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Switch debian install from legacy to UEFI

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3 Answers

I have Debian 7 installed on my laptop on the ssd and windows 8 on the hdd. Currently to boot Windows I go into the bios and change a boot setting from legacy to UEFI, which means to boot Debian I am using the legacy option. When I originally installed Debian I recall it being a pain to work with UEFI so that is why I did it this way.

My question is, now that I have more time, is it possible to switch the Debian install so that it can dual boot with windows under UEFI?

Rebecka Bergenrup

Rebecka Bergenrup Added an answer on Aug 21,2020

Yes, you have to have both os's as the same, either UEFI or MBR/Legacy. You cannot have Linux legacy and 8 uefi.

Emilia Irarrázabal Aug 21,2020

For a while I did have both UEFI Windows 8 and MBR Debian 7. The way I switched between them was by changing my settings in BIOS from UEFI to MBR and vice versa.

Emilia Irarrázabal

Emilia Irarrázabal Added an answer on Aug 21,2020

I ended up doing this by uninstalling Grub and installing rEFInd. This was a very painstaking procedure and many times I had to use Super Grub Disk to boot back into Linux. But it does work now.

I followed the procedure at http://www.rodsbooks.com/refind/installing.html

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Isabelle Hornsey

Isabelle Hornsey Added an answer on Aug 21,2020

A short step by step howto can be found here:

Switch Debian 7 wheezy from legacy to UEFI boot mode

Tatyana Krivonosenko Aug 21,2020

Please provide the details here, and use links for pointers to non-relevant details and/or backup information. Currently if the link goes dead your answer loses any of its value it might have.

Alexey Kutsenko Aug 21,2020

Provide your answer here not the link.

Oszkárné Jancsovics Aug 21,2020

It's just a link but it's a good one.

Switch debian install from legacy to UEFI