How to add a new drive as dual boot

[satimis]

Hi all,

SilverFast SE (Plus) or SilverFast 8 coming with Epson V850 Pro flatbed scanner only work on Windows. Therefore I need to run Windows on bare metal for using the Epson scanner. On my PC, all windows are running as VMs.

PC config.
Host - Ubuntu 20.04
Virtualization software - Oracle VirtualBox
VMs - Ubuntu 20.04, Win10 Pro, Win10 Home etc.

I have Windows ISO. Would it be possible adding a 500G SSD to my PC, as dual boot, to install Windows direct on their ISO without creating a Windows boot-USB.

If Yes, please advise where can I find relevant documents? Thanks in advance

Regards

[yancek]

I have Windows ISO. Would it be possible adding a 500G SSD to my PC, as dual boot, to install Windows direct on their ISO without creating a Windows boot-USB.

Yes. See my explanation in the link below, post 5 at that site. It's definitely not a 1 step process. Some things you need to remember are to use ntfs rather than vfat filesystem from which to boot the extracted iso file as some files are over 4GB and vfat can't handle them. Also, make sure you get the correct UUID as explained at the end of the explanation. I got this method from a site which had images attached to make it simpler but can't seem to find.

https://ubuntuforums.org/archive/ind...t-2263582.html

[Autodave]

On my machine, I disconnected the internal HD and installed a second one on a different MB port. After installation of Linux, I plugged the Windows drive back in and then went to the BIOS and made sure that Linux was the first bootable. Then, made Windows the secong bootable. When I need Windows, I just enter the boot order and choose Windows.

[oldfred]

Windows has been known to install a boot partition, old boot with BIOS or ESP with UEFI to default boot drive based on UEFI/BIOS settings.
It does not see Linux partitions and just overwrites whatever was in the default drive.
So either make sure drive you are installing Windows into is seen as default drive (not sure how to do that, have not installed Windows) or disconnect other drives.

And have good backups, just in case.

[satimis]

Hi all,

Thanks for your advice.

What I did in the past;
1. Disconnect all hard discs on the PC.
2. Connect a new hard disc for installing Windows
3. Boot the PC with Windows boot USB
4. Install Windows on the new hard disc
5. Reconnect all hard discs to the PC
6. Boot the PC and select the booting disc on BIOS

It worked for me in the past without problem but I need to burn a boot Windows USB.

This time I'm prepared to try a new adventure, installing Widows direct on its ISO. I'm searching for a working document guiding me. But if disconnecting all running hard discs on the PC I can't boot the PC.

Regards

[dragonfly41]

I do have Windows 10 in my internal drive and Ubuntu on two external SSD's in USB 3.0 dual docking bay.

If you are starting a new adventure then you might look at Windows 11 which comes with a full version of Ubuntu. I have not yet made this leap but here is the documentation.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-insider/isos

Returning to your status quo I have read about inline power switches which can toggle power to various drives.

My compromise solution is using a StarTech dual docking bay (USB 3.0) which allows me to unplug external SSD's (Ubuntu installed), but not going as far as switching off the power to the internal drive containing Windows 10.

I have read about the option of temporarily switching off the boot flags in Windows internal drive but I have not tried that (using LiveUSB / Gparted / bootflags).

Final idea, I would try ReFIND as an overlay to Grub in multi OS setups. I use it to switch between Windows and other Ubuntu installations. It can be installed in external SSD to separate from the internal drive.

[yancek]

This time I'm prepared to try a new adventure, installing Widows direct on its ISO.

If I understand your question, you want to boot the windows installer directly from a partition on your hard drive so you don't have to use a usb. If that's the case, it is explained in the link in my previous post. Obviously, you will not have to disconnect any disks.

[satimis]

If I understand your question, you want to boot the windows installer directly from a partition on your hard drive so you don't have to use a usb. If that's the case, it is explained in the link in my previous post. Obviously, you will not have to disconnect any disks.

Hi yancek,

Thanks for your advice.

I went through your posting;
February 2nd, 2015, 05:26 PM
of your link.
https://ubuntuforums.org/archive/ind...t-2263582.html

For safety reason I'm prepared to disconnect the other 2 hard discs on my PC
Hard disc 1 - 2TB SSD for running Ubuntu 20.04 as OS and VirtualBox
Hard disc 2 - 2TB WD for data storage.

The Windows 10 Home ISO and Windows 10 Pro ISO are 100% working. All Windows VMs were installed on them previously.

I wonder whether following steps will help me :-
1. Connect the 500G SSD to PC for installing Windows 10 Pro
2. Copy Windows 10 Pro ISO on 500G SSD
Question;
Do I need to format 500G SSD which is an old disc having non-useful old data on it? OR during installing Windows 10 Pro the old data will be erased automatically ?

3. Disconnect Hard disc 1 and Hard disc 2
4. Boot up the PC with an Ubuntu 20.04 boot USB
5. Cd 500G SSD and start installation

Please advise. Thanks in advance

Regards

[yancek]

Boot up the PC with an Ubuntu 20.04 boot USB

No, that won't work. You will need to boot the windows installer from Grub as explained in the link I provided. You can boot the Ubuntu USB and put a boot entry for the windows installer but when you reboot, it will not be there as the 'live' USB is read only and all data/changes are lost on reboot. You need to put the windows installer boot entry in the grub.cfg file on your installed Ubuntu which means that drive will need to be attached when you boot the windows installer

There are 2 major steps involved, one is creating the partition for the windows installer and copying all the folders/files from the extracted iso to the ntfs partition so that you can boot it.
The second step is the actual installation.

If your Ubuntu install is UEFI, you need to install windows UEFI or it won't boot from Grub. This means your drive, the one you want to install to (500GB drive) should be a GPT drive. You can do this with Gparted if you have it installed on Ubuntu. Otherwise you can use the Ubuntu install USB which does have GParted. You should have an EFI partiton on this drive. I don't know if you need to create this in advance or if the windows installer will do it for you. When I did this 6 years ago, it was on a Legacy/msdos drive.

If you have free space on your Ubuntu drive, I would create an ntfs partition on that drive for the windows installer. If you don't have free space, you will need to shrink the Ubuntu partition and you will need to use GParted on the 'live' Ubuntu USB as partitions cannot be modified from a running Linux OS. Extract the iso and copy the extracted files to this partition and put the windows boot entry in the grub.cfg file so you can boot the windows installer partition. Reboot the machine and select the windows installer entry to begin the installation. I expect the installer will create the necessary partition but am not sure. If you get an error/errors, you may need to create and EFI and ntfs partition from GParted. Once you have finished the installation and successfully booted windows, you can delete or format this partition to use again.
It should not be difficult to get the correct device to install to as your Ubuntu drive is 1TB and the drive you want to install to is 500GB. Use sudo fdisk -l or sudo parted -l to get the naming for each drive (sda, sdb,sdc, etc).

If you successfully boot the windows installer, one of the steps gives you install options. If I remember correctly, this is immediately after the window where you see the windows licensing agreement and here you should select the Custom option if you see it.

I found the link to the site I used to do this. The site explains how to create a bootable windows USB without using any specific software for this purpose and booting it from Grub. THe link is below and remember that it is explaining how to boot from a USB so wherever it makes such a reference, change it to the installer partition on your drive. Also, obviously skip the part at the link below to install Grub as that is not necessary, you already have Grub on the 1TB drive and are not using a USB. Another thin, I would use the UUID method rather than the drive label. This is explained about half way down the page.

https://www.onetransistor.eu/2014/09...om-ubuntu.html

If something is not clear to you, don't proceed but post back before continuing. Good luck.

[satimis]

No, that won't work. You will need to boot the windows installer from Grub as explained in the link I provided. You can boot the Ubuntu USB and put a boot entry for the windows installer but when you reboot, it will not be there as the 'live' USB is read only and all data/changes are lost on reboot. You need to put the windows installer boot entry in the grub.cfg file on your installed Ubuntu which means that drive will need to be attached when you boot the windows installer

There are 2 major steps involved, one is creating the partition for the windows installer and copying all the folders/files from the extracted iso to the ntfs partition so that you can boot it.
The second step is the actual installation.

If your Ubuntu install is UEFI, you need to install windows UEFI or it won't boot from Grub. This means your drive, the one you want to install to (500GB drive) should be a GPT drive. You can do this with Gparted if you have it installed on Ubuntu. Otherwise you can use the Ubuntu install USB which does have GParted. You should have an EFI partiton on this drive. I don't know if you need to create this in advance or if the windows installer will do it for you. When I did this 6 years ago, it was on a Legacy/msdos drive.

If you have free space on your Ubuntu drive, I would create an ntfs partition on that drive for the windows installer. If you don't have free space, you will need to shrink the Ubuntu partition and you will need to use GParted on the 'live' Ubuntu USB as partitions cannot be modified from a running Linux OS. Extract the iso and copy the extracted files to this partition and put the windows boot entry in the grub.cfg file so you can boot the windows installer partition. Reboot the machine and select the windows installer entry to begin the installation. I expect the installer will create the necessary partition but am not sure. If you get an error/errors, you may need to create and EFI and ntfs partition from GParted. Once you have finished the installation and successfully booted windows, you can delete or format this partition to use again.
It should not be difficult to get the correct device to install to as your Ubuntu drive is 1TB and the drive you want to install to is 500GB. Use sudo fdisk -l or sudo parted -l to get the naming for each drive (sda, sdb,sdc, etc).

If you successfully boot the windows installer, one of the steps gives you install options. If I remember correctly, this is immediately after the window where you see the windows licensing agreement and here you should select the Custom option if you see it.

I found the link to the site I used to do this. The site explains how to create a bootable windows USB without using any specific software for this purpose and booting it from Grub. THe link is below and remember that it is explaining how to boot from a USB so wherever it makes such a reference, change it to the installer partition on your drive. Also, obviously skip the part at the link below to install Grub as that is not necessary, you already have Grub on the 1TB drive and are not using a USB. Another thin, I would use the UUID method rather than the drive label. This is explained about half way down the page.

https://www.onetransistor.eu/2014/09...om-ubuntu.html

If something is not clear to you, don't proceed but post back before continuing. Good luck.

Hi yancek,

Thanks for your detail advice and your time spent to help me.

My reason not to touch the SSD running Ubuntu 20.04 is having 36 websites running on VMs of VirtualBox. Those 36 websites are the cloned live websites running on Internet. In case of problem on the live websites I just clone the local website on the problematic live website. I have done this step in multiple occasions in the past

I'm now considering following 2 solutions:-

1)
How to Easily Create Windows 10 Bootable USB on Ubuntu or Any Linux Distro
https://www.linuxbabe.com/ubuntu/eas...ble-usb-ubuntu

or

Make A Bootable Windows 10 USB Install Stick On Linux With WinUSB Fork (WoeUSB)
http://www.webupd8.org/2016/06/make-...b-install.html

Install woeusb. I have spare USB stick.

2)
How to Burn ISO to DVD on Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop
https://linuxconfig.org/ubuntu-20-04-burn-iso-to-dvd

Install Brasero. I have DVD writer on the PC

Which route shall I select, booting USB or booting DVD?

Comment would be appreciated.

Regards