Solved How to Install Windows 11 after FreeBSD

Alain De Vos

Alain De Vos

Currently i boot using linux-grub , with bios legacy-boot (no uefi partition), with a choise Unbuntu-Gentoo-FreeBSD.
I want to install Windows 11 after the unbuntu,gentoo&freebsd partition.
I want to do it with Legacy-boot (not uefi) , and i want to it without "secure-boot", as i need to reinstall the grub-loader.
Anyone knowledible about Windows 11 how to do so ? I.e. Legacy-boot (not-uefi) & "secure-boot" disabled ?
I know Windows can be picky ...
 
you don't you should always install windows first the whatever afterwords. but you might be able to , I am not sure about the options you're asking about, but i deleted my entire efi dir files a few days ago on a oops, then had to find how to re establish the efi for windows . if you get it installed like you want to, then you have to reestablieh the other OSes . Efind might help you with booting , or if you have a selection option in BIOS to get you to the other OS to re do grub that might work too. You'd have to select Lefacy wit EFI support and I'd think if Windows seen EFI support even then it would automatically pick EFI install, so you'd probably have to turn off efi everything until you get Windows installed then set it back to lag w efi support and hope it works. ( i only have 10 on my laptop and it is there only because it came with the laprop and I keep it because, for that just in case I need it thing)

this is what I used to get windows efi back FWIW
www.easeus.com

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picky? no. Windows installation simply flattens all not-windows on your machine - without asking and no forewarning.

Because of all my Windows-Installation-Experiences I strongly recommend:
Unplug *all* other HDDs/SSDs/NVDs first!

From my experience with any Windows I had by all (many) installations I made with this crap, Windows thinks it's the only one there is at all (the only rightful anyway), always thinks the computer is either brandnew blank or contains a Windows which needed to be repaired or updated, but in any case it's 100% completely for Windows exclusively only, it doesn't know and care about any non-Microsoft-filesystem, thinks the disk is not formatted or faulty, and may format any disk detected in you computer without ntfs (or fat) without any warning, and for sure kill any bootloader you've already installed.
I had Windows installations killed partition tables on disks I specifically told not to do anything but to completely ignore them!

So:
be prepared for the worst!

Better do a Windows installation on a blank computer. (unplug disks, give it a own blank one),
Then add the other disks again or move the Windows partition to its final position.
 
It will be already a challenge to install Windows 11 with legacy BIOS booting. Not impossible, some say.
But, if you add all the problems you could and will have, it can turn out to a serious headache.

I suggest you to begin some tests with VMs or with a dedicated disk (and unplug the others as Profighost advised).

Edit: Windows 11 needs secure boot. What puzzle me is that it's deactivated in my BIOS parameters, yet I installed it without problem (or almost).
 
Emrion said:
It will be already a challenge to install Windows 11 with legacy BIOS booting. Not impossible, some say.
But, if you add all the problems you could and will have, it can turn out to a serious headache.

I suggest you to begin some tests with VMs or with a dedicated disk (and unplug the others as Profighost advised).
Click to expand...
I agree. Windows has no respect for other OSs. I have dual-booted Windows and Linux in the past . Windows has a tendency to over write *nix.
 
I removed all drives except the drive install & the nvme one.
Then i did a prayer.
Then i installed windows 11 on the empty drive.
Seems my 11 partitions on the nvme are still intact and i can currently boot : windows11-ubuntu-gentoo-freebsd.
Maybe i was just lucky to not lose data :)
[The bios on my MSI-motherboard was also a help]
 
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