2 SSD + 1HDD with 2 partitions + FusionDrive & Dual Boot

[Michelinu]

Hi everyone, I'd like to build a powerful computer without spend millions; my idea was to install both OS X & Windows, but I want to use 2 SSD (256GB + 256GB) and 1 HDD (1TB). I want to divide the HDD in 2 parts (the smallest with 256GB for OS X & the second with the remains GB for install Windows games) and build a Fusion Drive between the first SSD and the smallest partition of the HDD, so use the second SSD to install Windows. Is it possible? What about dual boot?

I've some "original" Mac(s), so I don't have problems with Yosemite installation media or to format disks
Thanks in advance

 

[MacZach94]

Okay if I understand correctly you want to put your hard drives into RAID 0 which you can't do with two different sized HDDs. If I were you I would install OS X on one of the SSD's then Windows on the other. Then with the 1TB HDD you could partition it in half, 500gb in OS X format and 500gb in windows format.

 

[neilhart]

While that maybe doable it is not practicable.

Have you thought about system recovery and backup?

A dual boot system is one thing, the fusion drives are another and then mixing partitions... just a heartache waiting to happen.

My opinion.

Good modding,
neil

 

[Michelinu]

Yes, more or less, I want to create 2 partitions with different size, but with the smallest partition of HDD and 1 SSD I'd like to create a FusionDrive (is like a RAID 0). Here's a schema:

So, @neilhart, you don't advise me to do that? What may I do in order to use SSDs and HDDs for both systems? Can I make a FusionDrive (256SSD + 256HDD) for OS X and install Windows into another SSD and make a dual boot?

Thanks for replies

 

[MacZach94]

Ok now I see what you are saying. Now there is no such thing as a Fusion-Drive in Windows, so what I am about to tell will only be for the Mac OS X side. There are Terminal commends that will do this (fuse the 2 hard drives together logically) http://www.macworld.com/article/2014011/how-to-make-your-own-fusion-drive.html

Now remember things can go wrong while doing this so do it only if you are doing a whole new install.
Good luck!

 

[Michelinu]

Yes, I know that there isn't any kind of FusionDrive for Windows, and, in fact, I don't want to make it: as you can see, in the image the partition for Windows and the one for the games are separate; instead the partition of the first SSD and a partition of HDD are join into a single volume.
I already know that the fusion drive with Mac is very easy to make, but I'm asking if it's easily to in my case, because I want to merge 1 SSD + 1 (of 2) partition of HDD into a single volume (the FusionDrive) and then format the second partition of the HDD with NTFS filesystem in order to make it working with Windows. In this case, even I success to arrange all partition, where I have to install the bootloader (which should permit the dual-boot with different partitions in different physical drives): into the first partition with OS X (the first SSD + 1st partition of HDD), into the second one with Windows (just the second SSD) or into the third one with Games for windows (2nd partition of HDD)?

Thank

 

[MacZach94]

l'll tell you what I have some old 160gb hard drives that are empty. I will see if I can do what you are thinking of now. If it ruins the hard drives, oh well better my old dusty ones then your big ones

I will get back to you tomorrow!

 

[MacZach94]

Ok so there is a different way to do this for a Hackintosh then just the normal way I had linked (mine failed to work). I did not do this type as I would have to re install OS X again and all that so I wont be able to see if that works. In the long run I would just say just deal with having 2 spots for your Mac OS X stuff. Also in the long run it will be better because if one of your drives fail you wont lose all your data (Fusions are the same as RAID 0 in that aspect).

 

[Michelinu]

Now I tried with my MacBook and 2 drives: 1 external HDD (500GB) and 1 SD (4GB). First I formatted the HDD in Mac OS extended (journaled), then I did the same with the SD. After this, I created 2 partitions using GUID partition scheme (the first formatted in Mac OS extended (journaled) and the second in Windows NTFS (I've an utility for write in NTFS filesystems drives). All this with Disk Utility from Apple.

Then I opened the terminal and digit "diskutil list" to display disks and partitions:

/dev/disk0 is my MacBook SSD;
/dev/disk1 is the external 500HDD with 3 partition (created by Mac): the partition scheme, an EFI partition and the "user accessible" partition, called "disco1";
/dev/disk2 is the SD with 4 partitions: the first and the second are system partitions so as the HDD partitions there's a scheme and an EFI partition, and then mine 2 partitions: "S1" (the one for OS X) and "S2" with NTFS filesystems.

So to create a logical volume I wrote this command in terminal "diskutil coreStorage create RANDOMNAME /dev/disk1 /dev/disk2s2", and here's!
Now, in order to create the Fusion Drive, I wrote this in terminal "diskutil coreStorage createVolume UUID jfhs+ "FusionDrive" 100%"; UUID must be changed with your logical volume UUID, that is displayed after the creation of the logical volume

I've only to find a PC in order to see if Windows recognize the NTFS partition, but the biggest work is done!
Thanks for the idea to try now with external drives