Kali and Windows 8.1 dual boot install in UEFI easy solution
I joined this forum today to post this, actually.
After searching the internet tirelessly yesterday and not finding a thing to help me, I figured out this simple solution out on my own. I couldn't find ANYTHING out there as simple and easy as this. I understand the immense frustration that Windows 8 has brought to the world so if my struggle brought something that helps you, I'm glad!!!
My PC (Acer Aspire Laptop 500GB HDD 64 bit dual core 8GB RAM) runs Windows 8.1 and I was trying to install a dual boot with Kali (latest version 1.1.0a 64 bit). Using a DVD as I had to do for Mint wasn't working (all it gave me was a black screen) so I used a live USB.
- In BIOS on Windows 8.1 (f2 during restart or hold down shift as you hit restart and then go into advanced settings, UEFI settings) you want to keep it set on UEFI.
- Go in the Security tab and set a Supervisor Password. (You only need a supervisor pw, nothing more. REMEMBER IT bcuz now every time you boot into BIOS you'll need to type that pw to get in and change the settings.)
- This will unlock all the features so you can navigate the lists fully!!! OMFG seriously why could I find nothing with this simple little trick connected to any Kali Linux tutorials?! It opens up everything I need to set up Linux, it gave me the key to controlling BIOS so Windows does what I want without a fight.
- While your there, delete any secure boot settings you may have unknowingly set up in the past to clear the list. Windows should add the necessary allowances back on as you boot from various devices, or so I've read.
- Now go into the Boot tab. You'll see that you can now turn off Secure Boot WITHOUT needing to switch it to Legacy. (YAY!!! bcuz you really don't want to be running it in Legacy all the time)
- While you're there, switch the boot order so you can boot from your live USB of Kali.
- Save and restart the computer.
- It should boot from the USB as on ordinary instructions for installation, so set it up, select the partition you want to install to, etc. (I had used Partition Wizard to partition my drive beforehand bcuz Windows partition manager said my drive needed to be defragged fifty billion times and then it still wouldn't let me partition. I partitioned leaving the space for Kali unallocated and unformatted and let the install do the rest.)
- Now after you install and your computer restarts it will boot directly into Windows. Don't panic! Restart into boot manager again and under boot, you should see the Kali partition as one of your boot options.
- If it doesn't show at first, restart once more bcuz sometimes it doesn't pop up the first restart.
- If it continually doesn't do it, cuss loudly at your PC, wipe the hard drive and replace it with Linux bcuz Windows sucks.
Jk!!! :p Although this was what I did the first time I ever installed a Linux distro, just try your install again through the USB bcuz there was an error in set-up. I don't advise rage quitting Windows like I did bcuz I later had to have it reinstalled at the PC store from a manufacter's disk and I'd wiped all my files in my rage and lost important stuff so....oops.
- Move Kali to spot #1 in boot order once it shows up, it should boot just fine. Now any time you want to boot into Windows instead, just go into BIOS again by hitting f2 during restart and change the boot order to whatever it lists for your PC's HDD or whatever you have.
The only problem I encountered was a minor screw up in set up so I couldn't log in when I first started Kali, an issue I'd encountered before. I'd neglected to set up a proper user account. I restarted and booted in safe mode, then used grub to add a user and user group. Boom, I'm in.
Everything is fully functional, runs smoothly, and I really truly wish that I'd known that simple trick before spending an entire day near tears of frustration!
