The boot sequence in Windows 7 when using a boot sector loader is as follows: Windows 7/Vista boot manager (bootmgr) can boot any non-Windows OS using a boot sector loader. This concept works only on computer systems with MBR disks and BIOS hardware.Ĭomputer systems equipped with EFI and GPT disks use a different booting mechanism. To dual boot an UNIX/Linux based operating system with Windows 7 boot manager a so called "boot sector loader" is needed. Create Boot Sector Loader for dual booting UNIX/Linux based operating system (OS)
See - How to repair Windows 7/8 booting.Ģ.
You do not have to reinstall Windows 7/8 if you can no longer boot to it (if you made a mistake and destroyed Windows MBR for example) - you can repair the booting of Windows 7/8 using Windows 7/8 installation/recovery media. You can always reinstall Linux/Unix loader to PBR (a single command like "grub-install /dev/sda3" in Ubuntu/Fedora installs GRUB2 boot sector to partition 3).
DO NOT SELECT MBR or your normal Windows 7/8 booting will be gone ! Usually there is a choice during installation where to put the boot loader. The best place for installing the (first stage of ) loader for a non-Windows OS is the partition boot record (PBR) - first sector of partition chosen for OS installation.
Where to install the "foreign" boot loader This way you don't need a boot sector loader and have a robust dual-booting over BIOS boot device selection !ġ. (Separate installation method: You install one OS to its own disk and during installation only one disk is attached to the system). If you have two disks available for installation it is best to use completely separate installation of every OS to its own disk and dual-boot over one time boot device selection key in BIOS. Linux descendants can be installed to logical partitions. Unix BSD descendants need a primary partition. We assume installing to one disk and separate partitions. So you need at least two (or more) partitions for installing two OSs. Windows 7/8 boot manager will be in control of the booting after installation.Įvery OS be it Windows or not takes at least one partition for installation. If you install Windows 7/8 as second OS there is no problem. Then you install a second non-Windows OS. This guide assumes you have an installed and running Windows 7 or Windows 8.