Arch Linux

tekkkz

Member

Registered: 2015-08-07

Posts: 68

systemd-boot and Windows on different HDD

Hello!
I have Windows on an HDD. And Arch is on a SSD.

I use systemd-boot as bootloader, and I want to keep it. But I need an entry for Windows ...

I know that systemd-boot can't boot into other HDD, but with some tricks it should be possible, shouldn't it?

So how can I get my Windows entry here?

Please give me help,
Thanks!

tom.ty89

Member

Registered: 2012-11-15

Posts: 897

Re: systemd-boot and Windows on different HDD

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lib … 10%29.aspx
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/lib … 24874.aspx

Try to use this to make a copy of the windows efi binary et al to the SSD's ESP. You might need to change the partition type of the ESP to Microsoft Basic Data first so that you can mount it to a volume letter.

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: systemd-boot and Windows on different HDD

I would recommend sharing the Windows-generated EFI system partition and mount it to /boot in your Arch system.

You will then have an automatically-generated menu entry in systemd-boot

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

tekkkz

Member

Registered: 2015-08-07

Posts: 68

Re: systemd-boot and Windows on different HDD

"I would recommend sharing the Windows-generated EFI system partition and mount it to /boot in your Arch system."

How to do this?

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: systemd-boot and Windows on different HDD

How to do this?

View all drives and their partitions with:

# parted -l

The Windows-generated EFI system partition will be marked as such.

If (for example) the ESP is located on /dev/sdb1 and your Arch root partition is on /dev/sda1 then mount the partitions thusly before running `pacstrap` etc:

# mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
# mkdir /mnt/boot
# mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/boot

Do not attempt to format the EFI system partition -- leave all the Windows files intact.

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî

tekkkz

Member

Registered: 2015-08-07

Posts: 68

Re: systemd-boot and Windows on different HDD

The problem is that there is no EFI Partition from windows. What now?

tom.ty89

Member

Registered: 2012-11-15

Posts: 897

Re: systemd-boot and Windows on different HDD

Then you probably did not install Windows with UEFI/GPT. Other than the way I've given you, the only solution would be to reinstall Windows. Not even grub alone would work AFAIK in such case.

Btw you don't have to reinstall Arch just to switch ESP. Reinstall the kernel and sd-boot is enough.

Head_on_a_Stick

Member

From: The Wirral

Registered: 2014-02-20

Posts: 8,778

Website

Re: systemd-boot and Windows on different HDD

The problem is that there is no EFI Partition from windows. What now?

Post the output of:

# parted -l

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Jin, Jîyan, Azadî