Date: Wed, 23 May 2012 17:49:06 -0400 From: Jerry McAllister <jerrymc@msu.edu> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Dual Boot Windows 7 FreeBSd 8.3 Message-ID: <20120523214906.GA71149@gizmo.acns.msu.edu>
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Hi, I have been searching through questions and forums for information on dual booting FreeBSD 8.3 on a machine with Windows 7 already on it. My problem is that the posts seem to go around in circles and be contradictory. I am not sure which to believe. My new machine has two disk drives. Windows 7 is on ad0 and I want to put FreeBSD 8.3 on ad1, leaving W7 as is. So, I don't even have to shrink a primary slice to do this. I have dual booted Xp, Windows 98 and 95 with various FreeBSDs before with no problem. But, the story I keep hearing now seems to be that Windows 7 is more picky and will not work with the FreeBSD MBR. I am not sure why. At least some people seem to be claiming that I canNOT just do the install and put the FreeBSD MBR on the primary slices right from the sysnstall menu just like in the good old days - that the only way to make it work is to use something called 'Easybcd' to edit whatever Windows 7 puts in place rather than using the FreeBSD MBR and then use the MS MBR with whatever Easybcd does to it. Then again there were some posts that seemed to claim that using the FreeBSD MBR in the tried and true old way is just fine and everything just works. I'd like to think that is true. I really don't want to have to scrounge up install media and remake the Windows 7 just because I do some wrong thing or I would just smoke test it. I am really phobic when it comes to MS stuff. I don't need any fancy boot menu. What I have had in the past is just fine. I just want to select either of the OSen and get some stuff done. I expect to be booted to FreeBSD most of the time, but need to use some W7 now and then for powder point, etc. If someone who understands the process underlying the boot system and knows if Windows 7 really does require something else now, who can speak with confidence can enlighten us, I would certainly appreciate it. Thank you, ////jerry
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