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Guide: Multibooting UEFI on Separate Drives

I am trying to put together a multiboot system (macOS Big Sur, Windows 10, and Ubuntu). I have all three on separate SSDs and only had one SSD connected at a time during the installations.

First, I installed macOS with OpenCore on the macOS SSD.
Second, I installed Windows 10 at UEFI-GPT on a second SSD. Everything works fine up to then.
Third, I installed Ubuntu on a third SSD. I made the installer with Rufus and selected UEFI and GPT. I had two options for the drive format in Rufus - FAT32 and NTFS. I chose FAT32, the default. When I booted into the Linux installer, I deleted all partitions visible partitions and installed Linux on the sole partition. It appeared to install fine.

When I boot up in OpenCore, I have macOS, Windows 10, Untitled, and Reset NVRAM. "Untitled" is my Linux drive. macOS and Windows boot and operate fine. When I select Linux, I received a black screen with the following text:

System BootOrder not found. Initializing defaults.
Could not read \EFI\: Invalid Parameter
Error: could not find boot options: Invalid Parameter
start_image() returned Invalid Parameter
OC: Boot Failed - Invalid Parameter
OCB: StartImage failed - Invalid Parameter

The system then goes back to the OpenCore picker. If I select Reset NVRAM, it then boots into Linux just fine. But it resets my boot order in the BIOS, putting Linux first.

My question is - have it installed it properly? Why I am getting this message and why is it not booting properly into Linux? Something tells me I failed to install Linux properly with EFI. Should I have set up partitions differently on the initial Linux install? Is there any way to rectify this? I would rather do a fresh install if it means I have to remove my other drives again - they are M2 drives on the front and back of the mobo and it would involve removing the cooler and fans.
 

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diplomatt said:
I am trying to put together a multiboot system (macOS Big Sur, Windows 10, and Ubuntu). I have all three on separate SSDs and only had one SSD connected at a time during the installations.

First, I installed macOS with OpenCore on the macOS SSD.
Second, I installed Windows 10 at UEFI-GPT on a second SSD. Everything works fine up to then.
Third, I installed Ubuntu on a third SSD. I made the installer with Rufus and selected UEFI and GPT. I had two options for the drive format in Rufus - FAT32 and NTFS. I chose FAT32, the default. When I booted into the Linux installer, I deleted all partitions visible partitions and installed Linux on the sole partition. It appeared to install fine.

When I boot up in OpenCore, I have macOS, Windows 10, Untitled, and Reset NVRAM. "Untitled" is my Linux drive. macOS and Windows boot and operate fine. When I select Linux, I received a black screen with the following text:

System BootOrder not found. Initializing defaults.
Could not read \EFI\: Invalid Parameter
Error: could not find boot options: Invalid Parameter
start_image() returned Invalid Parameter
OC: Boot Failed - Invalid Parameter
OCB: StartImage failed - Invalid Parameter

The system then goes back to the OpenCore picker. If I select Reset NVRAM, it then boots into Linux just fine. But it resets my boot order in the BIOS, putting Linux first.

My question is - have it installed it properly? Why I am getting this message and why is it not booting properly into Linux? Something tells me I failed to install Linux properly with EFI. Should I have set up partitions differently on the initial Linux install? Is there any way to rectify this? I would rather do a fresh install if it means I have to remove my other drives again - they are M2 drives on the front and back of the mobo and it would involve removing the cooler and fans.
Click to expand...
This can help

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diplomatt said:
I am trying to put together a multiboot system (macOS Big Sur, Windows 10, and Ubuntu). I have all three on separate SSDs and only had one SSD connected at a time during the installations.

First, I installed macOS with OpenCore on the macOS SSD.
Second, I installed Windows 10 at UEFI-GPT on a second SSD. Everything works fine up to then.
Third, I installed Ubuntu on a third SSD. I made the installer with Rufus and selected UEFI and GPT. I had two options for the drive format in Rufus - FAT32 and NTFS. I chose FAT32, the default. When I booted into the Linux installer, I deleted all partitions visible partitions and installed Linux on the sole partition. It appeared to install fine.

When I boot up in OpenCore, I have macOS, Windows 10, Untitled, and Reset NVRAM. "Untitled" is my Linux drive. macOS and Windows boot and operate fine.
Click to expand...
Hey diplomatt,

Hope to get some of your advice too. I am trying to do the same thing but without Ubuntu.
I've currently already got Windows 10 running perfectly fine on an NVME drive, and have a separate NVME drive that I'm reserving for Mac Big Surr. I've done the OpenCore OS installer on a USB drive waiting to be inserted.
I've got 3 other non-OS storage internal drives that have been formatted to ExFAT so I can access them through both operating systems.

Am I correct to unplug the Windows 10 NVME drive while I'm installing Mac OS? Once Mac OS is installed and running, would I be able to plug the Windows 10 NVME drive back in?
What is the process after that to ensure both operating systems work? What about being able to install updates on them as well?

Thanks in advance!
 
KrustyKrab said:
Hey diplomatt,

Hope to get some of your advice too. I am trying to do the same thing but without Ubuntu.
I've currently already got Windows 10 running perfectly fine on an NVME drive, and have a separate NVME drive that I'm reserving for Mac Big Surr. I've done the OpenCore OS installer on a USB drive waiting to be inserted.
I've got 3 other non-OS storage internal drives that have been formatted to ExFAT so I can access them through both operating systems.

Am I correct to unplug the Windows 10 NVME drive while I'm installing Mac OS? Once Mac OS is installed and running, would I be able to plug the Windows 10 NVME drive back in?
What is the process after that to ensure both operating systems work? What about being able to install updates on them as well?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
If Win10 is installed on the NVMe drive that was listed first in the default listing of boot drives in the UEFI/BIOS then it is not necessary to remove it before installing another OS on a separate NVMe drive. As long as you can tell the difference between the drives when you select a drive on which to install Mac OS so that you do not accidentally format the Win10 drive you should be all right. To ensure this you might want to boot Win10, open the explorer window, right click on the C:\ drive and select properties. Then enter a name for the drive in the box at the top of the properties window, click apply and OK then close the window. That way, in the Mac OS install screen asking you to select a drive the Win10 drive will show with the name you gave it. It will also show this name in the Disk Utility window, so if you are careful to select the non named drive to format for your Mac OS install then you will be OK.
 
KrustyKrab said:
Hey diplomatt,

Hope to get some of your advice too. I am trying to do the same thing but without Ubuntu.
I've currently already got Windows 10 running perfectly fine on an NVME drive, and have a separate NVME drive that I'm reserving for Mac Big Surr. I've done the OpenCore OS installer on a USB drive waiting to be inserted.
I've got 3 other non-OS storage internal drives that have been formatted to ExFAT so I can access them through both operating systems.

Am I correct to unplug the Windows 10 NVME drive while I'm installing Mac OS? Once Mac OS is installed and running, would I be able to plug the Windows 10 NVME drive back in?
What is the process after that to ensure both operating systems work? What about being able to install updates on them as well?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Yes you should only install with the win drive disconnected. I used this guide back a while, it worked like a champ. https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/guide-multibooting-uefi-on-separate-drives.198869/ although I didn't use linux as an option I imagine it will take you through the needed steps.
 
Going Bald said:
If Win10 is installed on the NVMe drive that was listed first in the default listing of boot drives in the UEFI/BIOS then it is not necessary to remove it before installing another OS on a separate NVMe drive. As long as you can tell the difference between the drives when you select a drive on which to install Mac OS so that you do not accidentally format the Win10 drive you should be all right. To ensure this you might want to boot Win10, open the explorer window, right click on the C:\ drive and select properties. Then enter a name for the drive in the box at the top of the properties window, click apply and OK then close the window. That way, in the Mac OS install screen asking you to select a drive the Win10 drive will show with the name you gave it. It will also show this name in the Disk Utility window, so if you are careful to select the non named drive to format for your Mac OS install then you will be OK.
Click to expand...
Just renamed the drive to "Windows 10" as per your instructions.
I thought removing the Windows drive was so that Mac OS would not completely destroy it during the install?
I think I should be able to identify it pretty easily. The Windows NVME is 500GB and the NVME I reserved for Mac is 1TB.

ThrasherOSX said:
Yes you should only install with the win drive disconnected. I used this guide back a while, it worked like a champ. https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/guide-multibooting-uefi-on-separate-drives.198869/ although I didn't use linux as an option I imagine it will take you through the needed steps.
Click to expand...
I read through the guide briefly but it seems to only mention about using Clover. Since I'm gonna have to use OC for Big Sur, would this guide still be applicable?
As per what Going Bald said, would it really be necessary to remove the Windows drive?

I bought a giant of a graphics card that sits over 2 of the NVME drives. Removing either one of them would also mean I would have to pull out my entire graphics card along with all the screws holding it in place. I'm not PC build savvy unfortunately and my first attempt barely got it working so I ended up taking it to a professional to fix up my cable management and refitting things.
I would be absolutely happy if there was a workaround of not having to unplug anything if possible!
 
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@KrustyKrab
The problem with multiple drives connected and Win10 installation is the difficulty with identifying the default 1st drive in BBS boot order. This drive is the one on which you want to install Win10. The Win10 installer has a bad habit of putting the Win10 EFI on the default 1st drive even if it is not the drive selected for the Win10 installation because Microsucks wants Win10 to be the only OS in the system. It also may do the same with the drive selected to be first in BBS boot order depending on the motherboard and UEFI implementation. With a new build it is possible, if the drives are different OEM and/or different sizes, to boot to the UEFI and determine which drive is in the default 1st BBS boot order slot and re-arrange them if needed so that the Win10-to-be drive occupies that slot. Once installed in that slot there are no further problems (at least, I have not run across any) so long as you select this drive as first in BBS boot order manually before attempting to install Win10.
 
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@Going Bald
Understood.
I actually got the Computer Tech guy to also update my Gigabyte BIOS, which gave it a whole new look (while also fixing some software issues we initially had).
I've just checked all the drives on the BIOS and it actually clearly lists the code name of each drive (eg. WDS100T3XHC). Simply googling that already gives me the answer as to which drive it is.
I'm going to attempt it now without removing any of the drives. Wish me luck!
 
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