[GUIDE] RemixOS Beta + Windows Dual Boot (Simple and Error free)

[Gökhan Çokşen]

WARNING: THIS GUIDE IS FOR LEGACY BOOTING, NOT AN UEFI BOOT METHOD.

As far as i see here, some people has experienced booting problems with the tool provided by RemixOS Team. The tool is a modified version of famous Unetbootin software.

Here i show you a simple clean install that you don't need that installer. 

ADVANTAGES:

1- Supports OTA updates (Advised that 2 gb unused free space is present. Because every time RemixOS is OTA updated, system.sfs file is recreated and needs a free space)

2- Easy to backup - restore (All you need is to back up data.img and system.img/system.sfs files in a safe place. Whenever you f****d the system up, delete and restore them with the original ones) 

3- Easy to update (If you don't update your system via OTA update, download latest RemixOS iso. Open/mount iso file. Replace system.sfs, initrd.img, ramdisk.img and kernel files with old ones)

Those who affected from no ubnldr error and Error 15: menu.lst couldn't be found.

This is for you. It is totally error free ONLY IF YOU DO WHAT I WROTE IN THIS GUIDE.
Here we go.

All you needs
1- RemixOS Beta iso file.

2- RMXTools software (For rooting purpose and creating data.img file that stores your apps and all your settings)

Download link and how to create data.img

RMXTools

Rooting process

Do you want to root your RemixOS? Go ahead.

3- initrd file - included in my package (This is a modified initrd file. In case of you root your Remix OS beta, this is essential to boot. New remix os beta doesn't boot rooted system.img file, so change the original initrd file with this)

4- Bootice software - included in my package (For installing Grub4DOS grub loader to mbr of your hdd)

5- grldr, grldr.mbr and menu.lst files - included in my package

6- A LIVE WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM.
This is NOT essential. But in case of your system doesn't boot, boot from this windows live cd and run bootice. Restore to your previous mbr that you will see how to backup in 4th step.

STEPS

WARNING: Read carefully the instructions. If you don't have an idea what are being done, please don't dare to anything.

I am not responsible from your wrong actions.

1- Create a new NTFS partition sized 10-12 GB.

2- Mount remixos iso with windows explorer and copy all of content to the partition that you created in first step.

3- Run RMXTools, create your data.img (7-8 gb is well enough)
Optional: You can root your system.img file if you want. Tutorial is above.

In case of you root your system.img file, you have to change initrd.img file with the one i provided in the attachment.

4- Run Bootice AS ADMINISTRATOR. (I put two version. x86 and x64). Choose your destination disk (If you want to install to usb, its ok, just select your usb drive)
Click Process MBR. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU FIRSTLY DO A BACKUP OF YOUR MBR by clicking "Backup MBR". SAVE IT TO A SAFE PLACE.
After backup process, go back and choose 2nd option - grub4dos (grldr.mbr) option and click "Install/Config" and "Save to Disk".

Grub4DOS is now installed to mbr of your hdd.

5- Copy grldr, grldr.mbr and menu.lst to root dir of your C: drive.
Run Bootice, choose your hdd, click "Parts Manage". You will see a table.
Learn the number of the partition that you want to install remixos on it. For example; if its number is 3, then open menu.lst with notepad, change the line "root (hd0,1)" as "root (hd0,3)"

EDIT:  In menu.lst, plz shift find --set-root /kernel with find --set-root /system.img.

6- Enjoy it.

I hope this helps your boot problems.

NOTE: Finding good boot parameters is something related with patience. So don't give up trying, if you want a perfect, error-free multiboot experience.

[Jordan Thompson]

Great tutorial. A lot more control of installation, which I think is needed. One thing though, are you sure you need the initrd.img just to boot? When I first installed beta, I rooted as per usual manually on Debian. Remix OS booted just fine, SuperSU and other root utilities just had no write ability to system.img, so they didn't function correctly, like SuperSU not being able to update.

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Yes, i'm sure. I also rooted with the Ubuntu method. SuperSU was injected and system seemed to be rooted by 3rd party apps. But i couldn't have r/w access to root partition.

Look, how the creator of rmxtools explains this issue.

"Root for Beta release
Due to new option set system.img Read-Only in initrd.img the Root will fail
so to Root Remix OS beta release use the old method and replace initrd.img with the one that I provided below"

http://forum.xda-developers.com/remix/remix-os/rmxtools-remix-os-data-img-t3308158

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Reserved.

Tripple boot option (Windows + Linux + Remix OS, If you use hackintosh even Quad Boot ) by GNU GRUB or GRUB2 will be here.

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Up.
I thought this is a missing guide and prepared fussily. Let me know if it works for you.

[Makarima Fahreza Fathony]

So, the file system is NTFS, right?

[Gökhan Çokşen]

yeah, the partition for your remixos files is ntfs. the data.img file that you create by rmxtools is ext4 formatted.

[dgdn]

NOTE: THIS PROCEDURE IS FOR INSTALL, BOOTING on UEFI DISK.

INSTALLED REMIX_OS TO EXT4 PARTITION

---------------------------------------------------------------

120GB SSD, EFI disk with Windows 10, 64 bit installed

                  (running enet NOT wifi)

shrink volume by 10GB (10240mb), rebooted...

                  (used disk management)

used gparted live USB to format 10GB to primary ext4 partition (gets letter D after reboot)

                   (http://gparted.org/download.php)

ran remixos-installation-tool-B2016030102.exe

followed directions, selected hard disk, volume D

reboot, get choice of windows 10 or remix_os on boot

remix running fine, need to take time to do gapps now...

[Alex Amaral]

dude, i didn't understand tha part of mount the image (i'm usingg winrar already), and create a data.img? How to use this RMXtool?

[Gökhan Çokşen]

In windows 8+, iso files are mounted automatically by double clicking. you can see the content from win explorer. alternatively, you can extract the content of iso by winrar. it can handle iso files and can extract.
as to rmxtools, pls check the link. you can see how to create data.img.

[Alexander W]

Thank you very much for this Guide.
But unfortunately i got an error when i try to boot Remix OS.
It stops at "Booting the Kernel"

I have made a screenshot.

Can you help me here please?

[Gökhan Çokşen]

My guide aims users to install grub4dos bootloader in order to multiboot with windows. Because installer of remixos causes several errors relating ubnldr and menu lst files.

I provided a good working menu.lst and grldr files.

It seems you successfully carried out my guide and reached to a level. 

But from now on, i don't know why you can't boot. There might be several causes relating to your hardware. You have to modify linux line in menu.lst file according to your hardware.

There are so many options. The most known ones are related with AMD cpus and and new gpus. Pls specify your hardware.

[Alexander W]

I have a ASUS X50VL  Notebook

Intel Core 2 Duo 2x 2.0  GHz
2 GB Ram
ATI Radeon X2300 Graphics


I have installed the beta with included tool to USB drive and that works fine...then i tried to install to hard disk and i got the NO UBNLDR error message.
Now i tried your guide, but stucks as this point mentioned above

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Your screenshot shows that grubloader works fine and do its job. Since it hangs on somewhere, it might be related with wrongly configured menu.lst file. I provided a sample menu.lst file. You have to reconfigure it for your system.

You said you were ok when you boot from usb. You can copy-paste that working menu.lst file from usb to your harddisk.

Plus, have you rooted system.img with rmxtools?

If you have not, try to place original initrd file. Extract it from remixos iso and replace with the modified one i provided.

[Alexander W]

There is no menu.lst file on the usb drive.
I didnt use the modifief initrd file and i dont have rootet.

[Gökhan Çokşen]

There must be. Because the tool installs ubnldr (unetbootin loader) to mbr of your usb. And ubnldr learns how to boot your system via a menu.lst. Totally same logic with grldr.

Wait please. I will try to install on my usb. Lets look where it is.

[Alexander W]

Thank you

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Damn! I couldn't find the iso and tool. I guess i have deleted after i got success.

But something got my attention.

Could you shift find --set-root /kernel with find --set-root /system.img in menu.lst. It might be helpfull.

[Alexander W]

Yes...now it works for me...Thank you very much

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Good to hear :)

[Alex Amaral]

Ok, i followed the guide properly and the boot finally worked, but now i'm stuck on the REMIX OS picture for 45 min... I have installed phoenix OS and it runs quite ok (except the sound doesn't work), so i don't believe is a hardware problem... Any ideas??

Anyway, thanks for all dude!

[Bilall Uksh]

why couldnt I choose mbr only pbr? 

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Do not compare remix os with phoenix os. Both are forked from Android-x86 but, eventually they are different.

My laptop runs remix os with no problem, while phoenix os is stuck on the phoenix logo (similiar to yours). So it doesn't mean your system can boot remix os because it can boot phoenix os.

Lets back to the case. Try to add DEBUG=1 to linux line in menu.lst. Remix will boot in verbose mode. So lets see why it doesnt boot.

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Sorry, i couldnt get what you said.

[jianye9...@gmail.com]

thanks for this great tutorial.
What to do if i dont want the boot selection menu and want to uninstall remix os?

[Gökhan Çokşen]

just go back to previous mbr that you created in backup phase (follow the guide).

didn't you make a backup? never mind. boot from a live windows. run bootice software, choose your hdd, click process mbr. choose the last option - windows nt 6.0. click install-save.

secondly delete grldr, grldr.mbr and menu.lst files.

finally format the drive that you have created for remixos.

[high.defi...@gmail.com]

I'm stuck at Step 4. It cannot edit MBR and shows error "Write file failed. Access is denied"
What should I do now? I have Windows 10.

[high.defi...@gmail.com]

One more question - it is dual-boot or only boot for Remix?

[Gökhan Çokşen]

As you see in menu.lst and in the name of this topic, it is dual boot.
As to error you got, try to run bootice as administrator.

[high.defi...@gmail.com]

I run Bootice as admin a hundred times and still not working...

[Gökhan Çokşen]

If your system is uefi based and your hdd partition has gpt architecture, you can't apply this method as i stated in the beginning. Be sure your system has legacy boot and your hdd has mbr architecture (to be sure; right click on computer/ click manage/ computer management/ disk management)
Otherwise i have no idea why you get such an error. Alternatively, try to boot from live windows XP. Run booticex86 under this system.

[high.defi...@gmail.com]

Finally, I succeeded in booting into RemixOS after, but in another way.

I used Android x86 Easy Installer. The program helped me create Grub and data.img, but nothing was extracted from the ISO (as the RemixOS was not Android x86 official ISO), so I had to copy contents manually.
Then I used your menu.lst and made changes to the path. Because the Installer placed the OS inside a folder (specifically G:\Android), so I changed /system.img to /Android/system.img, and the same for kernel, initrd.img, SRC=/, DATA=

Anyway thanks for the file menu.lst. Without that, the OS would not boot either.

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Yeah, a logical method. Well done :)

[Sambit Bhaumik]

In where i require to click on "Process MBR" its greyed out, only "Process PBR" is available on Bootice.

NOTE: I created a 50 GB NTFS Partition disk named "R"  for loading Remix OS. Please help me out.

[Gökhan Çokşen]

are you sure that;
- your system boots legacy mode and your hdd has mbr architecture?
- you run bootice as administrator?

[Larry Underhill]

I tried it out on Dell laptop and doesn't work. I used method in xda forum with great success much simpler

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Good for you xda boy.

[jianye9...@gmail.com]

Oh no! My second time startup my laptop
It show
Try (hd0,0):non -Ms: Skip
Try (hd0,1):NTFS5 :

and it's stuck, never boot to my windows... i have lots of docs.
How to boot normally, pls assits, thanks.

[Gökhan Çokşen]

calm down. you can revert the changes by going back to previous mbr.
AS I STATED AND WARNED IN THE GUIDE, you need a windows live (pe) cd and mbr backup. If you don't make backup, no problem. Run bootice under live windows. select your hdd and install "windows nt6" mbr. your pc will directly boot into win 7/8/10.

[Sambit Bhaumik]

Yup see >>

[sankar.b...@gmail.com]

Computer not loading to Windows. I had made a backup in pendrive. Please help!!!

[Alex Amaral]

Still stuck at the logo REMIX OS

[duruca...@gmail.com]

Hocam Elini Ayağını Öpem Bi Kuramadım Şunu be Normal RemixOSun verdiği programla HDDye kurunca ubnldr.mbr hatası veriyodu

Araştırdım Senin bu yazını buldum Dediklerine harfiyen uydum hatırlamıyom tam ama Sanırım File not found dedi herhalde Ne Yapmalıyım bide yazdığın şu editi anlamadım

In menu.lst, plz shift find --set-root /kernel with find --set-root /system.img.          --set-root/kernelin yanınamı --set root/system.img yazacaz yoksa başka bişeymi Kendi Anladığımı Yapınca Try (hd0,0):non -Ms: Skip 
              Try (hd0,1):NTFS5 :                Bu Hatayı Verdi Benmi Bir şeyi gözden kaçırdım anlamadım

Şimdiden Teşekkürler

[duruca...@gmail.com]

3 Nisan 2016 Pazar 20:32:17 UTC+3 tarihinde duruca...@gmail.com yazdı:

Edit;Try (hd0,0):non -Ms: Skip
       Try (hd0,1):NTFS5 :                   Bu Hatayı Aldım Dedimya Yedekten Hallettim o konuda sıkıntı yokta Yazdığın Editi Anlamadım

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Öncelikle dediklerimi harfiyen yaptığını varsayıyorum. Anlamadığın bir yer olursa yaz yine.
Bootice ile mbr yedeklemesini yapıp, harddiskin mbr sektörünü grub4dos olarak değiştirdikten sonra, verdiğim zip ekinde grldr, grldr.mbr ve menu.lst dosyalarını windows'un olduğu C dizinine kopyala. Çünkü bir önceki aşamada yüklediğin grub4dos bootloader, sana boot seçeneklerini sunmak için bu 3 dosyaya ihtiyaç duyar. Ilk bakacağı yer de C dizinidir.
Sonrasında yapılacak işlem menu.lst dosyasını editlemek. Remixos u harddiskte hangi numaralı sürücüye kurduğunu bootice yardımıyla parts manage kısmında öğrendikten sonra gelip menu.lst dosyasında yazacaksın. root (hd0,3) gibi mesela.
Editte yazdığım şey şu. Gönderdiğim menu.lst kısmında --set-root/kernel yazıyor. Kerneli silip system.img yazacaksın sadece.

[Çağatay Duru]

Hocam Söylediğiniz herşeye harfiyen uydum menu.Ist yide değiştirdim Boot Menüde RemixOS seçince File not found diyor Bide size gönderdiğim şu ss'e bi bakın Bu yüzdenmi File Not found diyor acaba.  Fark ettiyseniz D ile E nin toplamı 198GB Ama Part Managerda Ayrı Ayrı Göstermiyor Bende menu dosyasını düzenlerken (0,2) ama File not found Dedi

[Çağatay Duru]

Bu Arada D: NTFS formatlı Belki Ayrı gözükür diye Eyi Fat32 Yaptım Ama Nafile 10-15dk önce Ede NTFSdi E:yi Fat32 Yapınca Hepsi Fat32 Gözüküyor çok ilginç

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Fat32 değil ntfs olarak formatla.
Rmxtools ile oluşturduğumuz, bütün programların ayarların herşeyin üzerine yazıldığı data.img dosyasının boyutu çok büyük. Fat32 dosya sistemi 4gb dan büyük dosyaları okuyamaz.

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Zaten ben de 10-12 gb lık bir NTFS sürücü oluşturun demiştim. Sen niye

[Gökhan Çokşen]

FAT32 olarak formatladın ki? Kılavuzu iyice bi daha oku bence

[Alvin Jiang]

Hello... i tried ur method here... all was done... but when im restart my pc... i didnt see anything for booting Remix OS, just my Windows... im using Windows 7 32 bit.

[Çağatay Duru]

Hocam Önemli Bişey Buldum Konuya Ekleyin Çoğu Kişinin işine yarar umarım
Benim Disk Türüm Dinamikti Disk yöneticisinden disk bölerken uyarı çıkmıştı devam edersen dinamik olcak diye ondan oldu
Ben Bu Aşamaları yaparkende Dinamikti Zaten Formatlayacaktım Usbden Win Kurtarma Boot edip cmdden Diski silip Basit diske formatladım
Windows 10nu kurdum Sonra RemixOSin Kendi Programında Kurdum Oldu Hiç bir Hata Vermeden Yani Konuya eklersen Dinamikse Basite çevirin Normal Programdanda oluyor diye

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Sırf remixos kurmak için diski full formatlayıp sıfırdan windows kurmaya yanaşan olur mu bilemiyorum. Yine de bilgi için teşekkürler.

Öte yandan basit birim - dinamik birim olayını anlamadım. Gpt diskler hakkında bilgim yok ama mbr disklerde format işlemi primary ve extended olmak üzere iki şekilde oluyor. Extended partisyonlar da sayısız logical bölümlere ayrilabiliyor.
Dinamik olayı sanal sabit diskler için geçerli diye biliyorum. Örneğin; 40 gb.boyutlu bir sanal disk yarattınız. Bu fixed olursa gerçekte de harddiskte 40 gb yer kaplıyor. Ama dinamik olursa 1 - 2 mb. olup üzerine veri yazildikca genişliyor.

[billyba...@gmail.com]

Does this method works with Windows Xp + Remix OS 3?
I want to install it on a old 32bit netbook which works very slow (it seems a defect that can't be resolved).
So I would like to be sure before give this method a try.

[Gökhan Çokşen]

Since grldr (Grub4DOS) can also boot Windows XP, you may give a try.

But you have to make some modifications. Because the tutorial is for Win7/8/10 users. (These systems use bootmgr file as chainloader, while Win XP uses ntldr file). So you have to change menu.lst file for WinXP.

Plus, you need UltraISO software (Win7/8/10 can mount iso file via Windows Explorer, while Windows Explorer of Win XP can not mount)

[billyba...@gmail.com]

Thanks, that might work, but I already found a quick and easy solution.

I had already tried Remix OS 3 installation on harddisk /C:, failed *(1) and unistalled *(2).

So waiting your answer I tried this method *(3).Basicly just create a Fat32 partition, copy paste the content of an actual Remix OS USB stick and then making the partition bootable with EasyBCD.
BUT even this didn't worked (EasyBCD is for Win 7 or later, not Win XP)

But having this "USB partition" gave me an idea easily to undo in case of fail. Installation on harddisk in that Fat32 partition.
And as far as I can say, IT WORKS!!

PS: Added all this info hoping my experience can help other Windows XP users :)

*(1) For the records:
° "Warning: Unrecognized partition table for driver 81. Please rebuild it using a Microsoft-compatible FDISK tool (err=28). Current C/H/S-19458/255/63"
° Remix OS forever flashing text
*(2) Uninstall tool inside C:/Remix OS/ folder.
*(3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izfbWNzUm0Q

[Jordan Thompson]

Great tutorial. The only thing I would add is a link to a nice mounting utility. A fraction of the world actually uses Windows 8.1 and 10 compared to 7 stil. 

[sandeep...@gmail.com]

Please Upload the Video with This Method.........

[vedaant....@gmail.com]

I haven't tried the guide yet but might've (may have - I'm a noob) found something:

The error shown when booting RemixOS is
Try hd(0, 0): No UBNLDR
Try hd(0, 1):

And when I booted back into Windows, there were four new files on the C: drive (I installed RemixOS to I:):
remixos_install.log
ubnldr
ubnldr.exe
ubnldr.mbr

Should I move these or something? Or will that have no effect and I just wasted your time in making you read all of this and should just follow the guide?

[vedaant....@gmail.com]

Update:
Followed the guide. Didn't root.
Ran into the same problem:
Try hd(0,0): No GRLDR
Try hd(0,1):

So now I'm going for USB. Noice!

[craigr...@gmail.com]

Can you run this WITHOUT Windows??? :(

[craigr...@gmail.com]

[rewe...@gmail.com]

Hocam lütfen yardım eder misiniz. ubnlr.mbr hatasını birtürlü çözemedim dediklerinide yaptım ama olmuyor :(

[rewe...@gmail.com]

Format Failed diyor RMXTools'da