Simplest way to multi boot Windows 7/ 8 and OSX

[ckleea]

I wish to share my experience to install multiboot (chameleon, stolen and rebranded) in Dell machine. In fact every machine works

 

The beauty of Dell machine is that it can allow to boot from any device including modular bay HDD (swap from DVD-RW drive).

 

Few key points to be noted before you start

1. BIOS must be in AHCI mode but not IRRT. Otherwise harddisk cannot be seen

2. Patience

3. External harddisk to temporary store back up images

4. I usually start with a MBR partition harddisk. For Windows 7/8, remember to partition the new harddisk first into the space you want. Also format the partition for Windows. For the OSX partition, I will make it as FAT 32. If you have the Acronis True Image Program, the Disk Director program included can allow me to make the partition type as AF. But FAT 32 is ok

 

In my harddisk, the partition is at the following order

1. Windows

2. Data common for both OS

3. OSX

 

 

STEP 1

With the above, I first install Windows. If I have already partitioned the harddisk and format this partition as NTFS, Windows installer will go straight into the designated partition and get installed. Once completed, reboot and update to get a working copy of Windows 7 or 8.

By this way, you will notice that Windows 7 or 8 is sitting at only one partition of the harddisk but not two. This helps to allow me to back up, migrate and remove to a new harddisk with the greatest flexibility.

 

** I suggest to back up the working Windows 7 or 8 partition now as re-installation from the DVD, updating patches and fixes take hours.

 

STEP 2

I use myHack and USB stick method. After using disk utility to format as Mac OSX journal partition, install the OSX into that partition.

Upon completed and reboot, remember to use the myHack USB stick again to boot first as the chamelion bootloader has not yet properly installed. After I select the harddisk OSX partition to boot, launch myHack to install chamelion into the harddisk OSX partition. For Dell Latitude notebook, I can run EDP to fix various hardware issues.

 

Once complete, when the machine is reboot, I can have chamelion as default boot loader and can select Windows or OSX. Either can boot up without problem

 

 

I will write further to include more information to tweak

 

Reference: Post #11 of https://osxlatitude.com/index.php?/topic/642-hackintosh-triple-boot/