Dual SSD Boot Drives (one with Mac OSX and Windows?)

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timberclipse

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Oct 25, 2013
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Hello,

I am helping a friend set up a new custom PC/Custom Mac. I know you can dual boot from a single drive to both, but I wanted to find out if you could have two (separate) boot drives and then just choose if you want to boot to Drive A (Mac) or Drive B (Windows) from the BIOS upon start?

Would this be safe? Would there be any problems with this as a setup?

To me, it seems more secure as each is on its own. If a drive fails, you don't lose both the Mac and Windows side of things, you can run off the other until it is back online and then start 'er back up. However, that would mean that the other system disk is mounting as an external drive. I don't see that causing a problem, but does anyone else?

Thanks so much!
 
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drtweak

drtweak

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Sep 17, 2012
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This theoretically should work. I don't know of or head of anyone trying this. I would just follow the normal instructions they use to install Mac on a PC but then just when they talk about any formatting of a partation or anything replace that with the other drive.

If if does work please let us know! And if you run into any bumps just come back and ask!
 
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timberclipse

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Oct 25, 2013
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Yeah, I will hold off a bit more to see if anyone else has experience. I currently have a build running OSX that runs great, so, I know how to do that side, installing Windows will actually be the new part for me, but from what I see is pretty simple.

But like you said, I haven't really seen this done before, so was hoping to poke around.
 
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giantbucket

giantbucket

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what about using one of those cases that has an externally accessible HDD port, by which i mean a lid where you can slide in an SSD and the normal SATA connections are connected to the mobo just as if the drive was physically inside?

you could then just pop in whichever SSD OS you need, and boot as if the other doesn't exist.
 
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timberclipse

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Definitely a possibility, do you have any suggestions? Currently I am looking at the P280 Case.
 
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giantbucket

giantbucket

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no specific ideas - i just noticed one and found it an interesting feature when i was poking around my local computer store. i can take a closer look as to the mfg/model next time i'm there (which will likely be in the next 1-3 days anyways)
 
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timberclipse

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I would definitely be interested to see.

Thanks so much!
 
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drtweak

drtweak

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yea my case has two hot swap drive bays. A lot of cases today come with a built in 2.5 inch drive dock at the top. If not there are a lot of brands of hard drive caddys that fit in a 5.25 bay.

The other this is to still run both SSD's in the same box but don't have one SSD plugged in at a time when you install the OS. Then plug them both back in and set the one which you will want to go into the most as the defualt Boot Hard drive and then if you want to get into the other just Hit what ever key your PC uses for the Boot menu and then select the other OS? This was both SSD's inside, no need to look for a specific case or buy extra hot swap hardware and it won't be real dual booting just dual OS Drives.
 
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timberclipse

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Just confirming, but, I think this was my plan. Two SSDs within a single box. One has OSX and one has Windows OS. Then I can choose from the boot menu for whichever drive I would want to use.

That is correct?
 
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drtweak

drtweak

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Yup! that one is without issues. Usually when people "Dual Boot" they all use the same bootloader and then you select the OS from a Boot loader Menu. But if you do two seperate drives that have nothing to do with each other you won't have issues at all
 
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timberclipse

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Oct 25, 2013
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Awesome! That's what I was hoping to hear! Thanks!
 
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giantbucket

giantbucket

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in case you're still wondering about the case with a dock up top, this is the one I was thinking about:

NZXT H2 Classic Silent Midtower (at least that's the model here in Canada)
goes for $105 up here

here's a 3.5" drive in the bay:
H2_blk_004_800x600.jpg

 
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popatim

popatim

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You dont need to go to that length to do this. I triple boot my system, just none of the OS's are mac. LoL
Install one harddrive followed by the OS for it. Power off.
Install the second hard drive, disconnect the sata cable on the 1st drive, install the next os. power off.
reconnect the first hdd. power on and enter the bios. In the boot order select which hdd you want to be your normal bootup OS.

Now when you want to boot up to the other OS you simply press the f-key option to 'select boot device' during POST (often its f11 or f12) and select the other drive. No need to go into the bios and change the boot order or anything. Piece of cake :)
 
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