Dual Booting NixOS and Windows - Revision history

Phobos: Updated syntax

2026-02-10T00:05:57Z

Updated syntax

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:05, 10 February 2026
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	* the <code>boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;</code> line added to configuration.nix by <code>nixos-generate-config</code> has been removed		* the <code>boot.loader.systemd-boot.enable = true;</code> line added to configuration.nix by <code>nixos-generate-config</code> has been removed

	{{File\|~~/etc/nixos/configuration.nix\|nix\|<nowiki>~~		{{File\|3={ config, ... }:
	{ config, ... }:

	{		{
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	}		}
	'';		'';
	~~version = 2;~~
	};		};
	};		};
	}</~~nowiki>~~}}		}\|name=/etc/nixos/configuration.nix\|lang=nix}}

	==== EFI with multiple disks ====		==== EFI with multiple disks ====

Pigs: Add category booting

2025-05-24T18:35:54Z

Add category booting

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:35, 24 May 2025
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	This section explains various methods to have the bootloader prompt whether to boot windows or NixOS.		This section explains various methods to have the [[bootloader]] prompt whether to boot windows or NixOS.

	== Autodetection ==		== Autodetection ==
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	== See also ==		== See also ==
			* [[GNU GRUB]]
	* [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#Windows_installed_in_UEFI-GPT_Mode_menu_entry Arch Linux wiki#GRUB]		* [https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#Windows_installed_in_UEFI-GPT_Mode_menu_entry Arch Linux wiki#GRUB]
	* [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/grub/install-grub.pl NixOS GRUB installer] (check the code block beginning with <nowiki># install EFI GRUB</nowiki>)		* [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/modules/system/boot/loader/grub/install-grub.pl NixOS GRUB installer] (check the code block beginning with <nowiki># install EFI GRUB</nowiki>)

	[[Category:Cookbook]][[Category:NixOS]]		[[Category:Cookbook]]
			[[Category:NixOS]]
			[[Category:Booting]]

Nicdumz: /* System time */ arch linux recommends setting MS to UTC, point this out

2025-01-04T19:05:12Z

System time: arch linux recommends setting MS to UTC, point this out

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:05, 4 January 2025
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	== System time ==		== System time ==

	System clock might be incorrect after booting Windows and going back to ~~the NixOS. It can be fixed by either setting RTC time standard to UTC on Windows, or setting it to localtime on~~ NixOS.		System clock might be incorrect after booting Windows and going back to NixOS.

	~~Setting~~ RTC time standard to localtime, compatible with Windows in its default configuration:		It can be fixed by setting RTC time standard to UTC on Windows (''recommended'', see [https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_time#UTC_in_Microsoft_Windows how to do this]).

			Alternatively, you can set NixOS RTC time standard to localtime, compatible with Windows in its default configuration:

	{{file\|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix\|nix\|<nowiki>		{{file\|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix\|nix\|<nowiki>
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	}</nowiki>}}		}</nowiki>}}

	See [https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_time#Time_standard Arch Linux wiki#System time].		See [https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/System_time#Time_standard Arch Linux wiki#System time] for discussion of both options.

	== See also ==		== See also ==

Nicdumz: /* systemd-boot */ more elegant way to dual-boot windows in uefi mode (at least as of 24.11)

2025-01-04T18:18:23Z

systemd-boot: more elegant way to dual-boot windows in uefi mode (at least as of 24.11)

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:18, 4 January 2025
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	===== systemd-boot =====		===== systemd-boot =====
	As systemd-boot cannot directly load binaries from other ESPs<ref>https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/3252</ref>, let alone other disks, we have to employ [https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=unstable&show=edk2-uefi-shell&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=edk2-uefi-shell edk2-uefi-shell] to implement a chainloading strategy<ref>https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd-boot#Boot_from_another_disk</ref>. The basic config looks like this:{{File\|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix\|nix\|<nowiki>		As systemd-boot cannot directly load binaries from other ESPs<ref>https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/3252</ref>, let alone other disks, we have to employ [https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=unstable&show=edk2-uefi-shell&from=0&size=50&sort=relevance&type=packages&query=edk2-uefi-shell edk2-uefi-shell] to implement a chainloading strategy<ref>https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Systemd-boot#Boot_from_another_disk</ref>. The basic config looks like this:{{File\|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix\|nix\|<nowiki>
	{ ~~config,~~ ... }:		{ ... }:

	{		{
	boot.loader = {		boot.loader = {
	~~systemd-boot.enable = true;~~
	efi.canTouchEfiVariables = true;		efi.canTouchEfiVariables = true;

	~~# Copy EDK2 Shell to boot partition~~		systemd-boot = {
	systemd-boot~~.extraFiles."efi/shell.efi"~~ = "${~~pkgs.edk2-uefi-shell}/shell.efi"~~;		enable = true;
	~~systemd-boot.extraEntries~~ = {
	~~# Chainload Windows bootloader via EDK2 Shell~~		windows = {
	"windows~~.conf~~" =		"windows" =
	let		let
	# To determine the name of the windows boot drive, boot into edk2 first, then run		# To determine the name of the windows boot drive, boot into edk2 first, then run
	# `map -c` to get drive aliases, and try out running `FS1:`, then `ls EFI` to check		# `map -c` to get drive aliases, and try out running `FS1:`, then `ls EFI` to check
	# which alias corresponds to which EFI partition.		# which alias corresponds to which EFI partition.
	boot-drive = "FS1";		boot-drive = "FS1";
	in		in
	''		{
	title Windows ~~Bootloader~~		title = "Windows";
	~~efi /efi/shell.efi~~		efiDeviceHandle = boot-drive;
	~~options -nointerrupt -nomap -noversion ${~~boot-drive~~}:EFI\Microsoft\Boot\Bootmgfw.efi~~		sortKey = "y_windows";
	~~sort-key~~ y_windows		};
	'';		};
	~~# Make EDK2 Shell available as a boot option~~
	"edk2-uefi-shell.~~conf"~~ = ''		edk2-uefi-shell.enable = true;
	~~title EDK2 UEFI Shell~~		edk2-uefi-shell.sortKey = "z_edk2";
	~~efi /efi/~~shell.~~efi~~
	~~sort-key~~ z_edk2
	'';
	};		};
	};		};

IFreilicht: Add method to boot Windows if it is installed on a different drive than NixOS

2024-09-24T10:06:58Z

Add method to boot Windows if it is installed on a different drive than NixOS

@@ Line 121: / Line 121: @@
 ==== EFI with multiple disks ====
-When Windows is installed on another disk with a separate EFI partition, the following might work:
+===== systemd-boot =====
 {{File|/etc/nixos/configuration.nix|nix|<nowiki>

Phanirithvij: remove original and have only archive mirror

2024-09-15T09:59:46Z

remove original and have only archive mirror

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:59, 15 September 2024
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	After setting up a 256mb EFI Partition dualboot should work out of the box (at least for windows10)		After setting up a 256mb EFI Partition dualboot should work out of the box (at least for windows10)

	Source: https://zimbatm.com/journal/2016/09/09/nixos-window-dual-boot~~/ ([https://web.archive.org/web/20170523065625/https:/~~/zimbatm.com/journal/2016/09/09/nixos-window-dual-boot~~/ Archive.org Mirror~~])		Source: [https://web.archive.org/web/20170523065625/https://zimbatm.com/journal/2016/09/09/nixos-window-dual-boot/ zimbatm.com/journal/2016/09/09/nixos-window-dual-boot]

	Here is another article that documents dual booting NixOS and Windows on a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (6th Gen): https://github.com/andywhite37/nixos/blob/master/DUAL_BOOT_WINDOWS_GUIDE.md		Here is another article that documents dual booting NixOS and Windows on a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (6th Gen): https://github.com/andywhite37/nixos/blob/master/DUAL_BOOT_WINDOWS_GUIDE.md

Sdht0: /* Grub */ Remove old info

2024-04-08T05:32:50Z

Grub: Remove old info

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:32, 8 April 2024
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	==== Grub ====		==== Grub ====

	~~<nowiki>systemd-boot</nowiki> can not load EFI binaries from other partitions,~~
	and a pre-existing EFI partition from a Windows install may be smaller than we would like our <nowiki>/boot</nowiki> partition to be. If we still want Windows and NixOS to use the same EFI partition, we can use GRUB instead.

	Here we assume:		Here we assume:

Sdht0: /* systemd-boot */ Mention xbootldr

2024-04-08T05:32:20Z

systemd-boot: Mention xbootldr

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 === systemd-boot ===
-{{ic|systemd-boot}} will automatically detect an Windows installation ({{ic|/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi}}) present on the EFI System Partition (ESP) and add it as a boot option.
+When {{ic|systemd-boot}} is installed to the same EFI System Partition (ESP) that Windows uses, it will automatically detect the Windows installation ({{ic|/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi}}) and present it as a boot option.
 You can verify detected boot loaders by running the {{ic|bootctl}} command.
 === os-prober ===

Sdht0: /* systemd-boot */ mention bootctl

2024-04-08T05:18:05Z

systemd-boot: mention bootctl

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:18, 8 April 2024
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	{{ic\|systemd-boot}} will automatically detect an Windows installation ({{ic\|/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi}}) present on the EFI System Partition (ESP) and add it as a boot option.		{{ic\|systemd-boot}} will automatically detect an Windows installation ({{ic\|/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi}}) present on the EFI System Partition (ESP) and add it as a boot option.

			You can verify detected boot loaders by running the {{ic\|bootctl}} command.

	=== os-prober ===		=== os-prober ===

Sdht0: /* systemd-boot */ copy edit

2024-04-08T05:15:55Z

systemd-boot: copy edit

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:15, 8 April 2024
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	=== systemd-boot ===		=== systemd-boot ===

	~~If <code>\~~EFI\Microsoft\Boot\bootmgfw.efi~~</code> is detected~~ on the EFI System Partition (ESP), it ~~will be loaded by systemd-~~boot ~~automatically.~~		{{ic\|systemd-boot}} will automatically detect an Windows installation ({{ic\|/EFI/Microsoft/Boot/bootmgfw.efi}}) present on the EFI System Partition (ESP) and add it as a boot option.
	~~Therefore, on EFI systems, it may be simplest to resize the existing ESP to at least 500 megabytes, and share that ESP for NixOS~~.

	=== os-prober ===		=== os-prober ===