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Dual boot with Windows

Windows and SevaPanel can share one computer when each system has its own physical drive. After installation, rEFInd displays a clear graphical operating-system menu.

A single drive is not supported

The installer does not shrink C:, use free space inside the Windows drive, or offer manual partitioning. The selected drive is erased completely.

Do not select the Windows drive expecting an install "alongside" it: Windows and every file on that drive will be deleted.

What you need​

  • a computer booting in UEFI mode where Secure Boot can be disabled;
  • a drive with Windows already installed;
  • a separate empty SSD/NVMe drive/HDD of at least 256 GB for SevaPanel;
  • a backup of important Windows data.

If the Windows system drive uses BitLocker or Device Encryption, save the 48-digit recovery key outside this computer before continuing. Check it in your Microsoft account at aka.ms/myrecoverykey, or back it up from Manage BitLocker.

Follow this order when BitLocker is enabled

Before the first restart, save the recovery key and suspend BitLocker protection from the currently running Windows installation. Only then restart into UEFI, disable Secure Boot, and boot the installer USB drive. Otherwise, changing Secure Boot can immediately trigger BitLocker Recovery.

If practical, disconnect every unnecessary drive except the Windows drive and the SevaPanel target. Otherwise, check the model and size in the wizard very carefully.

Installation​

  1. Boot the installer USB drive in UEFI mode.
  2. Choose Install or update SevaPanel, then select English.
  3. Choose AUTOMATIC INSTALL if the wizard identifies one unambiguous safe separate drive. If several drives are suitable, choose MANUAL INSTALL and select the separate SevaPanel drive:
    • an empty drive is marked EMPTY — Recommended;
    • if Windows, other partitions, or files exist, the wizard clearly says the drive will be erased.
  4. Verify the model and size one more time. A Device ID is also shown only when identical drives of the same model and size are found. Confirm erasing the selected drive.
  5. Wait for the 100% / "Installation complete" screen. A regular image powers the computer off; then remove the USB drive and turn it on. If a test image starts rebooting instead, remove the USB drive during that reboot. Do not remove it before the automatic shutdown begins.

The installer creates all SevaPanel partitions and installs rEFInd automatically. It does not use partitions from the Windows drive.

Choosing the operating system​

At power-on, the rEFInd menu offers:

  • SevaPanel — start the panel;

  • Microsoft EFI boot with the Windows icon — start Windows from the other drive.

  • rEFInd waits for 10 seconds, then starts the operating system that was launched through it last time. On the first boot, it selects SevaPanel.

  • Press any arrow key to stop the countdown and choose a system manually.

  • Left and Right select an operating system; Up and Down move between the operating-system row and the utility row.

  • Enter or Space starts the selected item.

  • Esc on the main screen scans attached drives again. In a submenu, Esc or Backspace returns to the previous screen.

  • F2, Insert, Tab, or + opens additional loader options. You do not need these for a normal start.

Do not press Delete without a reason

Delete hides the selected item and remembers this in UEFI NVRAM. To restore it, open the lower row, choose Manage Hidden Tags, and restore the entry. If Windows still does not return, press Esc to scan the drives again.

If the menu does not appear, open the motherboard Boot Menu (F12, F11, F8, Esc, or Del) and select rEFInd Boot Manager. You can move it to the top of the UEFI Boot Order.

BitLocker, Secure Boot, and Fast Startup​

The installer does not modify partitions on the Windows drive. However, installing the rEFInd UEFI application, changing the Boot Order, and disabling Secure Boot change the boot environment. BitLocker may request its recovery key after these changes on some computers.

The safer procedure is:

  1. Save the BitLocker recovery key outside the computer.
  2. In Windows, open Control Panel → System and Security → BitLocker Drive Encryption, then choose Suspend protection for C:.
  3. Restart into UEFI, disable Secure Boot, and install SevaPanel.
  4. Start Windows once through rEFInd and confirm it works.
  5. In Windows, choose Resume protection.

Suspending protection does not decrypt the drive, but it temporarily disables boot-integrity validation. Do not leave protection suspended. See Microsoft's official instructions.

If Windows already displays BitLocker Recovery, enter the saved 48-digit key. Do not clear the TPM, format the drive, or delete its EFI partition.

Secure Boot must remain disabled for SevaPanel. Do not switch the boot mode from UEFI to Legacy/CSM.

Windows Fast Startup performs a hybrid shutdown using hibernation. If hardware does not initialise correctly after switching between Windows and SevaPanel, use Restart in Windows instead of Shut down, or disable Fast Startup. SevaPanel does not mount or modify the Windows system partition.

After a Windows update

Windows can put Windows Boot Manager first again. Your data and SevaPanel are still present: select rEFInd Boot Manager from the Boot Menu, then make it first in the UEFI Boot Order again.

If Windows is missing from rEFInd​

  1. Make sure the Windows drive is connected and Windows itself starts through Windows Boot Manager.
  2. Make sure both systems were installed in UEFI mode, not Legacy/CSM.
  3. Start Windows through the Boot Menu and contact support, attaching photos of the rEFInd menu and the UEFI Boot Order.

Do not format EFI partitions manually or move boot files between drives.

To remove SevaPanel and keep Windows only, see Removal and back to Windows.