How to get Virtualbox booting over PXE while EFI is enabled?

[x23piracy]

@Quazz said in How to get Virtualbox booting over PXE while EFI is enabled?:

@x23piracy I don’t remember the details exactly, I think it had something to do with the inability to chainload in EFI mode, which would be essential to network boot.

I was looking into the same thing a while ago.

Thanks, just wondering because vmware can boot ip v6 in uefi mode, i thought i just need to add the boot option by myself in a little cryptic way to be fine, ok setting everything up in in efi and just capture in legacy is a way to go.

Regards X23

[Sebastian Roth]

@x23piracy I am sure I’ve read about PXE booting virtualbox in EFI mode not being possible but I can’t really find a clear statement. Only this forum post: https://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=69954

[dureal99d]

@Sebastian-Roth it is possible to boot uefi in virtual box but you must use the usb or cd here to boot into the uefi net boot and then install your os. your os will then boot uefi once successfully installed. I do it all the time in virtual box.

[x23piracy]

@dureal99d said in How to get Virtualbox booting over PXE while EFI is enabled?:

@Sebastian-Roth it is possible to boot uefi in virtual box but you must use the usb or cd here to boot into the uefi net boot and then install your os. your os will then boot uefi once successfully installed. I do it all the time in virtual box.

The thread is about network booting in efi

[dureal99d]

@x23piracy Yes, and that is the way you network boot uefi in virtual box as it does not natively uefi net boot. once you insert the usb or cd to boot from the option to network boot will appear.

[x23piracy]

I found the following article howto convert from mbr to gpt:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/14286.converting-windows-bios-installation-to-uefi.aspx

I will try this to have my current images also for efi, little bit off topic but maybe interesting.

Regards X23

[dureal99d]

@x23piracy ah yess. i have a bit of a better strait forward guide if youd like it?

[Quazz]

@x23piracy Why?

You can still boot in UEFI with a mounted DVD, install it, schedule capture, boot in legacy network boot and capture the image. The capturing process does not need to happen in the same mode as the OS is in, it’s irrelevant for it.

[x23piracy]

i know that i can create my vm in efi and capture it in legacy and still have efi when deployed, but i am searching for a way to also offer the current images as efi version without renewing the images (install from scratch in efi mode).

This has not really todo with the topic i just found it useful to paste that link i found for a mbr > efi convert.

[dureal99d]

@x23piracy perhpas i shall do a tutorial to help you understand what i’m trying to convey to you. I understand what you are trying to do and i’m trying to tell you I’ve already done it and its possible but it appears i am confusing you.

[dureal99d]

@x23piracy would you be patient enough to wait until tomorrow and i can have a full video done that will show you how to fully convert and image to uefi from bios boot and the network boot via virtual box.

[x23piracy]

@dureal99d show me what ever will help. it’s welcome

[x23piracy]

@x23piracy said in How to get Virtualbox booting over PXE while EFI is enabled?:

I found the following article howto convert from mbr to gpt:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/14286.converting-windows-bios-installation-to-uefi.aspx

I could successfully convert a vm from mbr to efi with the guide above, it works.

[x23piracy]

Can someone show me please a standard gpt partition layout for windows 10?
I could convert a mbr to gpt image but there is a little free space gap on the hdd between the reserved system and little fat32 partition and the main data partition. I would like to close this gap but need to see a standard windows 10 gpt partition layout:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/windows/hardware/commercialize/manufacture/desktop/configure-uefigpt-based-hard-drive-partitions

@dureal99d how do you did that? Haven’t seen your post about the video, sure i can wait for it.

Regards X23

[Quazz]

@x23piracy The standard GPT layout has 4 partitions. System Reserved (boot), Microsoft thingy (can’t remember exactly), Recovery I think? and then the Windows partition.

[x23piracy]

@Quazz said in How to get Virtualbox booting over PXE while EFI is enabled?:

@x23piracy The standard GPT layout has 4 partitions. System Reserved (boot), Microsoft thingy (can’t remember exactly), Recovery I think? and then the Windows partition.

Well after doing the convert from the articel i posted i have the layout below but where is the recovery partition you talk about? i want to make it like it will be after a normal install via uefi (gpt) but i need exactly how it needs to be.

Regards X23

[dureal99d]

@x23piracy said in How to get Virtualbox booting over PXE while EFI is enabled?:

I co

PLEASE LOOK AT HERE

[dureal99d]

@x23piracy

1. Download gpt-fdisk (gdisk) for Windows.
2. Copy the binary to a known location.
3. Boot into Windows Recovery Environment.

• If you don’t have one, download Windows10ISO from: https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/softw…
• Create a bootable USB by following https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8gQu… or by burning the ISO to a DVD.

4. Shutdown Windows and boot using this media (Legacy or UEFI Mode).
5. Get to the command prompt. Either by pressing Shift+F10 or by navigating to it.
6. Go to diskpart and find out the disk identifier for your Windows installation.
   diskpart
   list disk
   sel disk X
   list par
7. Navigate to the location where gdisk binary is kept and type:
   gdisk -l X: (Replace X with the disk number)
   This will list out the partitions available in the disk. Make sure this is the one your want to convert.
8. Now, convert the partition table from MBR to GPT.
   gdisk X:
   Type w to write changes. Press Y whenever prompted.
9. Type the following commands:
   diskpart
   sel disk X (Replace X with the disk number)
   list par

Now we make some space for our EFI partition

Note the partition number of the partition which you want to shrink

sel par X (Replace X with the partition number)

You may delete the System Reserved partition and replace it with the EFI partition. To do that, type:

sel par X (Replace X with the System Reserved Partition)

del par override

The shrink command is not required if you do the above two commands.

I’ll just go ahead and shrink. 500MB extra doesn’t matter to me

shrink desired = 200 minimum = 200

The following commands are common:

create par efi
format fs = fat32 quick # Format this with fat32 file system
assign letter = Z:
exit