Dual boot with Ubuntu

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alan T
  • Start date Start date
Alan T said:
Do you run the setup from Ubuntu CD from Vista?
Click to expand...


Yes, but first I'd recommend creating some unallocated space to install
Ubuntu on. Ubuntu can do this during the install but I prefer to do it
manually. You may be able to do this in Vista by shrinking a partition.

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/f2e9a502-e63c-413d-8804-87326ef4f4cc1033.mspx

The ability to shrink volumes in Vista isn't all that sophisticated. It may
not be able to create enough room for Ubuntu. You may need to use a third
party partition manager. I like Acronis but I get it for free.

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/diskdirector/

Be careful that whatever you use is Vista compatible. Altering the Vista
partition with some partition managers will corrupt Vista. I recommend you
set aside around 30 GB. Do not partition this space leave it as unallocated.
Boot from the Ubuntu CD and start the install. During the install specify to
install Ubuntu into this unallocated space and let it automatically create
whatever partitions it needs in this space. Ubuntu will setup a dual boot
using the grub boot manager. Ubuntu will be the default. If you want Vista
to be the default it's easily changed but for now don't worry about it.

Doing changes of this nature to your system can easily go wrong. Make sure
you have a couple of verified backups before you start. This is very
important. Installing Ubuntu is easy and normally trouble free but the
potential is there to lose all your data. Backup first.
 
Hi,

Thanks for your info.
What if I want to go back to Vista only?
Besides delete the Ubuntu partition from Vista, what else I need to do a
modification to make it only Vista boot?
 
Boot from the Vista DVD to a command prompt and run the following command:

Drive:\boot\Bootsect.exe /NT60 All

Drive: is the drive where the DVD is located, probably D:

An easier alternative is to run VistaBootPro, restore the Vista bootsector,
then delete the Unbuntu partiton(s).

http://www.vistabootpro.org/
 
I have a question about it:

vista 32-home premium..c:\250GB hdd..d:\500GB..vista exclusive resident of
c:\ .. i doubt vista knows about d:\, which is now vacant..i want to install
unix and ubuntu on d:\, and either boot directly from d: or boot from c: and
then invoke the 2 os's on d: -- and i want to avoid having to reinstall
vista 6 times.

any thoughts?
 
Method 1

Boot from the Ubuntu CD. Tell it to install on the vacant drive using
however much space you want it to use. You don't say what version of Unix so
I have no idea how that would work but I assume it's very similar. Boot from
the installation media and tell it to install in the rest of the unallocated
space on the second hard drive. Edit the grub bootloader (which will be on
the Vista drive) to reflect the different OS' and the order you want them to
be in the menu.

Method 2

Depending on your BIOS you may be able to specify the hard drive to boot
from. If you can do this then specify the second drive, install Ubuntu and
Linux. When you want to boot Vista specify the first drive.

Method 3

Install a boot manager program and use it to hide/unhide drives and
partitions as needed.

None of these methods involves reinstalling Vista 6 times :-)
 
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