OS X + Windows 7 + GPT + Chameleon 2 = Finally Works

[Dan316]

Hi:

 

I am just beginning on the Hackintosh journey on an Inspiron 1525. Got Vista and Snow-working well with Chameleon RC3 for boot-exactly like what you have described. Then I got adventurous and installed Ubuntu to the last partition with a swap partition and exactly the same thing happened-Snow and Ubuntu work well and Vista gave a BCD error and when I try to repair Vista with the Vista Install DVD it gives an error message (use the right DVD etc) and when I boot off the VISTA DVD and try and reinstall it will fromat it to NTFS but gives a message saying it a GPT and hence cannot install. As you said the gparted converted the GPT/MBR hybrid to pure GPT. Did you find a solution for this...

 

Thanks

 

I managed to get this working by doing the following:

1. Format in disk utility, formatting the intended win7 partition as FAT. Note: the win7 partition must be within the first three partitions (which is 4 with the efi system partition) for it to work in the windows 7 installer, since the mbr side of the hybrid can only have 4 primary partitions. Any partitions beyond that are lumped as unallocated space.

2. Install Windows 7 by formatting your intended partition in the installer (as NTFS).

3. Install easyBCD 2.0 beta in windows 7, and add an osx entry (this may or may not be necessary, not sure).

4. Install Chameleon to the EFI system partition (see post in first page of Chameleon thread in new releases forum)

5. Install osx to whatever partition you designated for this (note: I did this by opening OSinstall.mpkg in my current leopard install)

6. At this point, if you boot up, you should still get the windows 7 bootloader. To switch over to chameleon, you need to mark your osx partition active (or maybe the efi partition works too). Before doing this, your windows 7 partition should still be active.

 

I'm also trying to get ubuntu on this setup though, and it seems like gparted is making the disk pure gpt (or so gptsync seems to say). This means that while chameleon still works, when you try to boot windows 7 from it, you get a boot\BCD error.

 

If anyone has any ideas on the ubuntu problem please let me know. I've had chameleon dual booting win7/osx and dual booting ubuntu/osx, but I can't seem to get unbuntu to play nicely with windows.

 

Also of note: when you install ubuntu, on the last screen of the installer which presents the summary of the intended installation, click the Advanced button, and change the grub install location from hd(0) to hd(0,4) where 4 denotes the partition you're installing ubuntu to counting from zero. This will prevent grub from being installed to the MBR.

[srs5694]

I am just beginning on the Hackintosh journey on an Inspiron 1525. Got Vista and Snow-working well with Chameleon RC3 for boot-exactly like what you have described. Then I got adventurous and installed Ubuntu to the last partition with a swap partition and exactly the same thing happened-Snow and Ubuntu work well and Vista gave a BCD error and when I try to repair Vista with the Vista Install DVD it gives an error message (use the right DVD etc) and when I boot off the VISTA DVD and try and reinstall it will fromat it to NTFS but gives a message saying it a GPT and hence cannot install. As you said the gparted converted the GPT/MBR hybrid to pure GPT. Did you find a solution for this...

 

You need to re-create your hybrid MBR. At least a couple of tools will do this. One is called gptsync, but I'm afraid I lack a URL for it. Another is my own GPT fdisk. In theory, re-creating your hybrid MBR will restore Windows to bootability; however, it sounds like you've already reformatted its partition. If so, you'll need to re-install it.

[xxxrichievxxx]

flag Z (Z = windows partition number, should NOT exceed 4)

 

I installed windows 7 32 bit first, Then i installed OSX.

 

the partitions go in order of:

 

System reserved

Windows 7

OSX

 

I use Chameleon v2 boot loader, And the listing options are System reserved, Windows NFTS, and OSX. Whenever i select The Windows NFTS an error comes up saying BOOTMGR Missing press Ctrl+Alt+Del. When i select System Reserve (Which Windows 7 created When i first installed 7) a black screen comes up saying something like 'Repair disk Code 0x000000e The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible'.

 

I did the

Diskpart

select disk 0

select disk 1 (System reserve)

active

exit

bootrec /rebuild

 

But as soon as i restart my computer, a screen comes up saying boot:0 and then a "Boot to" screen comes up and lets me select Windows 7. I clicked enter and the same 0x000000e error comes up..

 

How can i change this? I want to be able to boot OSX and Windows 7 :\

 

(OSX for me so i can use, And Windows 7 so my younger sister can use for wireless [since osx doesn't support Intel® PRO/Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g (3945ABG)]

 

 

Thank you!

[Dan316]

You need to re-create your hybrid MBR. At least a couple of tools will do this. One is called gptsync, but I'm afraid I lack a URL for it. Another is my own GPT fdisk. In theory, re-creating your hybrid MBR will restore Windows to bootability; however, it sounds like you've already reformatted its partition. If so, you'll need to re-install it.

 

 

Thanks so much Rod. I read through your very informative website-and learnt a lot-since then, I got gptsync and fixed the MBR the ubuntu install messed up-then repaired Vista with install DVD and finished the SL installation where I installed chameleon-now all is well (for the present).

[blueaudi]

Thank you very much dr.hurt for this guide.worked excellent booting snow leo and win 7 on guid. with chameleon rc4

[jmbelite]

I installed windows 7 32 bit first, Then i installed OSX.

 

the partitions go in order of:

 

System reserved

Windows 7

OSX

 

I use Chameleon v2 boot loader, And the listing options are System reserved, Windows NFTS, and OSX. Whenever i select The Windows NFTS an error comes up saying BOOTMGR Missing press Ctrl+Alt+Del. When i select System Reserve (Which Windows 7 created When i first installed 7) a black screen comes up saying something like 'Repair disk Code 0x000000e The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible'.

 

I did the

Diskpart

select disk 0

select disk 1 (System reserve)

active

exit

bootrec /rebuild

 

But as soon as i restart my computer, a screen comes up saying boot:0 and then a "Boot to" screen comes up and lets me select Windows 7. I clicked enter and the same 0x000000e error comes up..

 

How can i change this? I want to be able to boot OSX and Windows 7 :\

 

(OSX for me so i can use, And Windows 7 so my younger sister can use for wireless [since osx doesn't support Intel® PRO/Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g (3945ABG)]

 

 

Thank you!

 

Not sure how much this will help you as I've barely dabbed in getting OSX and Win7 on my laptop going (I put most my time into my desktop rig and have my OS' on separate drives).

 

 

If your just trying to get Windows working "temporarily" (perhaps to install easybcd or for some other reason), I believe you just need to set the partition (in addition to the disk) as active. To do this, in command prompt, enter the following cmds:

 

> diskpart

> list disk

> Select Disk 1

> list part

> select part 2 (or whatever your windows partition number is, usually 2 or 3)

> active

> exit

 

After a reboot, you should be able to boot the Windows (or at least run the CD to repair it).

 

 

To get the dual-boot working, you need to run fdisk on both partitions (first Mac and then Win7) and fix the Win7 install with the CD Installer. This will allow you to see your Windows install on the Chameleon Boot GUI.

 

IF you already have Chameleon installed (and Mac is automatically loading on startup with Chameleon), SKIP to Step 4, otherwise proceed (basically the same steps as the ORIGINAL POST, just more elaborate explanation)

---------------------------

1. Get into Mac OSX (if your having issues doing so, use the Boot 132 cd).

--------------------------

2. FDISK(ing) your Mac Partition (see sub-steps)

2a. Open Terminal and enter: sudo -s

2b. Then type your password, hit enter. (gains root level permissions)

2c. In Terminal, enter:

diskutil list (Locate the disk number (i.e. /dev/disk1) and your partition numbers for Mac and Win7 (make note of it))

fdisk -e /dev/rdisk0 (replace 0 with whatever number the disk is.... from step 2d)

flag X (where X is the partition number of the Mac OSX)

update

write

y

exit

---------------------

3. Install Chameleon 3 (RC2 should work also).

3a. Running the package is easiet, if you run the package, simply skip to STEP 4 after installing package... but I prefer Terminal installing the most recent version:

-----------

IF doing a Terminal Install (or google search more elaborate instructions):

-- Navigate to your Chameleon install files and into the i386 directory (from within Terminal).

- cd ~/Desktop/Chameleon/i386 --> would take you to the folder called Chameleon located on your desktop, and into the i386 folder where fdisk is located (you can also drag/drop the folder into Terminal to get full path).

Then run the following commands to install Chameleon via Terminal:

fdisk -f boot0 -u -y /dev/rdisk0

dd if=boot1h of=/dev/rdisk0s2 (0 is drive number, 2 is partition number, replace as needed)

cp boot /

cp -R smbios.plist Themes /Extra

3c. You can try restarting to see if Chameleon is loading (and Mac OSX boots on its own)

---------------------------------------

4. fdisk the Windows install using the same procedure from Step 2. (type diskutil list in Terminal to output disk/partition info)

fdisk -e /dev/rdisk0 (replace 0 with your disk number)

flag Z (replace Z with your partition number for your Windows OS)

update

write

y

exit

--------------------------------

5. Boot Windows DVD, run "Repair Utility". I also found that a drive letter needs to be assigned (if it isn't already). Google search how to do that in CMD PROMPT.

5a. Reboot and Windows should automatically load (without the help of the CD)

------------------------------------

6. Once in Windows, go to START, and type cmd in the search

6a. Enter the following:

diskpart

list disk

select disk 1 (replace number with the number of Disk)

list part

select part 3 (replace number with the number of Mac Partition)

active

exit

6b. Reboot!

-------------------------

7. Should now boot to Mac OSX again (using Chameleon) and should have Windows 7 available as a choice.

[ekoandrew]

everything works from this Guide!!

 

thnx a ton. u save my life!!

 

Not sure how much this will help you as I've barely dabbed in getting OSX and Win7 on my laptop going (I put most my time into my desktop rig and have my OS' on separate drives).

 

 

If your just trying to get Windows working "temporarily" (perhaps to install easybcd or for some other reason), I believe you just need to set the partition (in addition to the disk) as active. To do this, in command prompt, enter the following cmds:

 

> diskpart

> list disk

> Select Disk 1

> list part

> select part 2 (or whatever your windows partition number is, usually 2 or 3)

> active

> exit

 

After a reboot, you should be able to boot the Windows (or at least run the CD to repair it).

 

 

To get the dual-boot working, you need to run fdisk on both partitions (first Mac and then Win7) and fix the Win7 install with the CD Installer. This will allow you to see your Windows install on the Chameleon Boot GUI.

 

IF you already have Chameleon installed (and Mac is automatically loading on startup with Chameleon), SKIP to Step 4, otherwise proceed (basically the same steps as the ORIGINAL POST, just more elaborate explanation)

---------------------------

1. Get into Mac OSX (if your having issues doing so, use the Boot 132 cd).

--------------------------

2. FDISK(ing) your Mac Partition (see sub-steps)

2a. Open Terminal and enter: sudo -s

2b. Then type your password, hit enter. (gains root level permissions)

2c. In Terminal, enter:

diskutil list (Locate the disk number (i.e. /dev/disk1) and your partition numbers for Mac and Win7 (make note of it))

fdisk -e /dev/rdisk0 (replace 0 with whatever number the disk is.... from step 2d)

flag X (where X is the partition number of the Mac OSX)

update

write

y

exit

---------------------

3. Install Chameleon 3 (RC2 should work also).

3a. Running the package is easiet, if you run the package, simply skip to STEP 4 after installing package... but I prefer Terminal installing the most recent version:

-----------

IF doing a Terminal Install (or google search more elaborate instructions):

-- Navigate to your Chameleon install files and into the i386 directory (from within Terminal).

- cd ~/Desktop/Chameleon/i386 --> would take you to the folder called Chameleon located on your desktop, and into the i386 folder where fdisk is located (you can also drag/drop the folder into Terminal to get full path).

Then run the following commands to install Chameleon via Terminal:

fdisk -f boot0 -u -y /dev/rdisk0

dd if=boot1h of=/dev/rdisk0s2 (0 is drive number, 2 is partition number, replace as needed)

cp boot /

cp -R smbios.plist Themes /Extra

3c. You can try restarting to see if Chameleon is loading (and Mac OSX boots on its own)

---------------------------------------

4. fdisk the Windows install using the same procedure from Step 2. (type diskutil list in Terminal to output disk/partition info)

fdisk -e /dev/rdisk0 (replace 0 with your disk number)

flag Z (replace Z with your partition number for your Windows OS)

update

write

y

exit

--------------------------------

5. Boot Windows DVD, run "Repair Utility". I also found that a drive letter needs to be assigned (if it isn't already). Google search how to do that in CMD PROMPT.

5a. Reboot and Windows should automatically load (without the help of the CD)

------------------------------------

6. Once in Windows, go to START, and type cmd in the search

6a. Enter the following:

diskpart

list disk

select disk 1 (replace number with the number of Disk)

list part

select part 3 (replace number with the number of Mac Partition)

active

exit

6b. Reboot!

-------------------------

7. Should now boot to Mac OSX again (using Chameleon) and should have Windows 7 available as a choice.

[lilol18]

Hi people.

 

I've managed to dualboot both OSes (snow leopard and win7 ultimate). i use GPT beacuse i want to install from the SL retail DVD with the empire EFI way. i had succeeded on the dualboot, but my problem is given when i try to activate windows 7 with the help of any loaders (hazar's or w7xle).

 

After activating win7, in the first reboot required, win 7 cannot boot, it just hangs (black screen with a blinking "-"). it seems that every activator i try gets me to this. OSX has no problem.

 

i know it is not exactly a post for this topic, but i just wanted to know how you did. (if you happen to have win7 activated some way) in addition having snow leopard.

 

thanks

[srs5694]

I've managed to dualboot both OSes (snow leopard and win7 ultimate).

 

A point of clarification: You say above that it works, but you say below that it doesn't. Do you mean that you tried to get it to work but it's not working, that you managed it on one system but it's failed on another, that it did work but now isn't working, or something else? Precision is important in diagnosing such problems.

 

i use GPT beacuse i want to install from the SL retail DVD with the empire EFI way. i had succeeded on the dualboot, but my problem is given when i try to activate windows 7 with the help of any loaders (hazar's or w7xle).

 

After activating win7, in the first reboot required, win 7 cannot boot, it just hangs (black screen with a blinking "-"). it seems that every activator i try gets me to this. OSX has no problem.

 

One of many possible causes of this problem is if the disk has been converted from MBR or a hybrid configuration to a pure-GPT configuration. I suggest you find out which you have and, if it's a pure-GPT configuration, restore your hybrid MBR. You can learn which you have via any of several disk utilities. An fdisk-type tool, for instance, will show more than one partition in a hybrid MBR setup but only one partition of type 0xEE (decimal 238) in a pure-GPT configuration. I believe that Disk Utility reports that hybrid disks are set up for use by Boot Camp, but I'm not positive of that, and I don't recall precisely where that information appears if it does report that.

[Dr. Hurt]

Good News for coming soon for dual booters.

[floordance]

Good News for coming soon for dual booters.

Sorry, what do you mean? Am I to wait for some time ("soon") for good news (whatever they might be) on dual booting to come along?

[lilol18]

A point of clarification: You say above that it works, but you say below that it doesn't. Do you mean that you tried to get it to work but it's not working, that you managed it on one system but it's failed on another, that it did work but now isn't working, or something else? Precision is important in diagnosing such problems.

 

 

 

One of many possible causes of this problem is if the disk has been converted from MBR or a hybrid configuration to a pure-GPT configuration. I suggest you find out which you have and, if it's a pure-GPT configuration, restore your hybrid MBR. You can learn which you have via any of several disk utilities. An fdisk-type tool, for instance, will show more than one partition in a hybrid MBR setup but only one partition of type 0xEE (decimal 238) in a pure-GPT configuration. I believe that Disk Utility reports that hybrid disks are set up for use by Boot Camp, but I'm not positive of that, and I don't recall precisely where that information appears if it does report that.

 

hi man. thanks in advance for the help hand.

 

so, i did install both snow leopard and windows 7. everything went ok.

 

my problem happens that at the moment i apply the "Windows 7 activator" (win 7 loader or w7xle) it makes my windows 7 not booting any more. so i wondered in how did you activate your windows 7 in your dualbooting process, because it seems that any win7 activator takes me to that problem. in few words win7 activator messes up my bootloader. how did you activate ???? aaaaa??? hehe

 

i sure do realize if you activate it legally, shouldn't happen this.

 

------THE STORY-------

 

For dualbooting 7 and SL. i converted my disk from MBR to GPT using diskpart. (used GPT because i install SL with the retail disk)

 

select disk 0

clean

convert GPT

etc

etc...

 

create 1 partition EFI, then 2 partitions primary.

 

after that i firstly install SL on 1st primary partition.....ok

then installed 7 ultimate un second partition.... ok

 

everything marvelous. but, in windows 7 i try to activate with the help of an activator and.... end of story... SL keeps booting, windows 7 NOT.

 

hope that clarified a little.

 

i wonder, what i'm doing wrong....

 

Thanks...

[Methanoid]

hmm... just throwing it out there, but maybe if you install chameleon to the MBR? There must be a way because IIRC back in the days of Tiger and the plain old Darwin bootloader, I was using it as my primary bootloader, but was booting XP by default. Not sure how, but I'll try to get this to work on my setup this weekend.

 

Did anyone ever solve this? I prefer Chameleon but the machine needs to default boot into W7 for the wife

[mohummad.ali]

how about other way round?

 

I have a Hack Pro, I have been running(very successfully!) Mac OS X (leopard) on it for more than a year. I am running Windows 7 on parallels desktop. It works just fine, but now I need to have a clean new installation of Windows 7. I am using Chameleon boot loader. 

 

Could someone please tell me how to install windows 7 without disrupting my precious Mac OS X installation?

[Upsilon]

I have done everything that is said on jmbelite's guide but it still doesn't work : I still have only OSX and not W7 on the Chameleon boot menu. I can't understand what I have to do... Please help me thanks

[bouchigo]

Anybody having problems with win 7 not waking from sleep to recored a tv show after dual booting with osx?

[reaLity2]

May it be true that RC5 will take longe time to finally release?

 

I still have problems with dual boot, any "simple" hint available?

 

My system hangs when i try to boot the HFS+ partition with chameleon...

[kimmies]

do u need to install 7 first or leopard first?

[infyx]

Current situation:

 

i have a Samsung NC10, it had XP pre installed then i installed Mysticus NC10 OS X as my primary OS and had Chameleon 2.0 RC4 as my boot loader.

 

then i installed Win 7 over XP and as expected they took over the boot.

 

how can this be fixed? / how can i boot into OS X?

[quadomatic]

I need to install Windows 7 on a laptop with a GPT formatted drive, with just OS X Snow Leopard on it, using Chameleon 2 RC4 as the bootloader. Will the guide posted in the original post on the front page work?

[Gringo Vermelho]

AFAIK you can only install Windows 7 to a GUID formatted drive on an EFI based system. Like a Mac for example :-)

 

Google Windows 7 GPT drive for more information.

 

On my Häagen-Dasz, the closest I got was using an NTFS partition on a GUID formatted drive for storage.

I used Disk Utility to create a FAT32 partition at the end of the drive, then I converted it to NTFS from within Windows XP. It worked fine.

[quadomatic]

diskutil shows an EFI partition, so does that mean that my snow leopard is EFI based? It was a vanilla install.

[Gringo Vermelho]

If you see an EFI partition, your drive was GUID partitioned with Disk Utility.

 

Therefore (if you want to keep your present OS X installation) any guide that you follow must be based on using the GUID partition scheme.

 

You need to make your GPT drive an MBR/GPT hybrid in order to install Windows 7 on it but there are certain requirements that must be met for that to work. Read post #2 in this thread, post #9 may also be useful to you.

[mirash]

EDIT: ALL THIS WILL BE OBSOLETE SOON. I'LL UPDATE THIS THREAD AS SOON AS THE RC5 IS RELEASED.

 

Problem:

After installing Windows 7, Chameleon disappeared and only Windows 7 is booting.

 

Cause of the problem:

Windows 7 installer deletes Chameleon's boot0 from the MBR and sets the windows Partition active.

OS X fdisk (used by Chameleon installer) erases the NT disk signature from the MBR causing the windows loader to break.

 

Steps:

 

1- Start OS X with boot CD/USB

2- In terminal:

 

fdisk -e /dev/rdiskX (X = HD number, usually 0)

flag Y (Y = the OS X partition number, usually 2 - one being the EFI partition)

write

exit

 

3- Install Chameleon 2 using installer.

4- Now chameleon should start and boot OS X without the boot CD. Windows won't boot.

5- In OS X terminal:

 

fdisk -e /dev/rdiskX

flag Z (Z = windows partition number, should NOT exceed 4)

write

exit

 

6- Boot Windows DVD, and repair the bootloader.

7- Reboot, and you'll boot into Windows automatically, again.

8- Use diskpart to make OS X partition active. run>cmd

 

Diskpart

select disk 0

select partition 2

active

 

9- Reboot. Now Chameleon should start and switching Windows and OS X should work

 

 

 

 

Hey, my problem is that I have installed SnowLeo into my 3rd partition, but it shows Mac is installed as in disk0s5. Also, I cant see disk0s3 and disk0s4 when I type "diskutil list". When I try to operate on partition number 5, it says invalid partition. I cant do anything on this partition via terminal in install CD.I cant boot to Mac. Help me

[Nomad_Grabitel]

Hey, my problem is that I have installed SnowLeo into my 3rd partition, but it shows Mac is installed as in disk0s5. Also, I cant see disk0s3 and disk0s4 when I type "diskutil list". When I try to operate on partition number 5, it says invalid partition. I cant do anything on this partition via terminal in install CD.I cant boot to Mac. Help me

 

Reformat your hard drive into 3 partitions on GPT via Disk Utility:

1 - for Mac OS X

2 - for Windows

3 - for your data

 

First, install the Mac OS X, and then Windows 7. Then boot from a disk with Mac OS X and make the partition active via Terminal.