Loading the Windows 7 kernel directly by GRUB2.
 

I came to situation where I need Windows 7 but cannot use it on my BIOS based system as my hard disk is formatted as GPT. The easy and dumb solution at Microsoft was to change GPT to MBR. However, logic dictates that this restriction is not based in technology but is a restriction that could have been avoided as in GNU/Linux.

My question is whether I can instruct GRUB2 to load the Windows 7 kernel directly like in GNU/Linux.

I can attempt to use GRUB2's linux command passing it the name of the Windows 7 kernel but the word 'linux' does sound like that will NOT work.

Retail versions of Win7 64-bit should be installable to, and loadable from, gpt. May only be the "Professional".
Note this specifically excludes OEM 64-bit Professional Win7 - guess how I know.

As to your question, Windows has never been multiboot compliant, so no.

Thanks for all your replies.

Microsoft's website states the Windows 7 can only be installed to a GPT formatted disk provided the system is UEFI based. This is also the reason why I am posting here for any workaround from some inarrestible guru. My system is a multiboot system with over 5 operating system installed. I would like to add Win 7 to the collection as some websites are too irate to allow GNU/Linux to be served by their services. One of these is Disqus.

At the moment I have a temporary 'solution' which is running Win 7 in a VM under OpenBox to save on resources. However, my system is based on a T4400 Intel P4 dual core processor with only 2 GB of RAM. I am thinking about backing up the .dvi virtual disk to an iso so as to transfer it to a real partition. After that, I will have to direct GRUB2 to load Window's primary bootloader probably by using the 'linux' command.

Moderator Response
 

Moved: This thread is more suitable in <Linux-General> and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

I tried to use the linux command in GRUB2 to load the bootsector code manually as a test. GRUB2 complained it didn't find a kernel header. This means, GRUB2 tries to parse whatever executable file it is passed to verify that it is actually a valid Linux kernel. I expected GRUB2 more naive at that!

Is the link below to the site you are referring to?

https://disqus.com/

I don't have any problems accessing an navigating the site with Linux Firefox. You might try adding the User Agent Overrider from the firefox tools, add-ons menu as an extension to identify the browser as windows. I don't know what other issues you have for which you need windows so...?