Dual booting Windows and Ubuntu on MINIX Neo Z64W

[linuxium]

Dual booting Windows and Ubuntu on MINIX Neo Z64W ... instructions posted here and a demo video here

[no_spam_for_me]

Nice you find a way to use 64bit at 32bit EFI...

[Scooberdanje]

Rally Nice work.

[Finless]

Awesome!

Thanks for sharing that.

Bob

[Finless]

FYI this should work on any of the Intel boxes correct?

If so, maybe this should be a sticky in the root of the Intel box forum not just for the Z64?

Bob

[no_spam_for_me]

I think so too...

[daemonium]

Dual booting Windows and Ubuntu on MINIX Neo Z64W ... instructions posted here and a demo video here

Awesome! Good work man!

[linuxium]

FYI this should work on any of the Intel boxes correct?

If so, maybe this should be a sticky in the root of the Intel box forum not just for the Z64?

Bob

Unfortunately whilst these instructions theoretically will probably work on similar Intel boxes the ability to perform the instructions does vary between boxes.

For example, grub input on the Meegopad works differently and it is impossible to enter the required boot command. It is so different that I was forced to write a work-around grub wrapper just to allow easier option selection and my installation instructions are also different to reflect this issue (see here).

Also I think alternative instructions will be required for the MINIX Neo Z64A (Android) device as partitioning seems more challenging from the brief look I've had so far.

[Iso-playback]

Dual booting Windows and Ubuntu on MINIX Neo Z64W

Unfortunately whilst these instructions theoretically will probably work on similar Intel boxes the ability to perform the instructions does vary between boxes.

For example, grub input on the Meegopad works differently and it is impossible to enter the required boot command. It is so different that I was forced to write a work-around grub wrapper just to allow easier option selection and my installation instructions are also different to reflect this issue (see here).

Also I think alternative instructions will be required for the MINIX Neo Z64A (Android) device as partitioning seems more challenging from the brief look I've had so far.

I would like one of these boxes to dual boot but I'm looking for Official OpenELEC & Windows 7, would this work with windows and OE? - I have work HP 9470 and dual boot just fine but won't buy one of these boxes till I'm sure it will work.

[Finless]

You will never get Windows 7 on this box.

Bob

[Iso-playback]

Dual booting Windows and Ubuntu on MINIX Neo Z64W

You will never get Windows 7 on this box.

Bob

Is that because this box lacks sufficient storage? 64gb is needed?

[loko]

Is that because this box lacks sufficient storage? 64gb is needed?

No. It has to do with UEFI (BIOS). MINIX Neo Z64W has a 32-bit UEFI, while MINIX Neo Z64A has a 64-bit UEFI. A 32-bit UEFI can only boot 32-bit operating systems, while a 64-bit UEFI can only boot 64-bit operating systems.

A long time ago, Microsoft decided to support UEFI booting only for 64-bit Windows, not for 32-bit Windows. According to this decision, 64-bit versions of Windows Vista/7/8/8.1 support booting from 64-bit UEFIs, but 32-bit versions of Windows Vista/7 do not support booting from 32-bit UEFIs. Recently, they have revised this decision, but not retrospectively. This means that you can boot 32-bit versions of Windows 8/8.1 from 32-bit UEFIs, but not the older 32-bit versions of Windows Vista/7.

You may probably be able to run Windows 7 64-bit on the cheaper Android version, but it has to be thoroughly tested.

[Iso-playback]

Dual booting Windows and Ubuntu on MINIX Neo Z64W

No. It has to do with UEFI (BIOS). MINIX Neo Z64W has a 32-bit UEFI, while MINIX Neo Z64A has a 64-bit UEFI. A 32-bit UEFI can only boot 32-bit operating systems, while a 64-bit UEFI can only boot 64-bit operating systems.

A long time ago, Microsoft decided to support UEFI booting only for 64-bit Windows, not for 32-bit Windows. According to this decision, 64-bit versions of Windows Vista/7/8/8.1 support booting from 64-bit UEFIs, but 32-bit versions of Windows Vista/7 do not support booting from 32-bit UEFIs. Recently, they have revised this decision, but not retrospectively. This means that you can boot 32-bit versions of Windows 8/8.1 from 32-bit UEFIs, but not the older 32-bit versions of Windows Vista/7.

You may probably be able to run Windows 7 64-bit on the cheaper Android version, but it has to be thoroughly tested.

Thanks for your detailed help, there is one box I know of that has 64gb the Voyo I think its called, would that run Win8.1 & OpenELEC? Windows 7 is not hugely important to me but Official OpenELEC is. Thanks again.

[pantench]

Dual booting Windows and Ubuntu on MINIX Neo Z64W ... instructions posted here and a demo video here

Can dual boot android and windows??

[loko]

Thanks for your detailed help, there is one box I know of that has 64gb the Voyo I think its called, would that run Win8.1 & OpenELEC? Windows 7 is not hugely important to me but Official OpenELEC is. Thanks again.

32-bit UEFIs are designed to boot only 32-bit operating systems
64-bit UEFIs are designed to boot only 64-bit operating systems

Since 32-bit operating systems are somehow obsolete, and since Microsoft decided that 32-bit Windows 7 will never become UEFI compatible, almost all computers have 64-bit UEFIs and are capable of booting only 64-bit operating systems.

Intel Bay Trail processors were deemed not powerful enough to run 64-bit Windows 8/8.1, so Microsoft made 32-bit Windows 8/8.1 UEFI compatible, and the manufacturers of mini Windows devices started using 32-bit UEFIs to boot 32-bit Windows 8/8.1. These devices having 32-bit UEFIs cannot normally boot 64-bit operating systems.

If a device runs 32-bit Windows 8.1, it means it has a 32-bit UEFI. If a device runs 64-bit Windows 8.1, it means it has a 64-bit UEFI.

Since UEFI compatible Linux distributions are 64-bit, you cannot boot them in a system having a 32-bit UEFI. There are some patches being made for 64-bit Linux distributions to run under a 32-bit UEFI, but there are many problems. OpenELEC needs a 64-bit UEFI.

Your chances may be higher with the Android version of MINIX Neo Z64, which has a 64-bit UEFI. There may be other incompatibilities though, so you just have to wait until things become clear.