# Non bootable hard drive partitions



## SeaKnight (May 20, 2017)

Hello. I have recently setup FreeBSD on virtual box for the first time and am now trying to install it to my laptop; I want to dual boot it with Windows 10. So, I boot into FreeBSD and go to select the empty partition I made for it only to see this:








I have had nothing but issues since EUFI booting became the standard with Windows 8. I'd rather not have to delete everything off my hard drive to get FreeBSD working if that's possible, but even if it isn't what do I need to do to prevent Windows from using a wonky partition scheme when I install it again? I'm new to FreeBSD, but got X and GNOME working for the first time the other day thanks to the great documentation.

I attached some screenshots of my bios settings if that helps.


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## tingo (May 20, 2017)

Windows is a lot of hassle. Getting it to coexist peacefully with FreeBSD on the same hard drive is a lot of work, and possible some pain.
Do you *need* Windows? If the answer is yes, do you have another machine that you can run FreeBSD on?
(if you are lucky enough that you laptop have space for two storage devices inside you could install FreeBSD on another hard drive or SSD)


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## redpill (May 21, 2017)

The FreeBSD installer has the ability to boot in both UEFI mode and legacy/BIOS/CSM mode. The UEFI spec, however, mandates the use of a GPT-partitioned disk. You have an old-style, MBR-partitioned disk; so the installer offers to correct this.

If you want to use an MBR partition that you've set aside ahead of time, you're going to have to boot the installer in legacy mode. Going by that first pic you attached, you'll probably want to stop your motherboard's firmware from giving UEFI priority. This shouldn't affect your Windows install since it's almost certainly booting in legacy mode already, otherwise your disk would be partitioned with a GPT.

If you're serious about having FreeBSD and Windows on the same machine, I'd take tingo's advice and use a second drive. Or at least re-install Windows in UEFI mode and use a GPT-partitioned disk so that you can have multiple bootloaders living side-by-side.


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## SirDice (May 22, 2017)

redpill said:


> The UEFI spec, however, mandates the use of a GPT-partitioned disk.


No, it does not. It actually mandates support for both GPT *and* MBR. 



> Both GPT- and MBR-partitioned disks can contain an EFI system partition, as UEFI firmware is required to support both partitioning schemes.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EFI_system_partition


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## redpill (May 22, 2017)

SirDice said:


> No, it does not. It actually mandates support for both GPT *and* MBR.



Interesting. I stand corrected.

Though now you have me curious how the path to the .efi binary should be stored in the motherboard's firmware when creating a custom entry for an MBR-partitioned disk. With a GPT, for example, one can use the GUID identifying the partition--not to be confused with the GUID identifying its type--to store a path that works regardless of how many EFI System Partitions there are or what controller the disk is on. I can't imagine the MBR setup being as flexible. Though I guess that's one reason we have an alternative.

And I guess I have some reading to do.


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## balanga (May 23, 2017)

tingo said:


> Windows is a lot of hassle. Getting it to coexist peacefully with FreeBSD on the same hard drive is a lot of work, and possible some pain.



It is possible to run FreeBSD an an attached USB device, so you don't really need to touch your Windows installation, just select the USB device at startup.


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