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Two harddisk and WIN+OSX

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glengoyne17

glengoyne17

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Aug 25, 2010
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Motherboard
HP 4530s
CPU
i3 2310
Graphics
Intel HD3000
Mac
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Classic Mac
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Mobile Phone
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Having played around with my 4530s I still want to keep windows on it. I will probably use that more. What I want to do is this:

1. Main harddisk: replace with 128GB SSD: install windows 7
2. Put my default 320GB in DVD tray. Install Mac osx on 100GB partition and leave a 220GB partition that windows can access as 128GB is not enough there (but for my docs I dont need SSD)

Just wanted to check beforehand what is the best way to do this. Win 7 on ssd is easy, but should I just install Mac on 320GB and can I later resize partition and create a new one that windows can still see, or would I have to do something at the installation of MacOsX? I know I mst format GUID and afraid windows will never see that so perhaps this is not feasible.
 
That is no problem at all, I am doing this.

What I did was to install Windows first. I actually got hold of the HP recovery discs and wiped all partitions of my original hdd. I used the original 500 GB hdd to install OS X. I used another hdd mounted in the "upgrade Bay" (CD ROM bay) as I removed the CD rom device and insert a hdd caddy with the new/2nd hdd.

So, DISCONNECT your main hdd. That is the original. So open the back of the laptop and unscrew 4 screws and remove the hdd.
With the 2nd (but now only) hdd in the upgrade bay/hdd caddy, install windows either via an external DVD reader (for which you only need the ext case (make sure it fits 12.7mm!!)) as I did, or install your 2nd hdd in the original bay in the laptop and use the original DVD reader... up to you. Important is that the OS X hdd (still empty) is NOT in the laptop!
Now, when finished installing Windows, let it update itself to SP1, reload your drivers from the 2nd CD etc etc... install whatever, but I figure the important bit is to get over the SP1 part.

Now with that done, install the Win7 hdd in the upgrade bay, and your OS X hdd in the main bay in the laptop (under the cover). When the system boots hit ESC and F10 to enter the BIOS, make sure, that you now boot from USB floppy or USB CD etc first.
The next item must be the main bay hdd, and NOT the upgrade bay. In the end you can remove the USB as first option, but still your main hdd must be the first to boot.

Then boot and install OS X. That process can be read elsewhere in this forum.

Now when all done, you can either boot to the main hdd, and hit a key in the initial boot panel with the countdown process, to switch to Win7, or, like I prefer, I have the BIOS setup to show me the bootable drives, and I can choose (or do nothing) OS X from the main bay, or select the down arrow to select the upgrade bay to boot win7.

Remember: disconnect the OS X drive when installing windows. Probably best to disconnect the windows hdd when installing OS X but don't think it is really necessary.

And always have the OS X hdd as first boot option.

Works fine with me! :headbang:
 
Thanks! I already followed your footsteps and ordered the same dvd casing and HDD bay. Took some strength and broke of a small part of dvd tray but it worked in the end.

Just to be sure, you have OSX on 500GB harddisk, can windows see that drive or a partition on that drive? I need shared storage between the two os-es. It will be mainly for windows, could be ntfs if OSX can just read from it to grab some files.
 
Windows cannot see Mac (hfs+) partitions, but OSX sees Windows (NTFS) partitions, to write data on them you need some software like Ntfs 3G or other Mac NTFS Driver.

The best idea is to have 2 Ntfs partitions, Windows, and data one, because NTFS Drivers for mac can damage file system a little, and Windows will have to take care of that sometimes with it's automatic check disk.
 
So what I want can't be done. I can't have a larger harddisk with a Mac OS partition on it and make a second partition on it that windows can also see and use?
 
Right.

At least not on GPT GUID. On MBR you could, at least I read it can be done. If I remember well you need to install OSX on GUID/GPT first. Then use CCC Carbon copy cloner, to copy the partition to a MBR partition. Not sure how you would boot it except by using a CD or USB stick.

The other method would be that at some point all these OS's work under UEFI. And we'd get a UEFI bootloader that supports that. There is a post on the board about that but seems no joy yet.

But don't worry. From what I have seen, Windows 7 is the last major update ha ha ha!!!!
You can forget 8. I'd slowly deprecate windows :eek:
 
Thanks, then I'm better off buying a hybrid moments xt, install windows there, have lots of room and have mac os on my small sad, it can access those files on windows.

Just double-checking as I'm still not sure I fully understand, it is possible to Dualboot mac and windows on 1 hard disk right? I read you must install mac os first then win7. So then why exactly wouldn't this work:

Hdd1 320GB:Mac os and win7 with win7 empty (install it and then delete win7 os files)
Hdd2 128GB sad with win 7 on it and running. Store docs on the other win7 drive

Select in bios to boot from one or other, 1st boots maces second boots windows?

Sorry to drag this topic, just trying to really understand.
 
While concept is the same actual setup is slightly different here. Upgraded to 8GB RAM + 128 GB SSD in main bay with original HDD put in the expansion bay. Deleted unnecessary partitions on original HDD then formatted to exFAT so OsX can see it for storage (500GB). Installed OsX to SSD, made it as default boot device in BIOS.
Win7 can be selected on boot via Esc+F9 route when needed.
Works really well.
 
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