# Installing FreeBSD 8.0 alongside existing Windows 7 for dual-boot



## jem (Feb 25, 2010)

I have a laptop which is currently running Windows 7 exclusively.  I'd like to set it up for dual-booting with FreeBSD 8.0 but I've run into a problem.

The laptop has a "200GB" disk (189GB in reality) which is entirely given over to Windows.  It has the default partition layout, as follows:


```
1: 100MB System partition (no drive letter in Windows)
2: 189GB C: partition
```

Windows' Disk Management tool indicates that this is a "Basic" disk, which means it should have a standard MBR partition table.

So I shrank the second 'C:' partition by 40GB, leaving free space at the end of the disk.

Then I booted from the FreeBSD 8.0 install CD and started the install process.  When going into the FDISK Partition Editor, it can not see any existing partitions on the disk - it says the entire disk is free!  At this point I abort as I don't want to trash the existing Windows install.  After rebooting, Windows starts up again fine.

Why can't FreeBSD's FDISK see the existing MBR partitions on the disk?  Has anyone else encountered this problem and solved it?

Thanks.


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## jb_fvwm2 (Feb 25, 2010)

search the forums for several threads
mentioning geom_label.ko and two others,
enough time with that/those solution(s)
might fix it.  Though *also* if the
install media has a freebsd fdisk one
can use the "file" create-filesystem method (1)
for added ease of installation, once one
knows how.  (Also mentioned in a thread).
(just one thread so far afaik).
No time to search, here...
............
edit:
(1) that method creates the filesystem. Does not newfs it (yet).
 ... one must get the syntax AND exact parameter(s) right in the file to use
     with fdisk or it may overwrite the wrong partition...  but is 
     useful to know.


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## jem (Feb 28, 2010)

Yes, it appears that geom_mbr not loading is causing this.


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