How to dual boot Windows 8.1 and CentOS 6.4

Here's the guide in order to have a successful dual booting Windows 8.1 and CentOS 6.4. First, you need to download EasyBCD Software, this software is developed by NeoSmart Technologies to configure and tweak BCD (Boot Configuration Data). You can download at their site neosmart.net.

For me, I downloaded a torrent here. Then install it. After the installation, run the application in Administrator just in case.

In my case I already installed the CentOS.

 First thing to do, click the BCD Backup/Repair on left menu and click Backup Settings.

 

Then click Add New Entry button and select Linux/BSD tab, select GRUB (Legacy), rename what you like for me I named it CentOS 6.4, check the box "Use EasyBCD's copy of GRUB" and lastly click Add Entry once.



The click View Settings in order to verify if it is added.



And lastly click Edit Boot Menu. Select what OS you want to default. For this example I set as default the Windows 8.1 Enterprise. You can change the Timeout Options if you want and click Save Settings.



Now the tricky part.

Run a Text Editor as Administrator, and go to drive C:\ search for a file which is recently created for me its named "ANG1", just search a file started with a name "ANG" and drag it in the text editor.

Press Ctrl+F and find all words starting with hd and you can see there are six root (hd-1,-1) displayed. Change that all into root (hd0,4) where my CentOS installed on that partition.

How did I know that its root (hd0,4)? Well if you can login into your CentOS and go to /boot/grub/grub.conf you can see there what root (hd) where your kernel of your CentOS is booted. In my case its root (hd1,4) I simply change the 1 to 0, and also in my windows root (hd1,0) change the 1 to 0 and save that grub.conf file in your CentOS.

Because I  have C: and E: Partition, before I shrink the volume of E: Partition to create a Free Space where I installed the CentOS. This partitions are only in one hard drive.

In CentOS partition:

swap 4096 MB
/boot 200 MB - ext4
/ full free space - ext4

But, in your case if you have C: partition only and you shrink it to create free space for your CentOS you need to select the partition where the boot of your linux resides.

That's it, if you have question or if you want to help you can post your comment bellow or send me an email @ vergzdeapoloz@gmail.com. Thanks.