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On 19/07/12 11:47, Neil Winchurst wrote: > I do not use Windows myself, but the question has come up about dual > booting Windows with Linux. In the past I have understood that you > should install Linux first before Windows. The other way round does not > work because Windows will find the Linux distro already installed and > remove it. > > I may be wrong of course, nothing new there! So, was that correct? And > if so is it still the case? And, finally, if Linux is already installed > and the owner wants Windows added, for whatever reason, is there any way > round it? > > thanks for any help with this, > > Neil > Hmm 1. I thought that in general you installed windows first, otherwise windows would overwrite the mbr and you then need to live boot in order to restore it. 2. Last time i installed linux as a 2nd os, it picked up I had windows and offered to use the whole hdd or reduce the hdd to install side by side there were other options but i am just giving a general idea. Worth noting that Ubuntu seems to be able to pick up previously installed ubuntu installations, and offer upgrades or replacement or set up what would be in effect triple boot. Ubuntu (and my be others) also picked up i had windows and offered to transfer the user account date over for me I think the installation is not getting more useful in this sense. 3. As for adding windows later I can't see why this isn't possible you just need to be able to restore the original boot record, (please help me with the right terminology etc here) As I said should be a case of booting a live disk and doing it that way. (maybe one of the more specialist recovery cds helps here as the too is probably easier to find and not lost in applications you don't need on a recovery cd. if the drive is partitioned it should detect this, well it will detect the windows part, and ignore the rest as (xp does not sure about vista or 7) so you can re-install. Best thing you could do is use linux to create a new partition for windows. Plan B for that could be virtual box etc. Hope this helps. Paul -- -- http://drupal.zleap.net skype : psutton111 http://www.linkedin.com/pub/paul-sutton/36/595/911 -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq