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Dual UEFI Support


behdadsoft

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Hi.

I Merged two Image 32Bit and 64Bit in to one Install.wim. now I want know for support both 32bit and 64bit UEFI, what should I do? can I merge bootia32.efi and boox64 together for support dual UEFI(32 & 64Bit)?

Thanks.

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Thanks for Reply.

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Normally, Windows 7 32bit does not have the ability to boot in EFI mode

Is your mean that All 32Bit Windows(7,8.1,10) can't boot in EFI mode? mean EFI mode is only for 64Bit Operating system?

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What method did you use to get that to work?

After merged two Image 32Bit and 64Bit in to one Install.wim, I put it to 32Bit Iso.

in DVD Image there is a efi folder that there is two folder in it:

http://uupload.ir/files/rzdl_1.png

Boot :in this folder there is bootia32.efi.

microsoft ==> Boot : there is 8 file.

http://uupload.ir/files/ufwd_2.png

I think for support EFI, I should add bootx64.efi inside efi ==> Boot folder in beside bootia32.efi. but I don't know this way is correct or not.

http://uupload.ir/files/mqax_3.png

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10 hours ago, behdadsoft said:

Is your mean that All 32Bit Windows(7,8.1,10) can't boot in EFI mode? mean EFI mode is only for 64Bit Operating system?

It seems you are jumping the gun then. I had presumed that one would test a 32bit install, then the 64bit install and once it is found that both are working, then try to make a combined version.

Official support for EFI booting (GPT disk) is Windows 8.0+ (32bit) and Vista SP1+ (64bit).

You must determine what hardware you will be working with, and then build a solution for that. Rather than trying to create the perfect solution for everything. In order of what is I have worked with, most common to least:

1. UEFI board that only allows booting 64bit EFI applications (common notebook or desktop board)
2. UEFI board that only allows booting 32bit EFI applications (common tablet or SOC system)
3. UEFI board that allows booting 32 and/or 64bit EFI applications (seen on some early UEFI 2.3.1 hardware from Intel)
4. Legacy board that uses UEFI emulation to boot 64 bit EFI applications (MSI's 2.2TB Infinity)
5. UEFI board that allows booting 64bit EFI applications from network, usb or memory and 32bit EFI applications from the hard disk (custom BIOS from manufacturer)

The main issue which jaclaz refers to is the bootable media itself. You make your EFI media to boot on either 32bit or 64bit platforms. I have a myself a 32bit EFI USB key and a 64bit one. I am not aware if anyone has been able to make a single bootable device be able to have both architectures on it. For the Windows setup itself, it doesn't matter so much. You can likely use a 32bit WinPE 4+ and that Setup can install 32bit or 64bit images. If not using setup, then it opens up even more possibilities.. such as you just have commands to apply images using DISM.

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20 hours ago, Tripredacus said:

The main issue which jaclaz refers to is the bootable media itself.

Not really, I was more referring to this:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh824898.aspx

Quote


While in UEFI mode, the Windows version must match the PC architecture. A 64-bit UEFI PC can only boot 64-bit versions of Windows. A 32-bit PC can only boot 32-bit versions of Windows. In some cases, while in legacy BIOS mode, you may be able to run 32-bit Windows on a 64-bit PC, assuming the manufacturer supports 32-bit legacy BIOS mode on the PC.


 

jaclaz

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OK right. So if designing an installer that can do both, you would only be able to potentially use it on a system that also supports both which is quite rare by now.

Because, the trick of using 32bit WinPE to install 64bit Windows won't help if you can't boot the OS afterwards in most cases.

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I would go a bit further, as a generic advice, not necessarily limited to the issue.

The generic idea of troubleshooting is that you first have trouble and then you shoot it. ;)

The generic idea of error prevention is that you believe that an error is very likely to happen AND that the steps to prevent the error are easier than the steps needed to solve the error, in many cases it is easier and faster to ignore the (low) probability of an error and just improvise on-the-spot when (and if) the error happens.

Making a mega-para-turbo-universal-AIO (which is something a lot of people seemingly attempt to do, often failing at it) is VERY complex and needs more testing that most people is able to do (or do properly).

Specifically in a normal experience dealing with real world machines, you will find that among the EFI equipped machines (faked statistics as always, only to make a point):
1) 98.73% of them will be 64 bit and will need a 64 bit Windows OS, and almost all of them (like 99.99999%) will have the possibility of booting off CSM (please read as BIOS)
2) 1.20% may be 32 bit, and thus will need both UEFI 32 bit and a 32 bit Windows OS
3) the last 0.07% (maybe) will be 64 bit but will need 32 bit UEFI or viceversa or have some other crazy limitations, incompatibility or both

Namely the ones in #2 will be tablets (like - as an example - the DELL Venue 8) and usually the real trouble with them is to find the specific drivers (and what not) needed for them, and they often have additional "peculiarities" for which specific adaptations may be needed.

So let's say that you spend 1000 hours of your time :w00t: in making and troubleshooting your "perfectly universal" solution, and that normally the result will be saving (maybe) half an hour of time during install.

You will need to install on 2000 machines to get even.

But out of the 1000 hours spent on your solution, 10 (ten) are the actual ones *needed* for X64 installs that represent 1998 machines, while 990 will be spent senselessly making an AIO/integrated *whatever* that covers also the other 2 machines (that will most probably need however more time, and/or some customized approach anyway).

Feel free to change the percentages and amount of hours based on your experience, of course.

Moral of the story (my personal advice):

1) keep x86 and x64 separated
2) invest some time in a suitable, flexible solution for booting in most cases capable of selecting the "appropriate" setup/install.wim/whatever 
3) invest some more time in learning and experimenting on being able to boot from CSM and deploy an EFI bootable soolution


 

jaclaz
 

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