Multiboot: Windows Server and ESX

Creating multiboot system with Windows 2008 R2 and ESX 5.1

Required:

- Server with at least 2 Hard Disks
- EasyBCD a free boot management utility

Step 1. 

Install Windows Server onto the first disk (HD0). It will create its System Partition and Boot Partition.

Step 2.

Install ESXi 5.1 onto the second disk (HD1). For this, be careful while selecting disk in the ESXi installation wizard else we may end up wiping the Windows installation.

Step 3. 

After successful completion of ESXi install, reboot server. It will boot into Windows by default as it sits on first HardDisk (HD0). ESXi had placed files required to boot on the second disk so to list both options we need to take help of a third party software like EasyBCD

Step 4.

Run EasyBCD on Windows Server then select “Add New Entry” button and then choose "NeoGrub bootloader". Once installed click on configure and append the text below to the end of file.

default 0
timeout 10

title ESXi 5.1
map (hd1) (hd0)
chainloader (hd1)+1
rootnoverify (hd1)

Note: In case ESX is installed it on HardDisk 3 or 4, we have to change the text (hd1) to (hd2) or (hd3) accordingly.

Remember:
Hard Disk 1 = hd0
Hard Disk 2 = hd1 and so on..

Step 5.

Reboot the server and see that Windows boot menu with "Windows Server" and "NeoGrub Bootloader" listed. If you want to boot into ESXi then select "NeoGrub Bootloader" and the select "ESXi 5.1" in it

Important links:

EasyBCD Non-Commercial Download 
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