Clarification, if you're unaware, partition layouts can either be the old MBR (legacy/old DOS) partition layout or GPT newer partition layout, with support for >4TB and required for EFI boot methods. MBR can only boot old legacy/DOS, no EFI. GPT can handle both, requiring a workaround for booting MBR related operating systems, however requires BIOS CSM (legacy BIOS support) enabled when booting MBR related operating systems.
On Sat, Dec 20, 2025 at 9:42 AM Roger <[email protected]> wrote: > > Windows 11 (unlike Windows 10) by default installs to EFI partition. > > I found out the hard way, only use bcdboot.exe for reinstalling the > Microsoft Windows 11 EFI partition and Microsoft Windows 11 relevant > contents into the EFI partition. If I'm not mistaken, bcdboot will > automatically call the relevant EFI related parts of "bootrec /scanos" > (bootrec.exe), so not needed to run scanos functions. Trying to use > MBR bootrec.exe executable will cause Windows 11 to not boot, and/or > display the ugly blue repair screen. (The brief process for deleting > and creating the Windows 11 EFI, remove/create the initial FAT32 > partition, boot into the Windows 11 repair, use diskpart for > creating/finding the EFI FAT32 partition and assigning a letter if > needed, exiting from diskpart and running bcdboot incantation for > reinstalling the Windows 11 EFI partition contents. If any other > Windows operating system has been installed via the EFI method (not > MBR method), this process should automatically create a boot menu for > those other Windows EFI bootable operating systems. > > Windows 10 and older operating systems, will call for using > bootrec.exe, working with and install MBR related functions, again, > not compatible with Windows 11. You'll encounter a lot of > instructions on the Internet directing for utilizing bootrec.exe in > tandem with bcdboot.exe. > > Another hiccup I ran into, likely Windows 10 can be installed via > both, MBR and EFI; or Windows 11 just installs two separate EFI > partitions within one drive, likely for MBR/EFI compatibility. Weird. > Microsoft only wants and needs you using their latest and greatest > operating system! > > Roger > > On Fri, Dec 19, 2025 at 7:43 PM Tomas By via Freedos-user > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > On Sat, 20 Dec 2025 01:31:44 +0100, Karen Lewellen wrote: > > > exactly which Linux? > > > > > > Well, I only have recent experience with Ubuntu, but it has worked the > > same in all others I have tried, for quite a while now. > > > > /Tomas > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Freedos-user mailing list > > [email protected] > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user _______________________________________________ Freedos-user mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-user
