to create the "EFI System Partition" my whole data in the hard disk(which has windows in it) will be lost. I can't afford that because I only have rescue disks with me. I don't have an OS installation media since the OS installed on my thinkpad is OEM. If Lenovo were providing me the installation media for the OS, then I would simply go ahead and create GPT partitioned disks. Then first install Windows in it and then Arch. But now I am in a dilemma.....

I need suggestions on this please.....

the.ridikulus.rat · 2013-11-02 18:46:19

an_anth wrote:

I read the UEFI wiki.
I think I understood where my problem is...
In order to create the "EFI System Partition" my whole data in the hard disk(which has windows in it) will be lost. I can't afford that because I only have rescue disks with me. I don't have an OS installation media since the OS installed on my thinkpad is OEM. If Lenovo were providing me the installation media for the OS, then I would simply go ahead and create GPT partitioned disks. Then first install Windows in it and then Arch. But now I am in a dilemma.....
I need suggestions on this please.....

You require an unmodified Windows 7 ISO. This is not hard to obtain, and using such a ISO is legal as long as you use a valid product key to activate Windows. Now there are 3 cases:

1. Convert BIOS-MBR install of Windows 7 to UEFI-GPT, without data-loss. It is a slightly lengthy process https://gitorious.org/tianocore_uefi_du … OS_to_UEFI (actually simple once you understand it, I know because I wrote it). But you need to have a unmodified Windows 7 ISO setup to boot in a UEFI bootable USB to do it. You can reuse the existing SYSTEM_DRV partition after formatting it as FAT32 with gdisk type code EF00. Make sure to backup the current contents of that partition though.

2. If you don't mind re-installing Windows, backup Windows activation data using http://directedge.us/content/abr-activa … nd-restore, format and partition your disk as GPT, re-install Windows and then Arch.

3. Install Arch in current BIOS-MBR setup, without touching the existing windows install.

EDIT: The limiting factor in your case is Windows, but I do not think it is a good idea to discuss Windows specific info (especially if you want to try case 1) here (in Arch forum) as that has nothing to with Linux or Arch.

Last edited by the.ridikulus.rat (2013-11-02 18:50:47)

an_anth · 2013-11-02 19:08:29

U are right....

the.ridikulus.rat wrote:

EDIT: The limiting factor in your case is Windows, but I do not think it is a good idea to discuss Windows specific info (especially if you want to try case 1) here (in Arch forum) as that has nothing to with Linux or Arch.

My main problem now is to get an Windows 7 ISO.

Thank you very much.

ANOKNUSA · 2013-11-02 19:24:55

an_anth wrote:

U are right....
the.ridikulus.rat wrote:
EDIT: The limiting factor in your case is Windows, but I do not think it is a good idea to discuss Windows specific info (especially if you want to try case 1) here (in Arch forum) as that has nothing to with Linux or Arch.
My main problem now is to get an Windows 7 ISO.

Thank you very much.

In furtherance of helping you install Arch, here's a blog post with links to the official iso downloads. Like the.ridikulus.rat said, you can legally use those iso files as long as you have an activation key; Just make sure you download the correct image for your windows installation. On my T520, the Microsoft OEM sticker is underneath the battery, and you can get all the Windows drivers and Lenovo-specific stuff straight from the Lenovo website. If you install Windows using UEFI, the EFI partition created by Windows can be used for Arch as well. Best of luck; I know exactly how tedious this process is.

an_anth · 2013-11-02 19:33:25

Oh yeah....:) I am all set to install Arch now. Thank u...:)

Arch Linux

#1 2013-10-29 12:56:48

Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#2 2013-10-29 14:56:54

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#3 2013-10-29 19:03:21

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#4 2013-10-29 19:19:54

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#5 2013-10-29 19:50:34

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#6 2013-10-30 07:55:19

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#7 2013-10-30 13:18:09

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#8 2013-10-30 23:10:13

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#9 2013-11-02 18:24:25

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#10 2013-11-02 18:46:19

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#11 2013-11-02 19:08:29

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#12 2013-11-02 19:24:55

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

#13 2013-11-02 19:33:25

Re: Need help with Installing Arch on Lenovo T530(with Windows7 installed)

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