Windows 8 + OS X (10.8) on the same single SSD

[cpourca]

Hi

Sorry if this question has been asked and answered already or explained in some tutorial already somewhere. I couldn't find it.

I used to have 2 separate HDDs, the first one (MBR) had Windows 8 installed on it, the second HDD (GPT) had several versions of OS X on it. The bootloader (I guess it was Chimera - or maybe Chameleon?), that was installed automatically on the second HDD when I ran Multibeast, recognized all the systems (OS X and Windows) on both HDDs. Everything worked perfectly.

Now I would like to buy a 256G SSD, and install both systems (OS X and Windows) on it.
I am planning to format the SSD as a GPT drive, and have 2 partitions of the same size on it (one for Windows, the other one for Mountain Lion).

Windows 8 definitely supports GPT, and can boot from it, however I am not sure if Chimera will be able to boot both systems.

I found scary stories that Chameleon (Chimera?) can't boot Windows from GPT, only from MBR. So now I am thinking to get two 128G SSD's, which are less preferable: Not only 2 SSDs cost more than a single SSD twice as large, but also 2 smaller SSD's are much less convenient when the time of upgrade comes.

So is it possible to install 2 systems on a single GPT drive without problems nowadays?
Thanks.

 

[RehabMan]

Hi

Sorry if this question has been asked and answered already or explained in some tutorial already somewhere. I couldn't find it.

I used to have 2 separate HDDs, the first one (MBR) had Windows 8 installed on it, the second HDD (GPT) had several versions of OS X on it. The bootloader (I guess it was Chimera - or maybe Chameleon?), that was installed automatically on the second HDD when I ran Multibeast, recognized all the systems (OS X and Windows) on both HDDs. Everything worked perfectly.

Now I would like to buy a 256G SSD, and install both systems (OS X and Windows) on it.
I am planning to format the SSD as a GPT drive, and have 2 partitions of the same size on it (one for Windows, the other one for Mountain Lion).

So far, so good...

Windows 8 definitely supports GPT, and can boot from it, however I am not sure if Chimera will be able to boot both systems.

Windows supports GPT only for UEFI boot. Chimera does not support booting Windows in UEFI mode.

I found scary stories that Chameleon (Chimera?) can't boot Windows from GPT, only from MBR. So now I am thinking to get two 128G SSD's, which are less preferable: Not only 2 SSDs cost more than a single SSD twice as large, but also 2 smaller SSD's are much less convenient when the time of upgrade comes.

So is it possible to install 2 systems on a single GPT drive without problems nowadays?
Thanks.

You can. Just use Disk Utility to create the partitions (use GPT). Use MS-DOS for the Windows partition. Boot the Windows install media in non-UEFI mode (BIOS/Legacy -- disable UEFI in BIOS if possible). Then, install Windows to the MS-DOS partition by formatting it to NTFS in the Windows installer (you will need to do custom install).

What you end up with is a GPT/MBR hybrid. Just like a boot-camped Mac. And this means you should never edit the partitions in Windows as you're editing only the MBR side, not the GPT side.

 

[cpourca]

Thanks!

 

[cpourca]

What you end up with is a GPT/MBR hybrid. Just like a boot-camped Mac. And this means you should never edit the partitions in Windows as you're editing only the MBR side, not the GPT side.

RehabMan,
If my MoBo is z77-ud5h, which only has UEFI (but no BIOS), will there any problems?

 

[cpourca]

I mean, my MoBo Z77-DS3H. Will it give any problems?

 

[RehabMan]

RehabMan,
If my MoBo is z77-ud5h, which only has UEFI (but no BIOS), will there any problems?

While it is a UEFI-based BIOS, certainly it still has a way to boot media in non-UEFI mode.

I can't imagine any board providing only UEFI boot. Legacy/BIOS mode is still a requirement for today's software (or even yesterday's software -- consider Windows XP).

 

[cpourca]

thanks, I'm buying this SSD then

 

[Koston]

thanks, I'm buying this SSD then

I have it working.

After many tries the way i used to get it working is patching the osx installation usb to let me install on mbr. There are many tutorials of how to do this, you only have to change two files. The steps i used to get it working were this:

1: boot from osx install usb (10.8.2, unibeast, mbr mod) and create partitions (on MBR), the first partitiom for osx and the second for windows formating it to fat

2: install windows 8, re-format the fat partition to ntfs and install (maybe windows installer dont let you install to this partition and don't say why, it happent to me, after a reboot it let me install).

3: install osx


NOW i explain in spanish, (maybe you understand better if you use google translate from here instead of reading my english)

Lo tengo funcionando en mi equipo.

Lo que hice fue parchear el usb de instalación de OSX para que me permitiera instalar osx en mbr. Hay tutoriales que explican como hacerlo, es muy facil, solo hay que cambiar dos archivos.

1: arranco el usb de instalación de osx y creo particiones bajo tabla MBR. La primera particion la dejo para mac y la segunda para windows en formtato fat 32.

2 instalo windows, reformateo la particion fat32 a ntfa e instalo. Puede que no deje instalar en esa particion sin explicar por qué motivo, me ha pasado una vez, tras un reinicio me ha dejado sin problemas.

3 instalo osx en la particion de osx.

 

[ricperry1]

Now that ML 10.8.3 update has support for Windows 8 in Boot Camp, has anyone attempted a Boot Camp install of Windows 8 using GPT+UEFI?

 

[RehabMan]

Now that ML 10.8.3 update has support for Windows 8 in Boot Camp, has anyone attempted a Boot Camp install of Windows 8 using GPT+UEFI?

There is no need for Boot Camp on PCs.