Multi boot Arch/Win7/Win8 GPT UEFI GRUB2 skip windows boot manager

levy_pl · 2014-11-13 10:24:44

Hi Everybody!

I can see that UEFI + GPT + WIN + GRUB is kind of messy thing. My is a little bit more messy and I can not find solution as it is a very rare configuration.
I would like to have WIN7 and Arch on SSD and WIN8 on HDD (both are internal). My $esp is on SSD.
I installed WIN7 than WIN8 than Arch.
W7 and W8 boots normally with windows boot manager (WBM). I managed to configure GRUB to see Arch and WBM. Pretty cool but is it possible to boot straight to W7 or W8 without WBM (it's annoying as it takes time to go trough two boot managers)?
I tried with rEFInd but I failed. Maybe it is a right path but I can not make it even boot properly

I would be really grateful for any hints!

Best regards

clfarron4 · 2014-11-13 11:30:05

Hi,

What does the configuration files you use for the bootloader look like?

Just to see if I understand this correctly, when you boot into Windows, you have Linux Bootloader => Chainload Windows Boot Manager => Choose which version of Windows you want to boot => Chosen version of Windows.

From what I remember, the Windows Boot Manager will have detected two installations of Windows and (in some cases) it defaults to asking you which one of the two installations you want to boot from. So you may need to configure the Windows Boot Manager from within Windows...

levy_pl · 2014-11-13 12:02:27

clfarron4 wrote:

Hi,
What does the configuration files you use for the bootloader look like?

As I broke my arch installation I can not easily supply a grub.cfg. I will upload it ASAP I will get my arch running

clfarron4 wrote:

Just to see if I understand this correctly, when you boot into Windows, you have Linux Bootloader => Chainload Windows Boot Manager => Choose which version of Windows you want to boot => Chosen version of Windows.

Yes you are right!

clfarron4 wrote:

From what I remember, the Windows Boot Manager will have detected two installations of Windows and (in some cases) it defaults to asking you which one of the two installations you want to boot from. So you may need to configure the Windows Boot Manager from within Windows...

still it will not give me an option for grub2 to go straight to W7 or W8 (I think so)

clfarron4 · 2014-11-14 22:03:59

OK, assuming what I am about to say is correct, you issue is not with GRUB. Your issue is with the Windows Boot Manager.

My reasoning:

To boot any current versions of Windows, you will invoke the Windows Boot Manager. This happens if you solely Windows or if you use GRUB and then boot into Windows (GRUB cannot boot Windows installations directly, but instead loads (or chainloads) the Windows Boot Manager to boot into Windows).

Also, if you have one installation of Windows on the same machine, you will never see Windows Boot Manager unless you press a certain key to see it explicitly. However, if you have more than one installation of Windows, it will detect the other installations, add entries to the Windows Boot Manager and ask you every single time which version of Windows you wish to install.

Whilst there are tools like BCDEdit which can probably edit the entries in the Windows Boot Manager, it actually sounds like there is only one instance of the Windows Boot Manager on your system (not one for Windows 7 and one for Windows 8), so I think you just have to live with it.

levy_pl · 2014-11-17 08:45:11

Well, this is some kind of point of view. Thanks.

I am wondering if there is any chance to get streight to win7/win8 bootloader or is it alternated by newer version from win8 and there is only one bootloader.

I will post results of my research.

leonax · 2014-11-17 16:06:17

In my uefi dual boot system arch and win8.1 I can go into boot F2 and in boot order there is an option for hdd or gummiboot. If I put gummiboot first it gives linux options and if I put hdd first it is goes straight to windows. Anothe option is F 12 key which gives gives the option of windows or gummiboot. Coll

Just my 2 bit worth.

TheSaint · 2014-11-17 16:39:42

The grub configuration should point to each WBM separately.
Therefore It needs to find where is Win7 BCD then chain load it. Same would go for Win8.
Later you should rectify the Win7 and Win8 configuration to start straight away the OS.
You may have in you ESP something like EFI/Microsoft/Win7/bootmgfw.efi and /EFI/Microsoft/Win8/bootmgfw.efi then follow the wiki directions to edit grub.cfg entries.

levy_pl · 2014-12-03 06:46:41

TheSaint wrote:

The grub configuration should point to each WBM separately.
Therefore It needs to find where is Win7 BCD then chain load it. Same would go for Win8.
Later you should rectify the Win7 and Win8 configuration to start straight away the OS.
You may have in you ESP something like EFI/Microsoft/Win7/bootmgfw.efi and /EFI/Microsoft/Win8/bootmgfw.efi then follow the wiki directions to edit grub.cfg entries.

Thanks a lot for your tips!
I did a fresh installation again and I tried rEFInd and GRUB and I failed so I turned to gummiboot. Actually I did not achieved the functionality I did mention in the beginning of the thread but I am pretty satisfied with a "speed" of gummiboot and win7 bootmgr (much faster then win8 bootmgr).
If I dare again I will try to switch to GRUB and check your tips

Arch Linux

#1 2014-11-13 10:24:44

Multi boot Arch/Win7/Win8 GPT UEFI GRUB2 skip windows boot manager

#2 2014-11-13 11:30:05

Re: Multi boot Arch/Win7/Win8 GPT UEFI GRUB2 skip windows boot manager

#3 2014-11-13 12:02:27

Re: Multi boot Arch/Win7/Win8 GPT UEFI GRUB2 skip windows boot manager

#4 2014-11-14 22:03:59

Re: Multi boot Arch/Win7/Win8 GPT UEFI GRUB2 skip windows boot manager

#5 2014-11-17 08:45:11

Re: Multi boot Arch/Win7/Win8 GPT UEFI GRUB2 skip windows boot manager

#6 2014-11-17 16:06:17

Re: Multi boot Arch/Win7/Win8 GPT UEFI GRUB2 skip windows boot manager

#7 2014-11-17 16:39:42

Re: Multi boot Arch/Win7/Win8 GPT UEFI GRUB2 skip windows boot manager

#8 2014-12-03 06:46:41

Re: Multi boot Arch/Win7/Win8 GPT UEFI GRUB2 skip windows boot manager

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