UEFI or Legacy for Win7 boot with Sierra UEFI install.

[Boead]

One of my Sierra builds is using UEFI, its an older i7 3GHz on a Giga P8Q77-M/CSM mainboard.
This board has UEFI body option set to both (it has that option!)
Sierra is running for weeks and I want to add a new hard drive and install Windows7 Pro.

Is it best to install Win7 UEFI (i can do it, its not that difficult) or just keep it legacy?????
I want Windows for Games only. I don't mind having to chose F12 too change boot drives. Although with Clover UEFI bootloader a Win-UEFI would just show up there. Makes no difference really.

In a newer build I have on a newer Z170 board boot options are Either UEFI or Legacy Requiring Windows to be UEFI. I have NOT installed Windows to that build and may want to down the road.



On this boards (P8Q77-M/CSM) BIOS:

SATA Mode Selection [AHCI]

2.7.6 UEFI/Legacy Boot [Enabled both UEFI and Legacy]
[Enable both UEFI and Legacy] Enables both UEFI and Legacy boot.
[Disable UEFI] Enables the Legacy boot, and disables the UEFI boot. [Disable Legacy] Enables the UEFI boot, and disables the Legacy boot.

 

[P1LGRIM]

Moved to Multi Booting.

 

[Boead]

Moved to Multi Booting.

Thank you. My mistake.

I really want peoples opinions.

Is it best to install Win7 UEFI along with Sierra UEFI or just keep Windows legacy?

My 18 yo son with be using the Win7 boot drive for games. I don't want the Sierra Drive or system disrupted or damaged because of something stupid and for no good reason.

Thanks!!

 

[Boead]

Installing a UEFI Win install USB

 

[Going Bald]

Thank you. My mistake.

I really want peoples opinions.

Is it best to install Win7 UEFI along with Sierra UEFI or just keep Windows legacy?

My 18 yo son with be using the Win7 boot drive for games. I don't want the Sierra Drive or system disrupted or damaged because of something stupid and for no good reason.

Thanks!!

If you want to be able to boot Win7 from the Clover boot loader then you must install it UEFI. If you are really concerned with system damage or corruption, get a hotswap tray and install it in an unused optical drive bay - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00856XFUS/?tag=tonymacx86com-20 or one of its variations. It is what I have been using since they came out with them. Using one of these, you don't care if Clover is not compatible with booting another OS - you remove the OS X drive, insert the Win7 drive and boot - and vice versa. No possible chance to damage either system with the other.
If you have no optical drive bay, then use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002MWDRD6/?tag=tonymacx86com-20

 

[Boead]

Very good idea.
Ive used something like that in the past.

I ended up putting a 500 GB SSD drive in. Its a HT case with limited space. Only 1 large bay that has a BluRay drive in it.
I disconnected all other drives before installing Win7 from a USB drive. Very fast install!!
The mainboard has the option of boot method being UEFI or Legacy so it was easy.

After Win7 pro installed and updated I reconnected all the drives.
By default this machine boots to Windows7 for my son who plays Video Games.
Then using the F12 key its easy to boot into OS X Sierra.

Easy and clean.

I choose to use NTFS/MBR for the 2 storage drives for convenience with the WinOS but there is a distinctive loss in performance with that drive format. I use Textera to Read/Write NTFS.
Not a big deal however.

Great system. i7 Sandy OC's to 3.8 easily!
GT 740, 16Gb RAM, (2) 500GB SSD (one of each OS), a 2TB and a 4TB storage drives and a 1TB drive for CCC.

Thank you again guys.