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dual boot two isolated windows 7 OS'es

dual boot boot loader usb isolated os

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#1 jasonphl

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Posted 03 November 2017 - 04:10 AM

Hi,

I had the chance to stumble to this great site by looking for a solution to my current OS setup. I tried to look around around since yesterday, but it seems that there is no topic for the idea that I had in mind. 

To start, here is my current dual windows 7 os setup.

 

DISK 0 - windows 7 (bcd- only 1 os installed, DISK 1 is set to offline)

DISK 1 - windows 7 (bcd- only 1 os installed as well, DISK 0 is set to offline)

 

1. disk 0 and disk 1 have their own bcd and does not see each other. 

2. during boot, the disk 0 is set to boot by default. i have to press F8 (boot override) if i want to boot to disk 1.

 

problem: it gets tiresome pretty quickly if i have to reboot to disk 1 several times. if i missed the small window to press the boot override key, i have to restart again and wait for that window again. or spam the override key just to make sure. 

 

my ideas for a work-around: 

1. create a USB key with a bootloader that will boot a specified disk. ex: if usb is not plugged in, it will boot the primary disk (disk 0). but if usb is plugged in, it will boot secondary disk (disk 1).

 

2. while inside the OS of DISK 1, set DISK 0 to online - edit bcd info of DISK 0 to add bcd info of DISK 1 and set it as one-time primary boot, set DISK 0 offline again, then reboot and hope that it will boot itself back to DISK 1.

all with a batch file. 

 

edit: 

3. last resort would be installing a hardware - a hard drive power switch. 

 

 

any of the two ideas seems possible? can someone point me to the right direction?

TIA


Edited by jasonphl, 03 November 2017 - 04:16 AM.


#2 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 03 November 2017 - 09:51 AM

Easiest would be to add to the BCD on your first disk (disk 0) a provision to boot your second hard disk instead.

 

Typically you would add to the BCD an entry for grub4dos (assuming that the computer is booting via BIOS, if it is EFI another bootloader will be needed, such as GRUB2).

But of course you can have a USB stick with a bootloader that can do the same, allowing you to choose the one or the other disk or - as you imagined - to boot the second instance only.

 

Example menu.lst:

 

title First Windows 7

root (hd0,0)

chainloader /bootmgr

 

title Second Windows 7

root (hd1,0)

chainloader /bootmgr

 

or (it depends on how your F8 override behaves):

 

title First Windows 7

root (hd0,0)

chainloader /bootmgr

 

title Second Windows 7

map (hd0) (hd1)

map (hd1) (hd0)

map --hook

root (hd0,0)

chainloader /bootmgr

 

:duff:

Wonko



#3 jasonphl

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Posted 05 November 2017 - 08:27 AM

Hi Wonko the Sane,

Ive done it! Thanks to you. While other people at the other website said that it could not be done. 

 

Just for the record, these are what I did. **used a gui tool instead of the command line

 

1. I downloaded the RMPrepUSB to prepare the usb flash drive.

  - Choose a drive, set the Booloader Options to BOOTMGR, set the Filesystem and Overrides to edit:exFAT (or whatever you prefer), and clicked the Prepare Drive. (this will erase the drive). Finish the task

   - Click the Install grub4dos button, choose MBR, and finish the task. Click yes when asked to copy the grldr file. 

   - You may test the prepared USB by clicking the Test using QEMU Emulator button. Use default values if asked. 

   - Close RMPrepUSB if the usb booted as it should. 

2. Open Explorer and navigate to your prepared USB drive. Make a file named menu.lst and add the lines as Wonko the Sane mentioned above. For me, I added these lines to automatically boot to my DISK 2 OS given the bios boot order is usb, disk 1, then disk 2:

 

edit:

timeout 0
default 1
 
title Windows 7 for work
root (hd2,0)
chainloader /bootmgr
 

 

root (hd1,0) is the Disk 1

root (hd2,0) is the Disk 2

 

Since I am primarily booting with the USB drive, it now became the root (hd0,0).

 

I now have a "key" for quick booting to the secondary OS. Thanks again Wonko the Sane, thanks reboot.pro


Edited by jasonphl, 05 November 2017 - 08:40 AM.


#4 jasonphl

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Posted 05 November 2017 - 09:50 AM

Hi again,

So this was only a "half happy" thing. My joy didnt last long. 

 

The usb bootloader was all fine, the new problem now is how the EFI boot order handling. It seems that it removes the usb boot priority entry whenever i remove the usb disk itself and adds it back to the bottom of the list once it detects that it has been plugged back in. Tried it several times, with several "theory fixes," but nothing worked. 

 

Any ideas on a work around for this?

 

 

edit: it is just now that i found the different of bios and efi. *sigh* long night ahead


Edited by jasonphl, 05 November 2017 - 10:02 AM.


#5 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 05 November 2017 - 11:42 AM

If it is EFI, you will need GRUB2 (or another EFI compatible bootloader).

 

The approach is only slightly more complex, see here for to good examples:

https://forums.opens...oot-loader-menu

https://caedesnotes....ows-7-via-uefi/

 

The one with (hd0,gpt1) has a volume "hardcoded" and it is more prone to "issues" if device order is changed, the second one with the UUID is "safer" or "better" as it "hooks" to the actual volume, no matter on which disk is it or if the disk order is changed.

 

Please take note that both disk and volume are 0 indexed in grub4dos (and in GRUB "legacy") whilst in GRUB2 the disk remains 0 indexed, whilst partitions are 1 indexed.

I.e. first disk, first partition is (hd0,0) in grub4dos and (hd0,1) in GRUB2 actually either (hd0, msdos1) or (hd0,gpt1).

 

What you need to find out is whether you actually are using the CSM in the UEFI (the Compatibility Support Module, please read as BIOS) or if you areactually booting in pure UEFI mode.

 

This can be checked from within the booted Windows 7(s):
https://www.easyuefi...-uefi-mode.html

 

If the grub4dos worked for you (i.e. it loaded) then you are not booting in UEFI mode (but rather in CSM), this is what is confusing in your report :dubbio:.

 

You can use anyway an UUID based approach in grub4dos, replacing the "hardcoded"

root (hd0,0)

with

find --set-root () <UUID>

if you are booting in BIOS/CSM, example:

http://reboot.pro/to...d-in-this-code/

 

 

 

:duff:

Wonko



#6 jasonphl

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Posted 05 November 2017 - 06:11 PM

Hi,

Thanks for the response WtS, 

Im just learning the more about the EFI. So I hope Id make sense to you.

 

What you need to find out is whether you actually are using the CSM in the UEFI (the Compatibility Support Module, please read as BIOS) or if you areactually booting in pure UEFI mode.

- From Setup, the CSM is enabled. I disabled it once, and my two internal drives were not detected nor any of the bootable flash drives. I turned it back on, and everything went back to normal (disk 1, 2, and usb drives were detected again). So i guess I needed that to boot to Windows 7 with my disk drives. 

 

This can be checked from within the booted Windows 7(s): https://www.easyuefi...-uefi-mode.html

- I did not find any information with methods 1 and 2, but I was able to do method 3 and got the UEFI only error. 

 

If the grub4dos worked for you (i.e. it loaded) then you are not booting in UEFI mode (but rather in CSM), this is what is confusing in your report.

- I guess Im on CSM based on the findings mentioned above. The grub4dos and menu.lst works fine after I set the USB flash drive as my boot priority. But as soon as I remove my USB flash drive, boot once (without the flash disk), reinsert it back again, rebooted, and continues to boot to Disk 1 as supposed to Disk 2. The problem was that the CSM or EFI of my motherboard is handling the boot order by itself and not as per user specified as shown below:

 

While the USB drive is inserted, I go to setup and set boot order.

1. USB

2. Disk 1

3. Disk 2

This will work fine. As long as I keep the USB drive inserted.

Once I remove the USB drive, boot once, then reinsert it back again, this will happen.

1. Disk 1

2. Disk 2

3. USB

 

Hence, defeating the purpose of a USB bootloader's task to boot Disk 2 automatically. Im pretty sure that this is a bad implementation of CSM/EFI from my board's manufacturer. But Id like to dig a little more if there's a work around for this kind of problem. 


Edited by jasonphl, 05 November 2017 - 06:15 PM.


#7 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 05 November 2017 - 08:53 PM

OK :).

So you are using CSM (which is BIOS, forget anything about UEFI).

 

Till now you have done two things (basically):

1) set a root (by issueing the "root (hd2,0)" command)

2) chainload a bootmgr in the root of the established root (by issuing the "chainloader /bootmgr" command)

 

In step 1) above you used a "hardcoded" path, the "(hd2,0)", if instead you use a method that allows you to establish the root based on the contents of the partition, you are good to go.

There are mainly two methods:

a. Simple, using a "tag" file, so you put in the same root where the bootmgr is a file - like Windows7_1.tag or Windows7_2.tag - and use a command:

find --set-root /Windows7_1.tag

b. you use a UUID see my previous post and given links:

find --set-root () <UUID>

 

Method a. above is prone to errors (you may delete the tag file or have two partitions with a same named file, etc.), method b. is more accurate and it will woirk flawlessly until you re-format the partition where the bootmgr resides (or however mingle with the partition or its bootsector).

 

:duff:

Wonko



#8 alacran

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Posted 06 November 2017 - 06:13 AM

And Why not just add boot.ini, on first drive boot partition?, (asuming you have Boot and OS partitions).
 

And you can put grldr and menu.lst on first drive Windows partition to easily edit it from Windows

 

Copy and save as boot.ini

Spoiler


Then USB stick is not required anymore and there will be no problem related to remove and reinsert it.

alacran



#9 alacran

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Posted 06 November 2017 - 08:30 AM

Another easy way as Wonko sugested in he's first answer in post #2: add an entry in BCD of your first disk to directly boot OS on your second disk.

 

You run OS on first disk then may use BootIce to edit your current BCD (easy way) to add an entry to boot OS on the required partition on second HD, also you can select waiting time for selection (I use 3 to 5 seconds), before the default is loaded.

 

alacran



#10 jasonphl

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Posted 06 November 2017 - 08:31 AM

Hi Alacran, 

As far as I have done my reading the past few nights, I think Windows 7 does not have "boot.ini" anymore and uses BCD file.

 

My project is I have two similar OS (Windows 7) on two seperate disks with their own BCD's so they can boot independently. While I can always use the firmware/CMS boot override to boot to my secondary OS (Disk 2), it gets tiring pretty quickly if I have to restart from Disk 2 and boot to the same disk again several times. I can change the boot order manually to prioritize Disk 2 via firmware Setup (aka bios), but there is a high probability that I will forget to change it back to boot priority to Disk 1. Imagine the hassle. 

 

Why do I have to have it set to Disk 1 priority at all times? Because of another user. We share Disk 1 OS for games, and other computer related stuff. She's not a techie, so she couldnt spot an obvious malware at first sight. Disk 2 is for my work related stuff which I do not want to get infected by Disk 1 if there are any. So I set the both disks not to see each other by setting them offline. Well, thats the best I can think of doing without the hassle of hardwares (https://forums.malwa...-offline-disks/). 

 

Now, back to the project of having a "USB key" to boot automatically to Disk 2. 

 
Hi WtS,
While I understand the importance of the UUID, what I did was not touch the bootmgr of both installation of windows (Disk 1 and 2). 
I just used a USB drive, format it with grub4dos, add a menu.lst to point which Disk to boot, and thats it. I did not touch the Disk 1 (primary) boot manager/loader. 
But it was quickly defeated by the fact that the CMS of my motherboard deletes the user entry for boot order if it does not find any USB device on boot and removes it as primary boot. That was the only thing that I was holding on to pull the idea off. But since I cannot do anything about how the firmware handles the booting order, Ill have to find a new way. 
 
Now, with the idea of installing GRUB4DOS to my primary disk (Disk 1). Id like to clarify few things as I have tried to make this work through BCD and window boot manager alone.. and failed.
 
After grldr.mbr is loaded by Disk 1 BCD, will it be able to recognize the location of Disk 2 if it is set as OFFLINE in Disk Management within Disk 1 OS?
I have tried with Disk 1 BCD to add a new entry for USB that has the bootmgr and bcd of Disk 2, but it failed to locate the Disk 2 windows os. So I assumed that once I have booted into disk 1 menu list, im afraid it will not find Disk 2 as it is set to offline in disk management. Or "unmounted" in linux term. 
 
Update: 
I have setup the grldr.mbr, menu.lst and BCD with Disk 1. I included Disk 2 in the menu.lst (i used the root command temporarily just to see if it works). It went good. 
I am now having trouble of pointing the Disk 1 BCD to the USB bootloader so that it wil load the Disk 2 OS. If usb is not found, it will continue to boot to Disk 1. 
Will update again once I get it to work.

Edited by jasonphl, 06 November 2017 - 09:16 AM.


#11 alacran

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Posted 06 November 2017 - 08:54 AM

Yes 7 do not have boot.ini anymore.

I am suggesting to make and put one to call grub4dos so you will not make any changes on BCD, just try it and you will see a new entry named grub4dos when booting, same as it is in boot.ini

This trick is very well known in this forum, it was Cdov finding long time ago.

 

I'm sure you spended more time writing your last post than if you were tryed my suggestion.

 

alacran

 

EDIT: Also see Post # 9 to select OS (Disk) directly from BCD in the easiest way



#12 jasonphl

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Posted 06 November 2017 - 09:51 AM

Hi alacran,

While I did not understood your message before due to a noob reading all different kinds of jargons, I tried your suggestion and got an error.

 

This is how I did it (i restored the BCD first to default):

1. made a boot.ini file with the lines you have mentioned in the System Reserved parition (where the Boot folder and bootmgr file are located).

[boot loader]
timeout=5

[operating systems]
C:\grldr="grub4dos" 

2. i copied the "grldr" and "menu.lst" files to C:\ (where the Windows folder is located).

3. i rebooted the computer and got an error upon choosing "grub4dos" entry. it was file missing, maybe? Ill have to look at it again.

edit: Windows failed to start - file: \grldr - status: 0xc000000f - The selected entry could not be loaded because the application is missing or corrupt.

 

On the other hand, 

I got the UUID of the Disk 1 and Disk 2 while I was in the menu list. I got them by using the command "UUID" in the command line. But the problem is, I could not find the USB. It was inserted while I was doing the command. So maybe grub4dos could not see the usb drive? If it cant, this plan will fail as well.

 

 

Im sorry alacran if I might misunderstand your suggestions. But as my noob head understand it, your suggestion is to add Disk 2 as menu entry with Disk 1? 

Windows Boot Manager

--------------------------------

Windows 7 (disk 1) - points directly to hd(0,0)

Windows 7 (disk 2) - points directly to hd(1,0)

Memory test

 

Without the USB option? Because the whole point of this topic is to have a USB drive, act as a key, so that I could boot directly to Windows 7 (disk2) without going through any menu list and after I remove my USB drive, it will boot back to Windows 7 (disk 1). 

 

Im grateful for your input, Im just clarifying things so that we could be on the same page. 

 

edit 2:

Here is what I am looking for:

BCD from disk 1 (boot priority)

Windows Boot Manager (default 1, timeout 0, if entry 1 is not found.. boot entry 2)

-------------------------------------------------------

USB grub4dos ----->

Windows 7 (disk 1)

 

----> USB grub4dos (default 1, timeout 0)

--------------------------------------------------------

Windows 7 (disk 2)

 

 

better yet:

CMS boot --> Boot Priority --> Disk 1 Bootloader --> if special USB drive is present, Boot Disk 2

                                                                              --> if special USB drive is not present, Boot Disk 1

 

since this one will not work due to handling of boot order priority by the motherboard firmware that keeps removing an entry if it is not found within a boot cycle:

CMS boot --> USB boot primary --> special USB bootloader set to boot DIsk 2 only --> Windows 7 Disk 2 loaded. 

                 --> Disk 1 boot secondary --> Windows 7 Disk 1 loaded. 

                 --> Disk 2 boot tertiary --> Windows 7 Disk 2 loaded. 


Edited by jasonphl, 06 November 2017 - 10:26 AM.


#13 jasonphl

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Posted 06 November 2017 - 11:00 AM

^ The edit button expired.

I got the boot.ini, grldr, and menu.lst to work. They all need to be together and placed in the root of the boot partition. 

 

To close this, grub CAN NOT see USB once it has booted in hdd. 

So this path failed as well.

 

Thanks WtS and alacran for your inputs. I learned a lot.



#14 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 06 November 2017 - 05:13 PM

The point is that if you select (or set the BIOS) to boot from USB, than the BIOS attempts to boot from the USB AND provides BIOS services for the USB device (to grub4dos or any other bootmanager/bootloader).

 

If you boot from the HD, the BIOS "bypasses" the USB and as such does not provide BIOS services.

 

Newer versions of grub4dos (of the 0.4.6a series) do include an "internal" (to grub4dos) USB stack.

 

So you boot from the HD, get to grub4dos, and from it you need to initialize this USB stack:

http://reboot.pro/to...046-usb-driver/

 

The recommended version of the 0.4.6a series is currently the 30/08/2017 release:

http://grub4dos.chen....6a-2017-08-30/

 

The issue is that while the BIOS (in your case the UEFI CSM) supports *all* motherboard USB ports, the grub4dos USB stack (at least at the moment) only supports USB 2.0 ports, so if your motherboard has BOTH USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports you must be careful and insert the USB stick in a USB 2.0 port, while - if you have a motherboard with only USB 3.0 ports - you won't be able to access the stick anyway from grub4dos, unless you boot from the USB (and thus grub4dos hooks on the BIOS services provided by the UEFI/CSM).

 

:duff:

Wonko



#15 alacran

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Posted 07 November 2017 - 01:14 AM

@ Jasonphl

 

I have the idea you are overcomplicating very simple things. And your Bios is adding extra complications when you use the USB stick, so it is better don't use it.

 

Here you have two very easy ways to do it WITHOUT USB STICK.

 

First Option using grub4dos:

 

From Post # 8

And Why not just add boot.ini, on first drive boot partition?, (asuming you have Boot and OS partitions).
 

And you can put grldr and menu.lst on first drive Windows partition to easily edit it from Windows

 

Copy and save as boot.ini

Spoiler
 

Then USB stick is not required anymore and there will be no problem related to remove and reinsert it.

 

You may use a Password on your menu.lst: (from section 5.9.5 in: http://www.rmprepusb...#TOC-Passwords)

Adding a password under each title entry will prompt the user for that password when that particular menu item is run. You can also encrypt your password. For example:
 

#the password is steve - type p and then the password to enable grub4dos menu editing - note there are two hyphens in front of md5 - i.e. --md5
password --md5 $1$5$dd0FhBSySgRc8priEU3Dg1
 
title Test password is admin1 (not encrypted)
password admin1
geometry (hd0,0)
 
title Test Password is admin, MD5 encrypted
password --md5 $1$6$ftCQWsyP7jK5sUt/JMHMi/
geometry (hd0,0)
Note that adding a password line above the first title line also has the affect of suppressing the default grub4dos menu help text at the bottom of the screen for all menu entries. Instead a slightly different one is used which adds the text 'Press P to gain privilege control'.
 
You can download the md5crypt program from here to generate your MD5 hash code for your password - run it from the Windows command shell and then cut and paste the 'password --md5 xxxxxxxxxxxx' line into your menu.lst file. You can also generate an MD5 hash code from the grub4dos command shell using the command md5crypt, but you will have to manually type the hash code into your menu file as you cannot cut and paste it from the grub4dos shell window!
 

The user enters the [p] key to gain privileged control, followed by the specified password – which in the preceding example is admin1

 

Making a little modification to your menu.lst, it may be (not encripted):


 

timeout 5
default 1
 
title Windows 7 for work
password admin1
root (hd2,0)
chainloader /bootmgr

 

Second option using only BCD (no grub4dos involved):

 

From Post # 9

 

Another easy way as Wonko sugested in he's first answer in post #2: add an entry in BCD of your first disk to directly boot OS on your second disk.

 

You run OS on first disk then may use BootIce to edit your current BCD (easy way) to add an entry to boot OS on the required partition on second HD, also you can select waiting time for selection (I use 3 to 5 seconds), before the default is loaded.

 

Again forget about the USB stick, it is not required, just put a Password to the OS on second HD.

 

As you said the other user is not an advanced user, so he/she is not going to brake it.

 

alacran



#16 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 07 November 2017 - 06:05 PM

@alacran

Please :) , be NOT like the people on half the internet boards :realmad: .

 

If the OP wants to use a USB stick as "authentication method" (which is perfectly possible), let him have it :thumbup: .

 

You may find using a password "better", and you may not "like" the idea of the USB stick, but the idea in itself it is NOT blatantly absurd[1], and it can be done just fine.

 

 

:duff:

Wonko

 

[1] if the idea had been actually blatantly absurd, then you may well have some reasons to SHOUT AT HIM, but otherwise this is totally gratuitious:

 

 

Again forget about the USB stick, it is not required, just put a Password to the OS on second HD.

 

 

you are only suggesting an altenative, and - while at it - not really a perfectly equivalent one.



#17 jasonphl

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Posted 07 November 2017 - 06:45 PM

Hi WtS and alacran, 

While I understand alacran's point, it is different from what I wanted to achieve. 

 

I have already set a Windows password to the Disk 2 OS. So this project or idea is not about security. It is about efficiency, given the current boot setup. 

 

 

I found a compromise / half-happy solution for this. I kept the USB drive with grub4dos that points to Disk 2 OS, set at timeout 0 so that it would boot automatically. 

I'll just have to go to the firmware Setup/BIOS to set the USB as primary boot, and keep the usb inserted until I finish my work. So whenever I restart, it will always boot at Disk 2 as long as I keep the usb plugged in. No need to keep pressing the boot override key. 

And when Im done, Ill just unplug my usb drive, and it will boot normally again to Disk 1 without going back to Setup/BIOS. No worries of forgetting to set boot priority back to Disk 1. 

I just need repeat the step of setting the usb as boot priority whenever I will be using Disk 2 OS again. Yet I can still boot to Disk 2 with or without the usb drive as long as I press the boot override key. 

Half-happy!  

 

Four goals were achieved:

1. To keep the Disk 1 boot priority over Disk 2 without interchanging them every now and then. 

2. To find a solution to the rampant need of pressing the boot override key when ever I restart the computer MULTIPLE TIMES from Disk 2 and boot back to Disk 2.

3. Keep the isolation of both disk drives (Disk 1 and 2). 

4. Keep the BCD on both disks, untouched. 

 

PS: I mentioned "key" in one or two of my posts. Maybe that was the part that got confusing. I used the word key as a to identify the purpose of the boot without actually telling it what to do. In this case, without pressing the boot override key. Im sorry for that.

 

 

Thanks to the both of you, I learned new things. :)


Edited by jasonphl, 07 November 2017 - 07:21 PM.


#18 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 07 November 2017 - 08:05 PM

Good.  :)

 

What is "queer" (but it probably is the stupid UEFI of your computer) on normal BIOSes you can normally set a "boot priority" like:

1) USB devices

2) CD (or DVD)-ROM

3) Internal Hard disk #1

 

that can be set once and for all, and if no media is found in the first two items in the list proceeds to boot the internal hard disk.

 

Seemingly,from what you reported this is not possible on your PC? :unsure:

 

Now, what would happen if you set the BIOS to always boot from Disk1, and on it you boot (optionally, i.e. as an entry in boot.ini that gets added to the "normal" Windows 7 boot menu) to grub4dos and you have a menu.lst that:

1) initializes the USB stack of grub4dos

2) looks for a (given) USB stick

3) if the given USB stick is found it chainloads the Disk 2 and if it doesn't find it proceeds to boot the Disk 1 anyway?

 

:dubbio:

 

:duff:

Wonko



#19 jasonphl

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Posted 07 November 2017 - 08:39 PM

Hi WtS,

Exactly! On "normal" BIOS'es, when a user specified the boot order, and saves it, it sticks there until it is set back to default or a BIOS hard reset is done. But not with this board (ASUS). This was the odd behavior of my motherboard's firmware as reported in one or two of my posts. Is this not the case with any other else's UEFI motherboards?

 

In BIOS, I set boot order:

1. USB 

2. Disk 1

3. Disk 2

Save and Reboot.

As long as the USB drive is inserted, the boot order will remain. BUT, as soon as I remove my USB drive, reboot once, the usb entry in bios is removed automatically. And when I reinsert the usb drive, enter BIOS again, this what will greet me...

1. Disk 1

2. Disk 2

3. USB

 

I also saw a topic from another website with the same idea and problem. https://superuser.co...863734_1265645]

 

So what was supposed to be a quick USB grub4dos prep, with correct menu.lst.... became a nightmare because of my motherboard's firmware boot order way of handling. 

Now, what would happen if you set the BIOS to always boot from Disk1, and on it you boot (optionally, i.e. as an entry in boot.ini that gets added to the "normal" Windows 7 boot menu) to grub4dos and you have a menu.lst that:
1) initializes the USB stack of grub4dos
2) looks for a (given) USB stick
3) if the given USB stick is found it chainloads the Disk 2 and if it doesn't find it proceeds to boot the Disk 1 anyway?

This was the method I was trying to pull off before I gave up. I thought that after I booted in Disk 1, loaded grub, it wouldnt find the USB. Until your other post advising to initialize the usb stack. Maybe if Ive grown tired of setting the usb boot priority every time I want to use Disk 2, Id try this again. 

... or ill do it tomorrow. right now im stuck with how to scrape a particular site at 4am...

 

will report back a soon as ive accomplished it. 


Edited by jasonphl, 07 November 2017 - 09:01 PM.


#20 alacran

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Posted 07 November 2017 - 09:02 PM

@alacran

Please :) , be NOT like the people on half the internet boards :realmad: .

 

Yes, you are right, the suggestions I proposed are according to my likes, and I ignored user preferences. Thanks for make me notice my mistake.

 

I apologize with jasonphl for my insistence and rudeness.

 

I only hope he lerned something else on this thread.

 

 

Best Regards

 

alacran



#21 jasonphl

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Posted 08 November 2017 - 11:16 AM

Hi alacran, 

Im sorry as well that I was not clear to what my goal was. You only intended to help and give suggestions. 

I definitely learned new things. Like the boot.ini trick and password in a menu list :)

 

On the other hand, I read the usb stack link, and downloaded the 0.4.6a grub4dos and set it up. Until i got to this part

The issue is that while the BIOS (in your case the UEFI CSM) supports *all* motherboard USB ports, the grub4dos USB stack (at least at the moment) only supports USB 2.0 ports, so if your motherboard has BOTH USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 ports you must be careful and insert the USB stick in a USB 2.0 port, while - if you have a motherboard with only USB 3.0 ports - you won't be able to access the stick anyway from grub4dos, unless you boot from the USB (and thus grub4dos hooks on the BIOS services provided by the UEFI/CSM).

 

My concerns are:

1. The usb drive that I use as a "boot key", that doubles as my go-every-where-file-storage, is a 3.0. Sure, I could plug it in a 2.0 and probably lose a couple of minutes with file transfers. But the main concern is...

2. There is no USB 2.0 on the front of the computer. LOL Damn this computer. Though I particularly chose a tower case that has only 3.0 ports in front. That choice did not work for me today :(

 

 

It looks like that Im back to the "Setup once, rather than ten times F8 on ten times reboot" routine. 

But I'll definitely be checking this one again, soon. 

 

Thank you!


Edited by jasonphl, 08 November 2017 - 11:16 AM.


#22 Wonko the Sane

Wonko the Sane

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Posted 08 November 2017 - 04:21 PM

Can you post the exact make/model of your motherboard (and possibly also the exact version of the UEFI/BIOS)?

 

Normally (and AFAIK/AFAICR) in CSM mode the "legacy" boot order options are "sticky" :dubbio:

 

It is a mess:

https://www.rodsbook...d-bad-ugly.html

 

but maybe there is a specific option n yout firmware.

 

:duff:

Wonko







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