Installing Ubuntu with Windows Dual-Boot
Installing Ubuntu with Windows Dual-Boot
Submitted by Alan Pope on Thu, 2006-12-07 14:28.
This screencast shows how to install Ubuntu on a system that already has Windows installed.
This includes:-
- Accessing the Open Source software on the CD
- Booting to the live Desktop CD
- Checking the disk partitions
- Installing Ubuntu
- Rebooting to the install of Ubuntu on the hard disk
- Checking it's still possible to boot to Windows
Distribution: Ubuntu
Version: 6.06.1 (Dapper Drake)
Architecture: i386
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Notes
- https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot
- https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GrubHowto/ChangeDefaultOS
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
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Can Dual Boot Be Undone?
Once I've installed Ubuntu, and have a functioning dual boot system, can I undo the installation and return to a single boot windows system?
I'm a complete noob and want to make sure that i can return to my original setup in case i don't fall in love with ubuntu.
Thanks for a great screencast.
Gio
Yes
You could boot the Ubuntu Desktop CD and use the partition editor to remove the Ubuntu partitions and resize the Windows partition back up again.
Of course you can also do the opposite, delete the Windows partition and resize/move the Ubuntu partitions :)
Awesome!!!
Thanks for the response.
I've been lurking around ubuntu sites but without the courage to commit my only machine to this experiment.
Who knows I might just have to pitch all my old windows tips books and guides for dummies.
Once again, thanks for the great screencasts.
Gio
Simul boot?
I'm sick of Windows and want to switch to either MAC or Linux. MAC has "Parallels" which allows SIMULTANEOUS, integrated dual boot (no need to reboot to another OS, they both run at the same time). Can Ubuntu do this??
Yes, on Ubuntu you can run
Yes, on Ubuntu you can run VirtualBox, QEMU or VMWare to achieve the same thing as parallels.
So could you explain how to
So could you explain how to do that?
Didn't Linux have this
Didn't Linux have this implemented long before Mac's?
Yes, you can revert a dual-boot
I just did this on my father's computer. It takes two steps.
WARNING: Any changes to the partition structure can cause permanent damage to your data. Continue at your own risk.
1. Remove the Ubuntu partitions (EXT3 and SWAP) and resize the Windows partition (NTFS) to use that space.
To do this, you can follow the blog post I made which uses the Gparted LiveCD. The NTFS partition is Windows, and the EXT3 and SWAP partitions were created by Ubuntu.
http://useopensource.blogspot.com/2006/12/easy-way-to-resize-hard-drive.html
2. Fix the MBR (Master Boot Record) so that Windows will boot, instead of GRUB.
Boot from the Windows XP CD.
Rress the "R" key in the setup to start the restoration console.
Select your windows XP installation from the list, and enter the administrator password.
Enter the command: "FIXMBR" (without the quotes) at the input prompt and confirm the next question with a "Y" (without the quotes).
Use exit to restore the computer.
If you do not have your Windows XP cd, then you can use the SuperGrub LiveCD to fix your MBR.
http://supergrub.forjamari.linex.org/
Another option is to boot to a floppy and use "FDISK.EXE /MBR", but the first two options are much better. Good luck!
Tristan Rhodes
http://useopensource.blogspot.com
If I don't have a windows CD or if I can't remember them
While the info is good, what if I donot have the CD and if I cannot remember the commands. Does the Easy BCD through which I got the MBR for Vista rewritten work when I use XP
Great but
You forgot to mention that you should defrag windows before resizing the partion. Every instance of a borked partion ive come across the user didnt defrag.
A good point
Thanks!
ubuntu on a separate harddrive
could you simple buy a new hard drive and install ubuntu on the new drive to avoid creation of partitions on your current hard drive that has windows?
Yes.
You can do that.
you could do that but then
you could do that but then those of us stuck with a laptop with only one hard drive would be out of luck. ;) hence the need for dual boot options. Thank you for the tutorial. It helped me a lot.
Default os at boot-up
Very interesting video. However, I'm missing instructions on how to change the default OS in the boot manager.
Take a look here.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GrubHowto/ChangeDefaultOS
Thank you
I have for a long time been wanting a tutorial on how to do this. Making a dual-boot system sounds extremely intimidating for the average user. This makes it look very easy. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
Thank you
I have for a long time been wanting a tutorial on how to do this. Making a dual-boot system sounds extremely intimidating for the average user. This makes it look very easy. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
Very nice tutorial, it
Very nice tutorial, it certainly makes the process seem a lot less complicated than what the average Windows user might seem to think it is. However, I'm curious to know why you took the easy way out and used the resizing option, rather than manually partitioning the disk ? This would also allow you to address why it's important to also have a "home" partition, and how to go about creating it. Granted, the process would have taken a bit longer, but I think that it's a step which should be included. Otherwise, nice vid.
Doug
Thanks for the comment. I
Thanks for the comment. I didn't show partitioning because there would really need to be a bit of chat about partitions on Linux and how they differ from Windows. I didn't want to even attempt to cover that in this screencast.
Also...
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think GParted's been removed form the livecd as of 7.04, Feisty Fawn
It is actually included on
It is actually included on the Live CD
See this screenshot for example:-
http://gallery.popey.com/gallery/screenshots/2007_06_30_231910_1024x768_scrot
Re Installing XP/Ubuntu as dual-boot
Thank you Alan for this marvellous tutorial. I've been using Windows for about 12 years and have often wanted to try the Linux OS that seems to be getting so much favourable press coverage these days, and even mentions in main-stream PC mags.
Watching your web-cast was almost like having someone in the room with us and we are about to install Feisty Fawn on our main PC in dual-boot; we found some presentation slides which were very good, but not as helpful as your video.
The only question I had remaining was how I could boot into XP first, as my wife (we are both in our 60s) isn't too keen on leaving XP yet, and that has been answered on another page of the same site.
Again, many thanks for your work - I would like to see other videocasts of yours so I shall watch this site closely.
With all good wishes, Bob Marshall
The answer is all about Grub
Grub is the boot loader that Ubuntu has in it
Grub's role is to present the first black screen in order You to SELECT from which operating
system you may start (boot).Grub has also a buil in batch-like language and some options.you don't need a lot to know to change some options like boot order. You have to change the order of the titles in a file named menu.list. It is Just text but it is important so be careful , do not uncomment anything unless you know what you are doing
JUST change the order of the titles.
I will try to be more accurately*
So go to /boot/grub find a file called menu.lst open it with your favorite text editor and where is the titles for windows replace with linux titles all text about kernel and so on and where is linux bla bla bla replace with windows bla bla
1)I suggest you to make a back up of the file menu.lst in another directory like Desktop
2)If by mistake you make something bad the system will not boot SO then you must use a live cd to boot from cd/dvd and again open the menu.lst and correct it.
*BE AWARE Of making changes in it if you feel unsure or just ask somebody else
Great video on dual boot. THANKS!
I ordered my DVD to try out Ubuntu and read the following on the back of the package: "Installation using the default settings will result in erasing everything on the disk." (or something to that effect). Scary. I immediately shut down the installation.
This video indicates that the default was "safe" at least as far as I got. Glad to view it.
Now another question. I keep all my data on a second (logical) drive. I don't want to lose that either. I think the Ubuntu installation sees that and protects it, with the original Windows partition. Right?
Can I read the data partition from both Ubuntu and Windows? Can I edit the same files with either? (I use Windows at work and have no option about that.)
thanks
thanks for this.
it's really helpful.
Dual Boot with XP
I've Windows XP installed. And now i just installed ubuntu 7.10 (desktop) but i can't semm to have the dual boot menu when i start my computer.
it automatically starts windows XP
how am i suppose to access Ubuntu
You have got a problem with
You have got a problem with the programm which decides, which System to select. this program is called "grub"
grub is installed by ubuntu automatically. Normally /boot/grub/menu.lst knows the paths of the Operating systems automatically (Windows and Other OS)
So If Windwows is the only OS which is offered, there is a problem with grub.
If Ubuntu is installed properly, you would have to boot into ubuntu via installations-Cd and look into
/boot/grub/menu.lst to see, what happened with grub.
It copul be, that windows is the first system which boots automatically. Or other possibilities of errors.
good look :-)
Installing Ubuntu with Windows Dual-Boot
Hello, I am going to install Ubuntu using your instructions, and was wondering about the steps I would go through should I decide the abandon Windows completely. Is there a way to remove the partition and Windows?
Thanks for your great instructional videos.
Dual boot? Yes, but missing hard disk spaces??
I got dual boot, but after restarting my computer, I realise my hard disk spaces gone missing from 66 gb to merely 3 gb. I followed the partition thingy during installation, how do I get back my space?
Oh, but the first step... :)
So I have here one of those handy Dells that comes with Ubuntu, but I now want it dual boot and must remove Ubuntu, install Windows, and reinstall Ubuntu with these instructions. I am having issues with this step...halp? :)
Can i
can i install ubuntu other windows 95/98/me/xp/vista and any pogramms ?
I am going to install ubuntu
Thanks for the Excellent Video. That would help me install without any problems (I guess)
Thanks again
DK
Installing Windows XP with a Ubuntu Laptop
This is my situation, I bought a dell laptop with windows vista but i removed the vista and installed Linux Ubuntu 9.04. Now I want to dual boot d linux and add XP to it and i don't know ow to do it. Can Someone help me please??????????????????????????????
This article looks to cover
This article looks to cover that well.
http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_linux_and_windows_xp_linux_installed_first.htm
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