Triple BOOT Macos, Windows and Ubuntu

Overview

• Use BootCamp to install Windows
• Shrink the Windows partition
• Create additional partitions
• Install Linux via USB stick
• Fix the Windows boot process (error 0xc000000e)
• Install reFind (if you do not want to press ALT key on every startup to select different OS)
• Install ntfs-3g in OSX and Linux to access the shared data partition

NOTE: The following procedure is not without risk. Do not follow it unless you know what you are doing and most of all: create a backup first ! I will not take any responsibility for loss of data or wrecked OS installations (incl. the original OSX).

NOTE2: I strongly recommend to create a MACOS install USB form the running MACOS, with the latest supported MACOS for your Macbook/IMac

Preparation

To make necessary changes to system files, you must disable the integrity checks of BIG SUR

1. Reboot your Mac and at the boot chime, press cmd-r to boot into the recovery image.
2. Once loaded, in the top menu select Utilities->Terminal
3. To disable the integrity protection, enter csrutil disable
4. Type reboot to reboot into standard OSX. You can check with csrutil status if it’s enabled or not.

Installation of Windows

Preconditions

• There should be only one partition on the disk for OSX – otherwise BootCamp will refuse to do its work.
• On a CD-less Mac, you’ll need the ISO images of Windows 8 or 10, not the CD. To download them without direct access to Microsofts Download center, use TechBench  and get e.g. Win10 final ISO)

Steps

1. Start BootCamp (Applications/Utilities/Bootcamp Assistant)
2. Specify the downloaded ISO and select the partition sizes. Here, only the OSX partition size will be final – let Windows take the rest (for now). I used 100GB for OSX.
3. Let Bootcamp install Windows and restart as desired.
4. In the Windows Install Screen, delete de Bootcamp partition for Windows (cretead by MACOS), and create a 100GB partition for Windows, another 25GB partition for Ubuntu, another one for Shared Data (220GB, and the rest for rEFInd boot manager. DO NOT change anything on the first two partitions !!! The first one is the EFI partition required to boot the system. The second is the HFS+ partition which contains the OSX
5. Once the partitions are configured to your satisfaction, continue the BootCamp installer.
6. Under Windows, format all 3 extra partitions created from the Installler

Installation of Linux

Precondition

• You have prepped all partitions as described above.
• You have downloaded a 64bit variant of a Linux distribution (I chose Ubuntu Desktop). Make sure to use the 64-bit variant and not the one built for Macs. The Mac image doesn’t support EFI partitions yet. It will boot up in BIOS mode and write a MBR to the disk instead of the necessary EFI files on the first partition
• You also have a 2GB+ USB stick at hand which can/will be erased.

Steps

1. Reboot the Mac and press the Alt key during boot.
2. Select the USB stick in the boot selection menu (choose the EFI option).
3. When prompted, choose “Try ubuntu” and NOT “Install Ubuntu” – once the desktop has loaded, start “Install Linux” from there.
4. IMPORTANT: Once you arrive at the partitioning step, do NOT let Ubuntu repartition your disk. Choose “Do something else” – otherwise you really do something else (like pay a visit to the Mac store to re-install OSX + recovery image).
5. Check that the first partition is recognized as EFI boot partition (/dev/sda1).
6. Select the partition intended to install Linux (in my setup it was the /dev/sda5, 25GB) and click on “Change”. Format the disk as ext4 partition and assign it to “/”.
7. IMPORTANT: before you continue, select the same partiton used for Ubuntu Installation, as target for the bootloader installation.
8. Check again in the partition overview that only the partitions you want to install Linux on, or want to use as swap disk, have the “Format?” checkbox checked. If not, start over by clicking “revert”.
9. Let the installation finish (do not install updates during installation as the wifi probably won’t work yet). If you did not choose a swap partition, you might get a warning. Ignore it.
10. After the installation of Linux, Windows 10 will not boot anymore and stop with a blue screen error 0xd000000e. This is because the Linux installation creates a hybrid MBR which is completely unnecessary. Windows will not boot in EFI mode but in BIOS mode instead and crash.
11. Open a terminal and start sudo gdisk /dev/sda (if it’s not installed, reboot into Linux, try again or install with sudo apt-get install gdisk)
12. Type p to view the partition table to verify you’re working on the correct disk. If not, type q to quit without saving your changes and try again with another device.
13. Type x to enter the experts’ menu.
14. Type n to create an empty protective MBR. Note that gdisk won’t confirm a change; it’ll just show you a new experts’ prompt.
15. Type w to save your changes. You’ll be asked to confirm this action. Do so.
16. Reboot into Linux (if not done already)
17. Click on System Settings -> Display and set Scale for menu and title bars to 1.50
18. Optional: to fix small fonts of grub during boot, execute sudo grub-mkfont -s 36 -o /boot/grub/DejaVuSansMono.pf2 /usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSansMono.ttfand add the following line at the end sudo vi /etc/default/grub:GRUB_FONT=/boot/grub/DejaVuSansMono.pf2
19. To fix freezes with SSD disks edit /etc/default/grub so the line with GRUB_CMD_LINUX reads:GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=”libata.force=noncq” then execute sudo update-grub

Installation of reFind

Steps

1. Boot to MACOS
2. From Disk Utility, format the last partition (about 5GB) with “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)”, an label rEFInd
3. Download the rEFInd Boot Manager software from this SourceForge web site. Enter the following commands to install the software to the “Macintosh HD via rEFInd” volume. Run the following commands from terminal (/dev/disk0s3 is the disk prepped for rEFInd boot manager)

cd ~/Downloads/refind-bin-0.13.2
./refind-install --ownhfs /dev/disk0s3
cd "/Volumes/rEFInd/System/Library/CoreServices"
sudo  chmod  a+w  .  refind.conf

Restart the Mac and immediately hold down the option key until the Startup Manager icons appears. Next, hold down the control key and select to boot from the rEFInd volume.

If the rEFInd menu doea not apear at boot, or you can not select it when pressing the ALT key, use the following command form MACOS (reinstall rEFInd boot file to main EFI boot:

sudo bless --mount /Volumes/rEFInd --setBoot --file /Volumes/rEFInd/System/Library/CoreServices/refind_x64.efi --shortform

In my tests, i had run in to a problem once, where i lost the abilty to boot to MACOS (after installing rEFInd). I simply reinstalled MACOS from the USB key created at the beginning of this tutorial.

Installation of ntfs-3g

To be able to access the shared data partition from all OS, you must install ntfs-3g on OSX

Linux

Linux already comes with ntfs-3g pre-installed.It mounts the Shared DATA drive automatically

OSX

1. Download and install OSXFUSE (it’s a pre-condition for ntfs-3g)
2. Download and install Open Source ntfs-3g . Although this free edition doesn’t offer caching, it works fine and sufficiently fast. You might also choose the commercial edition maintained by Tuxera

Last info-s (problems):

• Suspending the computer in Windows or Linux will cause the Mac to freeze –> it’s best to disable this in the respective power configuration tools.
• Bluetooth and the facetime camera don’t work properly yet. There are some beta drivers available but they might not work properly yet.

References

• https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/install-windows-on-mac
• https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/install-linux-macbook-pro
• https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-boot-a-linux-live-usb-stick-on-your-mac/
• https://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/
• https://superuser.com/questions/508026/windows-detects-gpt-disk-as-mbr-in-efi-boot
• https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MacBookPro12–1/Wily

#big-sur, #boot, #linux, #macos, #osxfuse, #triple, #triple-boot, #ubuntu, #windows

Convert Windows Server 2016 Evaluation to Licensed

 

When Windows Server 2016 rolled out ot General valability, many of you started playing with the new server edition. The GA Image is active for 180 days. The problem is , that you cannot activate the Evaluation Version with a purchased Windows Server 2016 Standard or Datacenter key… Below , i will show you how to convert a Windows Server 2016 Evaluation to Standard , so you can activate it…

You will need:

KMS keys for Windows can be found here: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx
AVMA keys for Windows can be found here: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn303421.aspx

Running winver.exe shows us that we are using the Evaluation version:

Using the Activation option to try and activate with a KMS key throws an error:

If you installed the Evaluation version, you first need to convert this edition to the licensed edition.
So, back to good old dism.exe.

In an elevated prompt type the following line:
dism /online /set-edition:ServerStandard /productkey:WC2BQ-8NRM3-FDDYY-2BFGV-KHKQY /accepteula

The product key that is used here is the KMS key for Windows Server 2016 Standard Edition.

Reboot the server (it will reboot twice!).

Checking winver.exe:

In an elevated prompt type the following:
slmgr /ipk your_purchased_key_for_Windows_Server_2016

After that, activate Windows by typing the following in an elevated prompt:
slmgr /ato

Of course, this will only work if you have a genuine key.

#activation-key, #convert-evaluation-to-standard, #kms, #windows, #windows-server-2016, #windows-server-2016-standard

How to setup Windows 10 as a Wifi HOTSPOT

Windows 10 allows you to start a Wi-Fi hotspot on your computer, allowing you to share your wireless connection with several devices. This could be a useful thing if you are restricted to just one device per person on the Wi-Fi network or perhaps if you have only one password.

It’s a hidden feature, so there is no on/off switch to access this. However, there are several ways to achieve this.

This method does not require you to download any third-party application. You can easily set up a Wi-Fi hotspot using the built-in tools in Windows.

First, you need to open the command prompt with administrator privileges. Press the “Windows + X” key on your keyboard and select “Command Prompt (Admin)” from the pop-up menu.

Now we will create the hotspot. Simply enter the following command and press the Enter key:

netsh wlan set hostednetwork mode=allow ssid=maketecheasier key=password

The SSID is the name of the WiFi connection and can be changed to anything you want. The KEY is the password and can be changed, also but bear in mind that it has to be at least eight characters.

Next you need to start the following command to start the WiFi hotspot:

netsh wlan start hostednetwork

Your WiFi HotSpot should be activated and usable. You can check its status in the network and sharing center of your control panel.

The HotSpot is set up, but you can’t actualy use the internet.

To activate the internet acces on the hotspot, you need to go to Control Panel – Network and sharing center – Change adapter settings, right click on your active wired internet connection (the connection from where you have internet on your PC) – select Properties – select Sharing TAB – check the box labeled Allow other users to connect trough this computer’s internet connection. In the dropdown box, select your HOTSPOT connection you just created. Click OK. now you have internet connection on your HotSpot

You can now connect your devices to the hotspot and use the same WiFi connection without using third-party tools.

You can turn off the hotspot when not in use with the following command:

netsh wlan stop hostednetwork

 

#hotspot, #internet-connection, #mobile-hotspot, #wifi, #wifi-hotspot, #windows, #windows-10-pc, #windows10

HP Laptop/Desktop motherboard programing (after replacement)

If you recently replaced a HP motherboard, whilst the new motherboard worked correctly, every time the machine was started an error would appear during POST, and it could not be removed by clearing the CMOS or updating the BIOS. The error stated:

System Board OOA Product Information Not Valid
Product Name
Configuration
Serial number
Product Number
For help go to HP.com/go/techcenter/startup

To resolve the issue, do the folowing:

PART 1: Create a bootable USB memory stick.

1.Download Rufus 2.3 from http://rufus.akeo.ie/.
2.Insert a USB memory stick (make sure it does not contain required data as it will be cleared) and run Rufus.
3.Make sure the correct memory stick is selected under the Device heading
4.Make sure Quick Format and Create a bootable disk using: are ticked and select MS-DOS from the drop down menu to the right.
5.Click on Start, acknowledge the warning and click on OK.
6.Close Rufus by clicking the cross in the top right corner of the window.

PART 2: Download and extract the utility for reprogramming the system information in HP laptops.

1.Download the file NbDmiFit_207.7z

2.Extract the file using 7zip. If this software is not yet installed it can be downloaded from http://www.7-zip.org/. To extract the file, right click on NbDmiFit_207.7z and then click on Extract to \NbDmiFit_207

3.Double click on the NbDmiFit_207 folder and if necessary double click on it again. A list of files and folders should appear.

PART 3: Copy the files to the memory stick

1.Use the CTRL + A key combination to highlight all the files in the NbDmiFit-2.07 folder.

2.Right click on any of the files, point to Send To and click on the icon for the memory stick (in my case this was drive G).

3.Remove the memory stick and shut down the HP laptop if it is currently running.

PART 4: Update the information on the laptop and clear the error.

1.Remove the battery from the laptop and record all the information to be found. This includes all product names, numbers and other codes. These will be required when updating the information using the utility on the memory stick.

2.Reinsert the battery and insert the memory stick into the laptop before switching it on.

3.A black DOS screen should appear. If Windows starts the load as normal, the boot order needs to be changed to allow the laptop to start from the memory stick. At startup , press F9, and select USB device as boot

4.Once at the DOS prompt, type in nbdmifit.bat and press enter.

5.Fill in all the information as prompted.

Basic Menu
Serial Number = Obviosly your S/N on the back of your laptop
Notebook Model= Mine was Compaq Presario Cq61 NoteBook PC…….Don’t think this really matters
Guid Number= random
UUID Number= Select 1 to generate UUID
SKU Number= It’s the Product Number on the bottom Mine was WA985UA#ABA
CTO Localization Code = ABA
MAC Address = Again Random….you can judge or use and get past hitting Enter everytime!
PCID = Ok under the battery cover there is a Sticker….it might also be on the Motherboard.
System Board CT # = it’s a sticker on the motherboard if you want to fill it in.

After saving and rebooting, the error should now be cleared.

Extra notes:

If you are programing a 2012 or later model, you should use wndmifit utility (from the flash drive that you created)

If you are getting MDM (manufacture programing mode) locked, the do the folowing:

1. Shut down notebook

2. Press WIN+UP+DOWN and the power button, HOLDING IT FOR at least 2 seconds

3. When the laptop starts, you should see a message with red color , that you are in programin g mode.

4. Use wndmifit utility from your operating system (Windows) to program the motherboard

#hp, #mdmlock, #nbdmifit, #os, #service, #windows, #wndmifit