[burgergetsbored]

Hey, I'd like to format my dell XPS 15 laptop hard drive to GUID file system rather than MBR so that I can install a hackintosh on it (will only run on GUID) alongside windows 7 on a separate partition. Will I have anything to worry about doing this? Will any parts of windows run any differently when on GUID or will my laptop run exactly the same? I literally have no idea how GUID works and what it changes to the user/windows.

A bit of a different question here but linked to the first. I also want to use truecrypt full drive encryption on my drive, will I be able to do this on a GUID system with two differently formatted partitions, that also has the chameleon bootloader ? Thanks, Adam.

[Dez]

If you change the partition table it will wipe the entire drive, so make sure you have a backup and make sure that it works.

As far as I'm aware, there is no issue using GPD with Windows 7. There are quite a few EFI PCs knocking about already, and Macs have been able to run Windows using BootCamp for yonks.

I would imagine TrueCrypt supports GUID partition tables, but you may be better off consulting the TrueCrypt forums for advice, you'll get a better answer there I think.

[burgergetsbored]

Yep got a full image and a back up of my hard drive. Jut thinking about it, I wonder if I'll be able to restore a MBR disk image to a GUID formatted drive.

I'm not sure I understand GUID. Does it not function the same as MBR? As in can I not just create two partitions on it, install windows 7 on one then install osx on the other, then use the bootloader to pick which one on startup. I don't wan't to be using bootcamp to run windows, I want windows to be able to run itself from it's partition. Is there still a BIOS?

I've read a little about EFI, how do I know if my computer supports it? It's a pretty new dell XPS 15 laptop can't seem to find anywhere.

[Dez]

You might be able to transfer the old partitions using CloneZilla or partimage.

I've never installed a hackintosh before so I don't know how they work. For dual-booting you may well need to use Bootcamp, I'm not sure OS X is bootable using anything except its own bootloader. But the hackintosh guides will explain more about it I would hope, including how to set up the bootloader/BIOS.

[burgergetsbored]

I understand how hackintosh works, it uses a chameleon bootloader (custom one) which you can then use to pick which partition you want to boot from after the POST test. More confused about the GPT formatting than anything, seeing as I've never used it. I've got my drive backed up using acronis true image, which restores perfectly to a MBR drive, whether it'll restore to a GPT drive I don't know.

[Dez]

You need to back up the drive partitions, not the drive itself. Partimage will do that. If you have the partition image then you should in theory be able to create an identical partition on a GUID table. I would imagine a drive image would also contain the bootloader partition, which obviously you don't want to overwrite.

[burgergetsbored]

yeah I meant I have the partitions backed up sorry. I'm not sure if acronis true image 2012 can actually take a MBR image and restore it to GUID drive. I want to take over everything as it is now, programs and data which are all in the image.

[Dez]

Well if the worst comes to worse you could just copy the files across manually, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[burgergetsbored]

it wouldn't work like that for the programs though. Yeah I'd have all the files but it be a massive pain installing all my programs and settings again!

[Dez]

(Original post by burgergetsbored)
it wouldn't work like that for the programs though. Yeah I'd have all the files but it be a massive pain installing all my programs and settings again!

Assuming you copy the entire contents of the drive, there should be no need to install anything.

[burgergetsbored]

Copying the files across manually won't work for programs, only data files is what I'm trying to say. So if the image doesn't want to restore to a different format, yeah I can manually copy and paste data files, but I'd have to re-install all my programs. Never mind anyway! I'll just have to risk it!

[Dez]

(Original post by burgergetsbored)
Copying the files across manually won't work for programs, only data files is what I'm trying to say. So if the image doesn't want to restore to a different format, yeah I can manually copy and paste data files, but I'd have to re-install all my programs. Never mind anyway! I'll just have to risk it!

Why would copying files cause an installation error? That makes no sense. The only way that might happen is if the original files got corrupted somehow.