Windows 7 / Ubuntu 12.10 updates EFI partition?

[geohei]

Hi.

I freshly installed Windows 7 and Ubuntu 12.10 (dual boot) and would like to backup them regularly, separately. The disk is using GPT.

Questions:
Do Windows 7 system updates touch the EFI partition?
Do Ubuntu system updates touch the EFI partition?

I'd like to know this in order to adapt my image backup strategy for both operating systems.

Thanks,

 

[ViRGE]

Yes, the EFI partition is sometimes updated if a Windows update gets pushed out that updates the bootloader. But the EFI partition should be small enough that you should back it up regularly anyhow.

 

[geohei]

The problem is not the size. 100 MB are definitely not an issue. It's more the following.

I have dual boot. Windows 7 [W7] and Ubuntu 12.10 [U1210]. Both system might change EFI partition. Now, I keep on installing and using both operating systems [OS]. If one OS gets too slow (too much test software installed), I restore an image backup. However I always used to do this for one OS only; either W7 or U1210.

But knowing now that W7 and U1210 update the EFI partition, I need to change my backup strategy due EFI updates either being missed or updated twice. Both situations should be avoided!

I explain (fictive example, all backups for EFI, W7 system and U1210 system partitions):
jan 2013 - fresh install of W7 and U1210 -> backup 1
feb 2013 - new software for W7 -> backup 2
mar 2013 - new software for U1210 -> backup 3

Before creating backup 2, I restore backup 1 (EFI ??? and W7 partition) and install new software for W7. Now ... if I restore EFI partition, I might kill U1210 EFI updates done so far, making U1210 inconsistent. If I don't restore the EFI partition W7 updates might provide updates which are already installed. Same applies for U1210 updates ...

Both situations are definitely creating inconsistencies.

How should I resolve this ... ?!

The only solution I see is to restore image backups for all 3 partitions (full restore), install new software to both OSs at the same time, and then create an image backup for all 3 partitions (full backup).

 

[ViRGE]

In all likelihood you can get away with not restoring the EFI partition with the system partition. While the EFI partition is updated (and as such should be backed up), what's kept on it is mostly independent. Restoring an old version of Ubuntu or Windows should not require restoring an older version of the EFI partition. You want to keep a copy in case you do a full disk wipe, otherwise leaving it alone shouldn't be a big problem.

With that said, in a situation like yours you should be seriously considering fully independent OS installs. In other words, each OS gets its own HDD so that nothing is shared. Or perhaps a hybrid approach where Ubuntu is in WUBI mode (that way Windows is in sole control of bootloading).

 

[geohei]

In all likelihood you can get away with not restoring the EFI partition with the system partition. While the EFI partition is updated (and as such should be backed up), what's kept on it is mostly independent. Restoring an old version of Ubuntu or Windows should not require restoring an older version of the EFI partition. You want to keep a copy in case you do a full disk wipe, otherwise leaving it alone shouldn't be a big problem.

This would produce double updates for the EFI. I honestly don't know whether this will just run fine, or will create update errors with possible update interruptions. I just don't know, but I don't want to take a a chance since the system should be in an 24/7 productive environment.

In all likelihood you can get away with not restoring the EFI partition with the system partition. While the EFI partition is updated (and as such should be backed up), what's kept on it is mostly independent. Restoring an old version of Ubuntu or Windows should not require restoring an older version of the EFI partition. You want to keep a copy in case you do a full disk wipe, otherwise leaving it alone shouldn't be a big problem.

With that said, in a situation like yours you should be seriously considering fully independent OS installs. In other words, each OS gets its own HDD so that nothing is shared. Or perhaps a hybrid approach where Ubuntu is in WUBI mode (that way Windows is in sole control of bootloading).

Yeah ... would probably be the most "clean" solution. I thought already of separate HDDs, but WUBI might indeed be another approach.

Thanks a lot for your comments!

 

[Jodell88]

WUBI is really meant for testing and not actually for production even though it's possible that you won't have any issues with it.