Brian wrote on Mar 25^th, 2016 at 3:22pm:

FWIW, it's often possible to convert the OEM UEFI/GPT system to Legacy/MBR if you really want to.

Once done, DOS Ghost 2003 will actually work, subject to the limitations we've already covered in other threads--i.e., 1TB limit and partition isn't moved (restore destination is the same place the image was made from).

That said, Christer really needs to be retiring Ghost and switching to Terabyte. It's inexpensive, more versatile, and more reliable. Everything is easier all the way around.

As for converting from UEFI to MBR ... it's not difficult, provided the laptop supports booting in BIOS/Legacy mode. (Most do, allowing one to switch between Legacy and UEFI modes, but under pressure from Microsoft some OEMs are disabling the ability to do that.)

Assuming your laptop is compatible, the process is surprisingly simple:

• Image your Win10 partition
• Switch BIOS startup from UEFI to Legacy
• Wipe the GPT partitions and create MBR partitions
• Restore the Win10 image to one of the MBR partitions
• Fix the BCD and add boot files

While it's not difficult to do, UEFI is not so bad so converting is not worth the effort unless you have a good reason to do so ... and wanting to keep Ghost 2003 alive is not a good reason.

For me, multibooting is that good reason. It's difficult or impossible to do true multibooting with a UEFI system. For the past 30 years, every system I've owned has multibooted, and I have no intention of changing to a single-OS system.


(BTW, one tip Brian didn't mention is you should disable Win10's "Fast Startup" mode before you start messing around with imaging and restoring.)

I made notes for this system...

Recovery
ESP
MSR
Win10
Win8

Win10 was the initial system. Then to install Win8...

Make sure there is enough Free Space available for the Win8 install

Boot into IFL (uefi mode)
Create a backup image of the EFI system partition and Recovery partition. Call it REC_ESP_10.tbi
Partition Work
Delete the EFI system partition
Create File System 239/EFh: EFI System partition in the Free Space just created by deleting the EFI System partition. Name it EFI System partition
Delete the Recovery partition
Create File System NTFS in the Free Space just created by deleting the Recovery partition. Name it Recovery. Properties, change Partition Type to Microsoft Recovery

Select the Win10 partition, Properties, change the Type to Linux Data. This will hide the current Win10 partition when Win8 is in use
Create a 30000 MB, (or your choice of size) NTFS partition named Win8 in the free space below Win10

Restart and boot the Win8 boot disk (uefi mode)
Do a Custom Install into the Win8 partition
The Win8 OS will boot
Make any changes you feel necessary (Fast Startup, Hibernation, System Restore, Windows Updates)

Boot into IFL (uefi mode)
Create a backup image of the EFI System partition and Recovery partition. Call it REC_ESP_8.tbi
Restart into Win8

To boot Win10, boot into IFL (uefi mode)
Restore REC_ESP_10.tbi    Use Update Boot Partition Option
Partition Work
Select the Win10 partition, Properties, change the Type to Normal Data
Select the Win8 partition, Properties, change the Type to Linux Data
Restart into Win10

To boot Win8, boot into IFL (uefi mode)
Restore REC_ESP_10.tbi    Use Update Boot Partition Option
Partition Work
Select the Win8 partition, Properties, change the Type to Normal Data
Select the Win10 partition, Properties, change the Type to Linux Data
Restart into Win8



For automation my scripts are..

In scripts/tb folder on UFD need Linux version of tbosdt and also BOOTITBM.INI

0x2 is ESP. 0x1 is Recovery.



REC_ESP_10.sh is below (In scripts folder)

#! /bin/sh
/tbu/boot/scripts/tb/tbosdt /tbu/boot/scripts/tb/REC_ESP_10.tbs

REC_ESP_10.tbs is below

sub main()
  ext("SET PART TYPE 0 0x05 {0FC63DAF-8483-4772-8E79-3D69D8477DE4}")
  ext("SET PART TYPE 0 0x04 {EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7}")
  exec("/tbu/imagel --r --uy --d:l0 --f:l3@0x1:^"/Images/UEFI_multiboot/REC_ESP_10^" --sp:0x1,0x2 --ubp --rb:4", 1)
end sub




REC_ESP_8.sh is below (In scripts folder)

#! /bin/sh
/tbu/boot/scripts/tb/tbosdt /tbu/boot/scripts/tb/REC_ESP_8.tbs

REC_ESP_8.tbs is below

sub main()
  ext("SET PART TYPE 0 0x04 {0FC63DAF-8483-4772-8E79-3D69D8477DE4}")
  ext("SET PART TYPE 0 0x05 {EBD0A0A2-B9E5-4433-87C0-68B6B72699C7}")
  exec("/tbu/imagel --r --uy --d:l0 --f:l3@0x1:^"/Images/UEFI_multiboot/REC_ESP_8^" --sp:0x1,0x2 --ubp --rb:4", 1)
end sub

Brian wrote on Mar 26^th, 2016 at 3:49pm:

Aaah, Rube Goldberg would be proud! (Who would be the equivalent reference in Sweden or Down Under?)

For multibooting, nothing beats MBR with BootIt-BM.

If Christer is going to single-boot the new laptop, I'd say he should just leave it UEFI/GPT. IFL will work just fine. If he intends to multiboot, though, note a 128GB SSD is probably practical for no more than two OS partitions.

But if multibooting is the goal, my preference would be to convert to MBR and use BootIt-BM as boot manager:

• Boot BIBM (from CD or USB), disable Win10 "Fast-Startup"
• Use Image (from within BIBM or from other media like IFL) to store images of all GPT partitions on an external USB drive
• Use BIBM to delete all partitions, convert to MBR disk, and create new MBR partitions*.
• Restore only the image of the GPT/OS partition onto one of the new partitions.
• Make that partition active, and repair the missing boot files and BCD**.
• Test that the new partition will now be able to boot by itself.
• Use BIBM to hide the newly restored Win10 partition and make a different partition active.
• Proceed to install your other OS to this other partition.
• Test that the second OS will now boot by itself.
• Install BIBM and configure it with the two boot entries so you can choose which OS to boot.

Christer mentioned liking to use offline imaging by booting into one OS and imaging the other OS from there. He'll love BIBM, then. BIBM has IFD built in, so you can boot from the hard drive, and at the boot manager screen select [Maintenance], then use Image to make or restore images to/from the OS partitions without needing external boot media.


* I like to have a common data partition for both OS partitions, but that could be a bit tight in 128GB. I'd use a small 50MB FAT16 partition for DOS/BIBM, second and third partitions for the two OS's, and a fourth for common data if you can manage it.


** Ntldr and the BCD are on one of the small partitions on a UEFI system, so those need to be copied over to the OS partition in order to make the restored OS partition self-booting. There's a tutorial on Terabyte's site (Brian probably has the link handy) on how to do that.

As an alternative, I like Macrium Reflect's rescue CD for that purpose. Macrium Reflect is another free imaging/cloning utility. Install it, and find the option to create a rescue disc. The rescue disc is principally for restoring a Macrium image from bootable CD, but it has a handy "fix boot problems" menu option. So you can restore your Terabyte Win10 image, pop in the Macrium CD, click "fix boot problems", and in one step it quickly adds any missing boot files and builds a new BCD.


BTW, I also recommend one of the customizations Brian mentioned earlier, in which he replaced the laptop's optical drive with a large hard disk. You'll need a suitable adapter for the laptop's optical drive bay, but it makes the bay more functional. I seldom use the CD/DVD drive anyway, and would rather have the extra storage space a large hard drive provides. For the few times I do need an optical drive, I use an external USB DVD drive instead, which stays safely stowed away most of the time.

Dan Goodell

Quote:


This laptop will serve as my companion when I'm away from home. The 128 GB SSD will probably bee enough since I will not create any dual boot system. I'll copy whatever work is in progess from the desktop to the laptop and take it with me. When I get back and something worthwhile has been accomplished, I'll copy the files back to the desktop.

(The reason for this is that I have inherited my parents place after my mother passed away between Christmas and the New Year. They didn't have any interest in computers and the internet but I did convince her to get broadband to "futureproof" the house. I'll spend quite some time there, I think but don't want to have a desktop standing there when I'm not around.)

Quote:


That was a way to use IFW and still create an Image of a "not booted" system but I prefer IFL since it resembles Ghost 2003 but in a more modern reincarnation. Since the laptop will not be dual boot, I think that I'll decide in favour of IFL. I'll have a look at BIBM, though.

Quote:


That's what I have on the desktop. Even the Internet Explorer favourites are shared or rather was shared as long as IE8 was still supported.

On the laptop, any larger documents will be in "temporary storage" only for as long as I need them. If I need more space, an USB-HDD will get to the top of my shopping list.

Also, if I should get everything that I want to have ... ... it would become too expensive. I focus on "reasonable performance" with a quad core CPU, 8 GB RAM and a SSD.

Quote:


I like the "click it to fix it" solutions and when I have learnt about the Terabyte stuff, I'll look into that application too.

Quote:


Can't be done because ther isn't one to replace. If I need one, I'll have to go USB on that one too.

By the way, did I mention that I don't own a digital camera, not even in my mobile phone? 128 GB is reasonable since the multi-MB files are far between.

Dan Goodell

To clarify:

Quote:


By that, I mean large files of many MB. "MB" is not "shorthand" for "multiboot".

Even if I don't need it right now, I'll read up a bit on Macrium Reflect and will hopefully remember some of it the day I do need it ... ... !

Christer

Boot your IFL
Partition Work
Select the OS partition
Properties
You should see "Fast Start (Hibernation on Shutdown): Disabled"
If it isn't disabled, click Disable.

Christer

Christer wrote on May 12^th, 2016 at 2:02am:

Sorry, but you "asked" for the updates. In Windows Update, Advanced options, you should remove the tick from "Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows".


Christer wrote on May 12^th, 2016 at 2:02am:


I haven't seen that. Maybe it's related to above. I've never had that option selected.

Christer

Prior to Win10 I had Windows Update set to Never Check for Updates. I'd manually check a few weeks after the release date and install all critical updates. We can't do that anymore and strangely enough, I don't care. I'm happy with the Win10 system. About five updates are installed each month.