Seeking doc for adding a hard drive as multiboot system

[satimis]

Hi all,

Configuration of PC
Drive-a PCIe 3.0 SSD 1TB - OS Ubuntu 20.04 Gnome desktop
Drive-b WD 4TB hard drive for storage
RAM 32G

Now I'm prepared adding a 120G SSD drive for installing Windows 10 to this PC as a multi-boot system. Please advise where can I find the relevent step-by-step instruction. I don't expect making a mistake to over-write Drive-a.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

[oldfred]

Disconnect drive a & b. If not disconnected, Windows will install to device that is default in UEFI/BIOS. And Windows does not correctly see Linux partitions, so may overwrite a Linux install.
Be sure to install in UEFI boot mode if system is newer and Ubuntu install is UEFI.
Windows has required vendors to install in UEFI boot mode with gpt partitioning since Windows 8 released in 2012. But users could install in the old BIOS/CSM/Legacy boot mode, more for compatibility with old Windows 7 hardware.
How you boot install media is then how it installs. So boot installer in UEFI mode.

Windows will reset UEFI to make Windows first in boot order. You can use efibootmgr or your UEFI to change boot order if you want Ubuntu first in boot order.
You may need to use efibootmgr to readd Ubuntu entry or reinstall grub which uses efibootmgr to add UEFI boot entry. Many UEFI "forget" a Linux boot entry when a drive is disconnected, but seem to find Windows without issue.

Check entry is there.
sudo efibootmgr -v
sudo efibootmgr -c -l "\EFI\ubuntu\shimx64.EFI" -L ubuntu -d /dev/sdX -p Y
where /dev/sdX is the disk and Y is the partition number of ESP.
http://askubuntu.com/questions/66850...no-os-detected
Also shows NVMe example:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/4867.../486789#486789
See also
man efibootmgr

After both installs updated & working from UEFI boot, you can add Windows to grub menu.
sudo update-grub
But Windows fast start up must be off or grub will not find, nor boot Windows.

Fast Start up off (always on hibernation), note that Windows turns this back on with updates, SHIFT + Shut down button
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...2#post13488472
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/4...dows-10-a.html
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-d...0-fast-startup
http://askubuntu.com/questions/84315...-10-partitions &

[satimis]

Disconnect drive a & b. If not disconnected, Windows will install to device that is default in UEFI/BIOS. And Windows does not correctly see Linux partitions, so may overwrite a Linux install.

Hi,

Thanks for your detail advice.

I'll perform the test on a spare PC first, not on my daily working PC.

Be sure to install in UEFI boot mode if system is newer and Ubuntu install is UEFI.
Windows has required vendors to install in UEFI boot mode with gpt partitioning since Windows 8 released in 2012. But users could install in the old BIOS/CSM/Legacy boot mode, more for compatibility with old Windows 7 hardware.
How you boot install media is then how it installs. So boot installer in UEFI mode.

On booting the screen will pop-up

Press DEL or F2 to enter UEFI BIOS

Do I need to install UEFI boot mode in the system?

If YES whether I can follow below article;
How To Dual boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu
https://www.pcsuggest.com/dual-boot-...d-ubuntu-uefi/

Thanks

Regards

[yancek]

If you can, I would suggest that you do as oldfred recommends and physically disconnect the current disks before attaching the device upon which you want to install windows. Given the info you posted originally, it it pretty certain to be an UEFI system. Take a look at the Ubuntu documentation at the link below which gives a lot of information on dual booting windows/Ubuntu UEFI though not strictly applicable to your situation as you are installing windows after Ubuntu. It does have detailed information on UEFI and explains how you can tell if you are booting the install media in UEFI or Legacy mode.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI

[oldfred]

For UEFI boot of Windows or Ubuntu you must have the 64 bit versions and must boot live installer in UEFI mode. Windows only installs in UEFI mode to gpt partitioned drives. Either drive must be blank or already gpt.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...Configurations

Windows in BIOS mode, is known to rewrite partition table (which is required) but "forget" to include any Linux logical partitions when using MBR(msdos) partitioning on same drive. But it also defaults install to boot device in UEFI/BIOS and has overwritten the beginning of the default boot drive with its boot partition.

With one drive and BIOS recommendation has always been to install Windows first as it requires primary partition(s), Ubuntu does not.
With UEFI not as critical which is installed first.
And with separate drives should not matter at all, as long as you make sure Windows only installs to drive you want. And only way to be sure is to make that the only drive in system during install.

[satimis]

Hi oldfred,

Performed following steps on a spare PC

AMD 8-core CPU
32G RAM
OS Ubuntu 20.04 on 2TB SSD drive
Storage - WD 2TB hard drive

1. Unplug all hard drives
2. Connect an old 128G SSD drive which has Ubuntu 18.04 been installed previously
3. Boot Windows10 Home USB installer
4. Install Windows10 Home
5. Select the driver to be installed
Warning:

No device drivers were found.  Make sure that the installation media contains the correct driver, and then click OK

I was stuck here, having spent an hour without a solution.

Following document didn't help me out.
Fix: No Device Drivers Were Found
https://appuals.com/fix-no-device-drivers-were-found/

Please help. Thanks in advance

Regards

[oldfred]

Did you boot in UEFI boot mode?
Is drive gpt, Windows in UEFI mode will not like an old MBR drive.

I always use gparted to make a new drive as gpt. You have to do that first as for smaller drives it still defaults to MBR(msdos).
Use gparted and select gpt under device, advanced & select gpt over msdos(MBR) default partitioning.... Or if drive is blank or you want to erase it.
Or:
sudo parted /dev/sdX mklabel gpt # where sdX is your drive. Note all data will be erased
Or:
Converting to or from GPT - must have good backups.
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/mbr2gpt.html

Did you erase drive or create gpt drive with the required Windows partitions per link in post #5. Easier just to let Windows do its own partitioning.

[satimis]

Did you boot in UEFI boot mode?

Yes, there are 2 options

KingstonDT 101 II
UEFI KingstonDT 101 II

1st option - unable to boot
2nd option - able to boot but stopped as reported on my previous posting

I always use gparted to make a new drive as gpt. You have to do that first as for smaller drives it still defaults to MBR(msdos).
Use gparted and select gpt under device, advanced & select gpt over msdos(MBR) default partitioning.... Or if drive is blank or you want to erase it.
Or:
sudo parted /dev/sdX mklabel gpt # where sdX is your drive. Note all data will be erased
Or:
Converting to or from GPT - must have good backups.
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/mbr2gpt.html

Performed following steps;

Boot the PC with an Ubuntu USB boot stick

On Terminal
$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/loop0: 1.5 GiB, 1601015808 bytes, 3126984 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/sda: 119.2 GiB, 128035676160 bytes, 250069680 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: F2920917-D23E-4211-A51B-B41061766731

Device       Start       End   Sectors   Size Type
/dev/sda1     2048   1050623   1048576   512M EFI System
/dev/sda2  1050624 250068991 249018368 118.8G Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sdb: 15 GiB, 16028532736 bytes, 31305728 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x6fee4eb0

Device     Boot   Start     End Sectors  Size Id Type
/dev/sdb1  *          0 3251199 3251200  1.6G  0 Empty
/dev/sdb2       3221944 3226935    4992  2.4M ef EFI (FAT-12/16/32)

Disk /dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root: 117.8 GiB, 126466654208 bytes, 247005184 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disk /dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-swap_1: 980 MiB, 1027604480 bytes, 2007040 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

(Remark: this is an old drive. Its data can be erased)

Disk /dev/sda: 119.2 GiB, 128035676160 bytes, 250069680 sectors
......
Disklabel type: gpt

Did you erase drive or create gpt drive with the required Windows partitions per link in post #5. Easier just to let Windows do its own partitioning.

No. This old SSD drive is still working. I can boot it to Ubuntu 18.04 desktop

How to do it?

[oldfred]

Gparted does not work on LVM. I do not know LVM, but you have to use LVM tools to remove LVM, then if partition is empty, gparted should let you erase drive.
Or maybe other tools will work?

Windows wants either unallocated space or blank drive.

[satimis]

Gparted does not work on LVM. I do not know LVM, but you have to use LVM tools to remove LVM, then if partition is empty, gparted should let you erase drive.
Or maybe other tools will work?

Windows wants either unallocated space or blank drive.

Following below 2 documents I succeeded partitioning the SSD drive running Windows Command Prompt
1)
How to Create a Partition or Volume in Windows using Command Prompt
https://www.technohelper24.com/creat...ommand-prompt/

2)
Get No Volume Selected Error While Formatting Partition [Solved] [Partition Manager]
https://www.partitionwizard.com/part...-selected.html

But still unable to install Windows10 Home as reported previously, encountering the same problem.

DISKPART> list volume

Volume 0 DVD-ROM
Volume 1 NTFS Partition 68 GB Healthy
Volume 2 FAT32 Removable 3828 MB Healthy

Regards