Dual boot LibreELEC w/ Win10

The Windows Update process on major upgrades (usually twice a year) ignores your existing bootloader setup and always assumes *it* has full control of the disk. If you are using the Windows Bootloader it's not a problem, but if your dual boot is using a different bootloader like GRUB, the update will either overwrite the MBR or it will just fail and restore Windows 10 to the pre-update status.

Quote from Klojum

I'm using separate SSDs for each OS at the moment (perhaps overkill, I know, but some of the smaller SSDs are quite cheap). Running Ubuntu / Windows / LibreELEC for now on the office PC. I didn't know about Windows rewriting the bootloader with each big update. I'm using Ubuntu as my daily driver along with its GRUB loader, so I guess I dodged a bullet there.

hi, can you install it libreelec on a ssd and windows on a different ssd and choose which boot?

Quote from Klojum

Most PC motherboards will use a key to activate the boot selection, e.g. F11 .

ah of course, the usual method, right, I thought you were referring to a specific software.

Thanks.

Perhaps these examples could help:

How to dual-boot Linux and Windows | Opensource.com

How to Dual Boot Windows 10 and Linux Starting with Windows or Linux

Quote from Klojum

I'm sure there is a way to instruct the Windows boot leader to pick the LibreELEC partition, and there are external (linux) boot solutions compatible with Windows. I just haven't used Windows properly for more than 10 years, so I'm a bit rusty there.

ok thanks, to see if somebody knows some program that has that function.

Quote from tkwou

I then used a GPart live boot disk to delete these partitions and recreate 2 empty ext4 partitions the size of my Libreelec installation at the beginning an empty drive (that way the Libreelec would remain in dev/sda1 and dev/sda2 like my existing Libreelec). Then I installed Windows 10 in the remaining space.

Hi again, I finally have time to tackle this tomorrow

I have a question. I am using a brand new drive (still in the amazon packaging) and wondering if it is the exact same process.

With a new drive use Gparted to create two empty ext4 partitions at the beginning of the drive AND manually create an NTFS partition at the end of the drive for Win 10?

Or

With a new drive use Gparted to create two empty ext4 partitions at the beginning of the drive, install Windows 10 and leave Win 10 to automatically create the NTFS partitions during OS installation.

Thankyou!

It doesn't really matter. If you create NTFS partition after the Ext4 partitions Windows will manipulate that partition as required for the installation. If the space is blank space Windows will do the same thing.

I purchased a Mini PC recently that came with Windows 10 installed on one internal SSD and it had another cable to connect an external SSD so I got a 32GB SSD and put LibreElec on that second drive. In this scenario it is possible to technically dual boot without doing anything, other than installing LibreElec on the second SSD which is simple. In Windows 10 there is a boot to Recovery option, once in that you select the Uefi OS and it will load up LibreElec. I had no idea Windows had that function. At no point did I have to go into the BIOS and change the boot order as the Recovery option also allows you to boot from the USB flash drive, which in my case was called Kingston.

Quote from tkwou

I found this thread looking for a way to dual boot Windows 10 and Libreelec. My Libreelec was installed on an 32Gb SD card on a SATA adapter. I had an unused SSD so I wanted to move my Libreelec onto that, but I also wanted the option of Windows 10. I wanted to use the Windows Boot manager as I only know how to edit the BCD. Besides using the Linus bootloader would only cause me trouble every time Windows 10 updates. This also means the disk would have to be MBR/BIOS which is limited to 4 primary partitions. Libreelec needs two partitions, System and Storage, and Windows wants 3, System, Windows, and Recovery. I see a fight coming.

I tried installing Libreelec first as per Kamal and Windows refused to install " Windows could not prepare the computer to boot into the next phase of installation. To install Windows, restart the installation". I tried a Windows 7 install and I got the same result. Then I tried it as per Kurai, installing Libreelec, moving it to the end of the disc and then installing Windows. I still got the same result. It appears that Windows 10 will not tolerate the presence of the Linux boot partition.

I then used a GPart live boot disk to delete these partitions and recreate 2 empty ext4 partitions the size of my Libreelec installation at the beginning an empty drive (that way the Libreelec would remain in dev/sda1 and dev/sda2 like my existing Libreelec). Then I installed Windows 10 in the remaining space. Windows 10 will then install in only two partitions combining the System and Recovery as one and the Windows partition as the other. Once in Windows, I installed Mini Partition Wizard Free and EasyBCD. I used the Mini Partition Wizard to copy the Libreelec off of my existing SD card on to their respective ext4 partitions. Then I used EasyBCD to create a boot entry for the Libreelec (use the Linux/Syslinux option). Set which boot option I want to be default and it 's done. Now it a basic Windows 10 installation with an option to boot into Libreelec. I actually have mine set with Libreelec as the default boot.

Im not getting two ext4 partitions on the usb stick im mounting the libreelec imafe to. I get one thats fat16 and one thats ext4. How do I make the fat16 one into ext4?

Quote from watchstuffxd

Im not getting two ext4 partitions on the usb stick im mounting the libreelec imafe to. I get one thats fat16 and one thats ext4. How do I make the fat16 one into ext4?

Did you create the 2 Ext4 partitions first on the drive that Libreelec and Windows 10 will be installed on. You need to create these 2 partitions as placeholders for the Libreelec. Then install Windows 10 on the remaining part of the drive. You also need to have function copy of Libreelec. This is what you transfer to the 2 placeholder Ext4 partitions. GPart can be used to create the partitions and MiniPartition Wizard to transfer the Libreelec.

I just recreated this dual boot method to make sure it still works. This method is only for older motherboards that can only support BIOS/MBR. Installing Dual boot on a GPT drive is different and threads for doing this can also be found on this forum. The Libreelec must also be installed on a MBR drive too. Installing it directly on the same USB stick as the Installation program (ie using the "Run" option) will not work as the USB stick is already formatted GPT.

@tkwou I tried the method you suggested, but still can't get it working. Maybe you'll have some idea on what's wrong...

Booting Windows 10 in legacy mode. Used 2 usb sticks to install LE (one as installer, the other one as target). Copied the partitions from USB to SSD, which created FAT16(System) and Ext4(Storage). Added boot entry using easybcd. Windows boots fine, LE gives "Boot error" message. I've also tried the USB itself, it boots fine when drive is selected from BIOS, but after adding a boot entry for it, it does not boot, with the same error. I would really appreciate any hints on how to solve this.

Solved the problem. I did not notice the simple fact, that copying partitions from USB to SSD made them into logical partitions. Changing them into primary fixed the boot error.