- Joined
- Nov 25, 2011
- Messages
- 212
- Motherboard
- HP Probook 4540s
- CPU
- i5-3360m
- Graphics
- Integrated HD4000
- Mac
- Classic Mac
- Mobile Phone
All (and particularly RehabMan, who is evidently very knowledgeable)...
The question is specific to my system, but the answer will be useful to most people buying Windows laptops of any sort.
I purchased a 4540s, which as you know comes with a standard MBR partitioning scheme with 4 logical volumes (all numbers approximate):
1. 300 MB System partition, NTFS formatted, including the boot sector.
2. 674 GB Windows partition, NTFS formatted.
3. 21.5 GB Recovery partition, NTFS formatted.
4. 2 GB HP_TOOLS partition, FAT32 formatted.
I have since upgraded to Windows 8 and it is the time taken to do this, together with a desire to avoid backing up the recovery partition to disk and then reinstalling all over again which is behind my question. You may think I am lazy (I am not but am time pressured), but the issue is more acute for those who have data or many installed programs and data too.
What I would like to do is to dual boot, retaining my existing Windows. So my question is...
Is there any way that I can install ML without starting from scratch. In other words, rather than a backup and disk wipe, can I somehow move my system with minimal effort to a point where it can also have ML installed without compromise.
My understanding is that ideally a wipe would be done. The OSX install process would create a hybrid disk, as follows:
1. 200 MB EFI partition specific to OSX.
2. Whatever size is wanted for ML as a GPT.
3. The remainder to Windows as a following MBR.
In this scheme, there is no means to retain the recovery partition for Windows [which I want for the installers rather than a factory refresh ability, for obvious reasons].
I have looked at an alternative. I could shrink the existing Windows volume by 60 GB to accommodate what I believe will be more than enough for ML into the future (I have already done this in anticipation of a solution which accommodates my wishes, as it was easy to do). I could easily with a number of utilities shuffle Windows along and leave a gap for OSX. I could use a freeware utility (GDisk) to convert any number logical volumes to GPT type, but I do not know where this would leave the existing recovery and HP_TOOLS directory. It also does not deal with the requirement for a leading OSX EFI partition.
So my question is, is there a strategy anyone could propose that would avoid a reinstall, keep my recovery and HP_TOOLS as usable (by which I mean seen from Windows and the BIOS)?
If the answer is a reasoned and resounding no, is there a way I could wipe and somehow (by backing up to another drive) retain the recovery & HP_TOOLS directories after they have been copied back on to the 750 MB laptop drive?
Hoping someone is kind enough (and knowledgeable enough to help).
Thanks.
The question is specific to my system, but the answer will be useful to most people buying Windows laptops of any sort.
I purchased a 4540s, which as you know comes with a standard MBR partitioning scheme with 4 logical volumes (all numbers approximate):
1. 300 MB System partition, NTFS formatted, including the boot sector.
2. 674 GB Windows partition, NTFS formatted.
3. 21.5 GB Recovery partition, NTFS formatted.
4. 2 GB HP_TOOLS partition, FAT32 formatted.
I have since upgraded to Windows 8 and it is the time taken to do this, together with a desire to avoid backing up the recovery partition to disk and then reinstalling all over again which is behind my question. You may think I am lazy (I am not but am time pressured), but the issue is more acute for those who have data or many installed programs and data too.
What I would like to do is to dual boot, retaining my existing Windows. So my question is...
Is there any way that I can install ML without starting from scratch. In other words, rather than a backup and disk wipe, can I somehow move my system with minimal effort to a point where it can also have ML installed without compromise.
My understanding is that ideally a wipe would be done. The OSX install process would create a hybrid disk, as follows:
1. 200 MB EFI partition specific to OSX.
2. Whatever size is wanted for ML as a GPT.
3. The remainder to Windows as a following MBR.
In this scheme, there is no means to retain the recovery partition for Windows [which I want for the installers rather than a factory refresh ability, for obvious reasons].
I have looked at an alternative. I could shrink the existing Windows volume by 60 GB to accommodate what I believe will be more than enough for ML into the future (I have already done this in anticipation of a solution which accommodates my wishes, as it was easy to do). I could easily with a number of utilities shuffle Windows along and leave a gap for OSX. I could use a freeware utility (GDisk) to convert any number logical volumes to GPT type, but I do not know where this would leave the existing recovery and HP_TOOLS directory. It also does not deal with the requirement for a leading OSX EFI partition.
So my question is, is there a strategy anyone could propose that would avoid a reinstall, keep my recovery and HP_TOOLS as usable (by which I mean seen from Windows and the BIOS)?
If the answer is a reasoned and resounding no, is there a way I could wipe and somehow (by backing up to another drive) retain the recovery & HP_TOOLS directories after they have been copied back on to the 750 MB laptop drive?
Hoping someone is kind enough (and knowledgeable enough to help).
Thanks.