Install Windows
Using this answer prepared earlier.
Preparation
Download an install ISO of the Ubuntu Secure Remix for 12.10 x86_64. UEFI boot has the least issues with Ubuntu 12.10 and the secure remix has some tools that will be required.
Use UNetBootin to create a bootable USB stick for the installation.
Before you leave Windows, disable acceleration with the Intel Rapid Storage Technology. Don't worry, the cache will be safe if you leave its partition alone. Ideally, the volumes on your mSATA disk should be labelled something sensible like "SRT_Cache" and "Linux", these names will be needed later to identify them.
Install Ubuntu
Insert your installer USB, reboot and press the magic key required for your boot menu (F12 for my Dell XPS 15 L521x), choose to UEFI boot the USB drive. Choose to Try Ubuntu. There are some things that need to be done before the install will work.
Once the Ubuntu desktop has started, open a terminal and change to root and perform the commands from here to get Linux to detect the RAID volumes on the mSATA:
# modprobe dm_mod
# dmraid -ay
# ls -la /dev/mapper/
Note that one of the devices in /dev/mapper ends with the name of the spare volume of your mSATA device, this is the one to install Ubuntu to.
Run Install Ubuntu from the desktop shortcut or Unity bar shortcut. Click through and choose to "do something else" rather than wipe your existing disks (the foolish and selfish default option). This should launch the Ubuntu Installer disk partitioning tool. Choose the /dev/mapper device that's named as the Linux partition and create a partition table, create an ext4 partition to be mounted as root (/). Create a swap partition too if required, but if there is lots of memory, it's probably not required.
Continue the Ubuntu install as usual from here, when done shutdown, remove the install USB drive and power back on. It should boot to Ubuntu by default.
Update Ubuntu with:
# apt-get update
# apt-get dist-upgrade
Install Bumblebee to get the nVidia drivers with Optima working correctly, otherwise the nVidia graphics accelerator will drain all the batteries and run all the fans.
sudo apt-get install python-software-properties
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:bumblebee/stable
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-x-swat/x-updates
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install bumblebee bumblebee-nvidia
Reboot back to Ubuntu.
Fix the boot loader
The Ubuntu Secure Remix includes Boot-repair, run this now, let it detect all the things including UEFI, then click the top button to allow it to do its default repair sequence.
Use your favorite editor to edit /etc/default/grub and set the default boot and timeouts (Windows should be named Windows UEFI loader) and run update-grub.
Reboot, you should now have a complete list of boot options for all the OSes installed.
Restore Intel RST
Boot to Windows, open the Intel Rapid Storage Technology application, and enable acceleration, it should remember its settings and switch back on.
Done!
Best Answer
Ok, I did it already...
Preparation
Some form of Windows 7 x64 full install media will be required, but not a Windows 7 upgrade disc as they don't reliably boot UEFI.
Down load the latest Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver F6 floppy installer for Win7 x64 usually named
f6flpy-x64.zip. Unzip this onto a USB stick as it will be needed during the Win7 install.BIOS
Boot into the BIOS setup (
F2on the Dell XPS 15, oftenDelon other systems, read your manual) and check the following settings:RAIDorIntel Rapid Storage TechnologymodeNote: When booting always use UEFI boot options and not the Legacy options. The Win7 install disc should boot with UEFI, but doesn't do it reliably without the Legacy option enabled.
Clean and Destroy
This is destructive and will wipe the hard drives
You need a Win-PE DOS command prompt, boot your computer and activate your boot menu (
F12for the Dell XPS 15) and UEFI boot the Win7 install disk and choose Repair. Jump through whatever hoops it asks until you can open a Command Prompt.In the command prompt run through the following commands (relevant to the Dell XPS 15, your computer may vary the required disk numbers):
Return to the Win7 install menu by clicking the little red X at the top right of the repair tools menu, or reboot off your disc.
Install Windows 7
A custom install is required, two things need to be done:
Use the Advanced tools to select the large hard drive for the Windows install. Windows will insist on three partitions for UEFI, if you don't see three partitions UEFI is not set correctly. Either, the BIOS is not set correctly, or you chose to legacy boot your install media. Do nothing with the mSATA drive.
Load the Intel Rapid Storage Technology drivers! Select the Drivers option and browse to the files from
f6flpy-x64.zipunzipped to a USB stick earlier. This stops the "Windows can not install on this hardware" issue mentioned earlier.Install Windows, you know how you like it. Install all the drivers, except the Intel Rapid Storage Technology driver and application. Install Win7 SP1, you'll need
windows6.1-KB976932-X64.exe. Run Windows update until it stops whining.Now install the latest Intel Rapid Storage Technology application, the file named
iata_enu.exeAfter rebooting until the driver installs and Windows updates are satisfied, open the Intel Rapid Storage Technology application. There should be an Accelleration icon, use this to set up as large a cache on the mSATA SSD as you'd like (I chose 60GB), but do not use the Maximised option, it seems to cause trouble. Again with the rebooting.
Windows 7 should now be installed to boot UEFI and using Intel RST.
Note: You may be able to go back into the BIOS and disable Legacy boot, but this may render some systems unbootable.