[Android Software Development] Drakosha:
(Guide) Install Android x86 4.4 on GPT UEFI computer (working ARM!)

How to install Android x86

(Sony Vaio Tap 11)​

GPT, UEFI, working ARM translator
​

Hi.

This guide is written for "[FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT]" (all versions), but it should work for most, if not all UEFI computers with GPT hard drives. However, on "[FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT]", Android 4.4 RC1 works perfectly. EVERYTHING is functional, including ARM translator, both cameras, Wi-Fi, touchscreen, Bluetooth etc. Therefore, this tablet is an ideal choice for running Windows 8.1 together with Android.

First, download all the required files & software in one package: http://yadi.sk/d/s9sCXJRALmupY

What you need:

One USB flash drive (16GB minimum) for installation

Minitool Partition Wizard 8.1.1 (included)

Notepad++ 6.5.5 (included)

Android 4.4 RC1 with libhoudini, GAPPS, Root & UEFI-patched kernel (included)

GRUB from Ubuntu 13 (included)

Working UEFI Windows 8.x with GPT hard drive, on the computer where you are going to install Android to.

The installation is very simple, however if you do not know what is "partition" or how to enter BIOS –​

Please DO NOT TRY THIS. Ask someone for help.​

YES, IT IS POSSIBLE TO RUIN YOUR WINDOWS INSTALLATION AND LOOSE ALL OF YOUR DATA IF YOU MAKE MISTAKE DURING PARTITIONING,

so please be careful.​

Let us begin then! Everything is going to be done on the same Windows 8 PC you are installing Android to.​

[FONT=&quot]0) [/FONT]Go to your PC BIOS and turn OFF "Secure boot" (it will not affect Windows 8). On "[FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT]" it is ALSO required to "Clear all secure boot keys" in BIOS setup and reboot once. Leave UEFI boot turned on.

[FONT=&quot]1) [/FONT]Start Windows & install Minitool Partition Wizard 8.1.1 (pwhe8.exe).

[FONT=&quot]2) [/FONT]Insert 16 GB USB drive. Format it with regular Windows Explorer, use FAT32.

[FONT=&quot]3) [/FONT]Run Minitool Partition Wizard. BE CAREFUL! CHOOSE YOUR USB DRIVE, NOT YOUR HDD! Resize the main partition of your USB drive so that there is 7.9GB of free space left AT THE END. Do not exceed 8GB.

[FONT=&quot]4) [/FONT]Not closing Minitool Partition Wizard, create PRIMARY EXT2 partition to the extent of that 7.9GB of the empty space on your USB drive. Name it "

Android

".

[FONT=&quot]5) [/FONT]Close Minitool Partition Wizard. Go to Windows Explorer and copy everything FROM the folder "[FONT=&quot]Install USB[/FONT]" (not the folder itself!) to your USB drive, so that you have "[FONT=&quot]EFI[/FONT]", "[FONT=&quot]boot[/FONT]" and "[FONT=&quot]android[/FONT]" folders in the USB drive's root.

[FONT=&quot]6) [/FONT]Press "

Shift

" on the keyboard, and while holding it choose "

Restart

" from Windows 8 charm bar (that annoying vertical stripe to the right). "

Advanced Reboot

" menu appears, choose "

Use device

" -> "

UEFI USB drive

"

Now, if you are using Sony Vaio Tap 11, there is everything already set in config files & you do not need to edit them. However, if your PC is different, now it's a good time to test if it can run Android x86 at all. So:

[FONT=&quot]7) [/FONT]a) - ([FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT]) - When black GRUB startup screen appears, choose "Install Android" -> wait for installation screen -> Select partition "sdb2 (linux)" -> Select "Do not format" -> Select "Yes, install GRUB" -> Select "Yes, install system r\w" -> Wait -> Select "Reboot".

[FONT=&quot]7) [/FONT]b) - (NOT [FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT]) - When black GRUB startup screen appears, choose "Live Android 4.4" and TEST EVERYTHING. Don't worry if ARM translator doesn't work - it will, after you install Android to HDD. If everything seems fine, choose "

Power Off

" from Android (NOT “REBOOT”!), start Windows again and repeat steps 6) & 7a).

[FONT=&quot]8) [/FONT]Now that you have installed Android to EXT2 partition on your USB drive, it is time to move it to HDD. Remove USB drive. Start Windows and launch Minitool Partition Wizard.

[FONT=&quot]9) [/FONT]THIS IS THE PART WHERE YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL. Select your main computer's HDD. Find Windows partition (disk C:). If C: is your PC's only drive (like on [FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT] and most Ultrabooks) - carefully resize it with Minitool Partition Wizard, leaving ~8.5GB of free space AFTER it. WARNING! DRIVE C: IS NOT ALWAYS THE "LAST" PARTITION ON YOUR HDD - SOMETIMES THERE ARE ADDITIONAL RECOVERY & OEM PARTITIONS AFTER IT, WHICH YOU CAN'T SEE UNDER WINDOWS, BUT CAN IN Minitool Partition Wizard. DO NOT TOUCH THEM! RESIZE JUST THE DRIVE C:! If there are additional (logical) drives in your PC (D:, E: etc.) - resize the last one that you can see under Windows explorer, but, I repeat, DO NOT TOUCH ANY PARTITION BEFORE OR AFTER IT!

[FONT=&quot]10) [/FONT]Close Minitool Partition Wizard. Insert your 16GB USB drive, where Android was just installed. Launch Minitool Partition Wizard again.

[FONT=&quot]11) [/FONT]Select your USB drive. Choose EXT2 partition and COPYit to the free space of your main HDD, but position it AT THE END OF FREE SPACE - remember, we created EXT2 with the size of 7.9GB, but resized C: to free 8.5GB? Therefore, there will be ~500-600MB of free space left BETWEEN YOUR RESIZED DRIVE C: & EXT2 PARTITION. That's exactly what we need.

[FONT=&quot]12) [/FONT]When copying of EXT2 partition finishes, create new PRIMARY FAT32 partition in that 500-600MB of remaining free space. Name it "

GRUB

" and let Minitool Partition Wizard assign some drive letter to it (don't worry, it is all temporary). Let's assume that the letter assigned was "E:"

[FONT=&quot]13) [/FONT]Now the fun part :) COUNT (literally, with your finger) ALL PARTITIONS ON YOUR HARD DRIVE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT - count every single one, including the just created "

GRUB

". Write down (on a sheet of paper) the position of your just copied EXT2 partition - on [FONT=&quot]Sony Vaio Tap 11[/FONT], it will be number 7, on other GPT computers - likely 6 (or 7). Close Minitool Partition Wizard.

[FONT=&quot]14) [/FONT]Go to Windows Explorer and copy everything FROM the folder "Copy to GRUB HDD Partition" (not the folder itself!) to your newly created "E:" drive ("

GRUB

"), so that you have "EFI" and "boot" folders in "E:" drive's root.

[FONT=&quot]15) [/FONT]Go to "E:" drive's root and edit the file "boot" -> "grub" -> "grub.cfg".

Do NOT use Windows' "Notepad" for that, use included "Notepad++"

[FONT=&quot]16) [/FONT]Find this:

menuentry "Run Android x86" {
set root=(hd0,gpt7)
linux /android-4.4-RC1/kernel root=/dev/sda7 androidboot.hardware=android_x86 SRC=/android-4.4-RC1
initrd /android-4.4-RC1/initrd.img
}

CHANGE "root=(hd0,gpt7)" & "root=/dev/sda7" TO THAT NUMBER YOU'VE WRTITTEN ON A SHEET OF PAPER - for example, if your EXT2 partition was

6th from the left

, change "root=(hd0,gpt7)" to "root=(hd0,gpt6)" & "root=/dev/sda7" to "root=/dev/sda6". DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING ELSE. DO NOT ADD SPACES. Save the file.

[FONT=&quot]17) [/FONT]Edit the file "boot" -> "grub" -> "loopback.cfg" in exactly the same way as in the previous step. Save the file. Close editor.

[FONT=&quot]18) [/FONT]Remove USB drive if you had not already. That is important – if USB is inserted, then ITwill become “hd0” for grub & Android would fail to load.

[FONT=&quot]19) [/FONT]Reboot your PC. It will start Windows as usual. Wait until it booted completely and go to Desktop (from Windows 8 Metro screen)

[FONT=&quot]20) [/FONT]Move your mouse to the very bottom-left corner & press RIGHT button. Choose "

Disk Management

". Find your little ~500-600MB "GRUB" partition (disk "E:" in this guide), press right mouse button & pick "

Change drive letters & paths

". Press "Remove" button. No more useless disk "E:" in Explorer :)

[FONT=&quot]21) [/FONT]At last, press "

Shift

" on the keyboard and, while holding it, choose "

Restart

" from Windows 8 charm bar (that annoying vertical stripe to the right). "

Advanced Reboot

" menu appears, choose "

Use device

" -> and surprise! New choice appears there - "

UEFI HDD drive

"! That is your Android. This is how you will access it every time (reboot Windows with "Shift").

To return to Windows from Android, just select "

Power Off

" from drop-down, & then simply start your PC again. Do NOT use terminal command "Reboot" - if PC is rebooted from Android to Windows without proper shutdown, Bluetooth will not work under Windows until switched on\off in Android.

In a rare case when GRUB becomes the default UEFI loader, not letting you to start Windows – there’s an entry in it to chainload UEFI Windows 8 boot manager. You have 5 seconds on every boot to select this entry. Then your PC will boot Windows normally, & Windows should automatically correct its loading sequence. Android will still be accessible in a usual way.

That's it :) Happy hacking!