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wiski15b

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 20, 2016
118
8
Hey guys,
Been reading quite a bit on the subject but not quite sure I'm up to date. Are there any pcie based solutions to dual boot with bootcamp other than owc stuff? I know there are some work arounds for this, but is there anything available that officially supports this? Apricorn, sonnet, or something else?
Thanks
 

h9826790

macrumors P6
Apr 3, 2014
16,655
8,583
Hong Kong
Apricorn is a known working dual boot solution, but not necessary painless. And from memory, not install Windows via bootcamp (not sure about this point).

Sonnet won't work.

PCIe SSD may able to install Windows, but sure not via bootcamp. And should need some special procedure to install Windows (e.g. Something like install Windows on a USB stick).
 

wiski15b

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 20, 2016
118
8
Apricorn is a known working dual boot solution, but not necessary painless. And from memory, not install Windows via bootcamp (not sure about this point).

Sonnet won't work.

PCIe SSD may able to install Windows, but sure not via bootcamp. And should need some special procedure to install Windows (e.g. Something like install Windows on a USB stick).
Yeah I've read mixed things on the apricorn, not to sure about it. Would be a nice solution though.
[doublepost=1473090708][/doublepost]Based on the reviews, the OWC Mercury accelsior seems to be too unstable for my work. Lots of reviews reporting corruption and such.
 

buster84

macrumors 6502
Oct 7, 2013
428
156
Hey guys,
Been reading quite a bit on the subject but not quite sure I'm up to date. Are there any pcie based solutions to dual boot with bootcamp other than owc stuff? I know there are some work arounds for this, but is there anything available that officially supports this? Apricorn, sonnet, or something else?
Thanks

I had windows 10 on one pci-e sm951 in slot 4 and another pci-e sm951 with osx in slot 3 and i was getting full 1500mbs on both.

The key to installing windows is to install is as efi. You have to use the alt button when booting with the windows 10 disc in the drive then you click the efi boot and install it that way. The only thing about doing it this way is that when you want its fully installed you have to make sure that you select the efi boot partition otherwise windows wont boot and will seem corrupted.

Here are a few threads that i talked about windows installs over the last few months

Bootcamp Single Partitions on separate drive?

Are the eBay Windows 10 OEM licenses legit?
 
Last edited:

wiski15b

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 20, 2016
118
8
So EFI is the only way?
Also, how did you get full speed with the sm951 in slot 2?
 

buster84

macrumors 6502
Oct 7, 2013
428
156
So EFI is the only way?
Also, how did you get full speed with the sm951 in slot 2?

Whoops, just relooked it up and slot 1 and 2 are the 16x slots. I thought slot started at the top lol. Actually i got full speed in both slows 3/4 the top two slots. OSX was in slot 3 and windows in slot 4.

Efi was the only way i found to make it work. There might be another way, but i tried alot and almost gave up before i found the efi boot option on the windows disk.
 

Prince134

macrumors 6502
Aug 17, 2010
338
153
I had windows 10 on one pci-e sm951 in slot 4 and another pci-e sm951 with osx in slot 3 and i was getting full 1500mbs on both.

The key to installing windows is to install is as efi. You have to use the alt button when booting with the windows 10 disc in the drive then you click the efi boot and install it that way. The only thing about doing it this way is that when you want its fully installed you have to make sure that you select the efi boot partition otherwise windows wont boot and will seem corrupted.

Here are a few threads that i talked about windows installs over the last few months

Bootcamp Single Partitions on separate drive?

Are the eBay Windows 10 OEM licenses legit?

I don't see I realize any info from the previous links. I have mac pro 5.1.

Can you or someone give a more detail about the installation process? When you say install it as efi, what's that mean? Sorry my bootcamp before was on win7 and was on SATAbay. Now I have two SM951, I want to make it OSX and windows10 for each. Will I see an efi option on the windows installation? (again what efi boot was this? a new way or iso or disk image?)

Also since I am using NVIDIA webdriver (I do have gt120, for installation purpose), after your installation process, Do I still have to be able to see the "boot screen" for windows10? Meaning there won't be windows10 "startup disk" in the system preference?
 

Prince134

macrumors 6502
Aug 17, 2010
338
153
Hi every one,

If buster84 could help, or anyone?

I only have experience with win7 and SATA drive for bootcamp. I have a GT120 so I can handle the boot screen for installation. I am just hoping I don't have to use GT120 every time I boot because I have to use Nvidia web driver for my Titan X.

When should the efi be created for SM951? under win10 or Disk utilities? and after a successful installation, will I see a "startup disk" in the System Preference Pane that we normally switch between the OS? Or because it's efi so I won't be seeing it? Do I need to have boot screen whenever I choose SM951 as boot camp?
 

buster84

macrumors 6502
Oct 7, 2013
428
156
I only have experience with win7 and SATA drive for bootcamp. I have a GT120 so I can handle the boot screen for installation. I am just hoping I don't have to use GT120 every time I boot because I have to use Nvidia web driver for my Titan X.

You'll have to keep the gt120 in all the time if you if you want windows to boot off the sm951.

When should the efi be created for SM951? under win10 or Disk utilities? and after a successful installation, will I see a "startup disk" in the System Preference Pane that we normally switch between the OS? Or because it's efi so I won't be seeing it? Do I need to have boot screen whenever I choose SM951 as boot camp?

Ill type it out to help, but its been a while since i did this and im no longer using my mac for windows anymore.

1) Go here to get the disc if you dont have one already https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sof...459594)(TnL5HPStwNw-4ZLYxN_o58CCgI0SGWlfrw)()
2) Download the bootcamp drivers by using the bootcamp program. If you happen to create a bootcamp partition delete it right after.
3) Put your windows 10 disc into your drive then restart the mac
4) Hold the option key down once you hear the chime which will bring up the apple boot menu.
5) You should see two windows 10 options, the normal one and one that says EFI boot. Choose the EFI boot.
6) Proceed through the installation normally. Once you go through the installation and it restarts you may or may not have to hold down the option button again to get it to finish the install.
7) If it doesnt automatically continue the install, pull out the disc and hold the option key and select the windows 10 efi partition you just created.
8) Once the setup fully finishes and installs install bootcamp.

After this you're good to go, but you have to use the apple boot option and manually choose the efi windows partition in order to boot. Since you want to use your titan x and not have to leave your gt120 installed your best option is to look online for some kind of boot selection program that will provide a boot menu for you after it passes the apple boot and turns the monitor on.

I dont remember what its called, but i remember someone on the forums once talking about a program that worked like that. Maybe someone can help, or a good thorough forum search can do the same.
 

Prince134

macrumors 6502
Aug 17, 2010
338
153
buster84, thanks a millions for the help and truly understood my issue. I am sure it benefits others too . Again, thump up!!
 
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