Windows 7 & Mint Dual-Booting

[Lordaiken]

I've search the forums but really could find an answer, so I'm posting the question.

I installed Mint 8 and manually created partitions because I still wanted to dual boot Windows 7. However, I receive no option to select an operating system when Grub loads; it automatically loads Mint. So my first question is did Mint overwrite Windows 7? If not, do I need to do something in the boot process or through Grub? Mint does read 255GB of unallocated space when I load up the partitioning program, which would be the amount that I left for Windows.

When I run sudo update-grub, I get:

Code: Select all

Generating grub.cfg ...
Found Debian background: linuxmintkde.png
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-16-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-16-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
done

I have no idea what that means, but I'm assuming that it sees Mint. I am an extreme newbie when it comes to Linux and command line.

Thanks for any help. If more information is needed, let me know.

[feed3]

When I run sudo update-grub, I get:

Code: Select all

Generating grub.cfg ...
Found Debian background: linuxmintkde.png
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31-16-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-2.6.31-16-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
done

Obviously it doesnt detect your win 7.. I'm also new to linux but i will try to help whichever i could. furthermore, i'm doing triple booting in my box right now (win 7+win xp+ mint helena kde x64) so i think might able to at least learn something together here.

First of all;

Mint does read 255GB of unallocated space when I load up the partitioning program, which would be the amount that I left for Windows.

Shouldnt be unallocated space at all if win 7 is exist in that space unless u've DELETE the partition, accidentally perhaps?

I installed Mint 8 and manually created partitions because I still wanted to dual boot Windows 7.

What is the sequential steps that you made? when i do an installation for my multiple os, what i do is;
1. install xp first. create one partition for xp.
2. install win 7 so that it dual boot with xp.
3. create one partition for my mint within win 7 using the built in tools available.
4. install mint. grub should detect all available OS and let you choose which one to boot later.

My recommendation;
1. check in mint if there's any partition containing your win 7. seek any obvious win 7 folders in the partition such as program files etc.
2. if it exist, try repair your win 7 bootloader using win 7 disc.
3. if it isnt, then;
a. reinstall back your win 7 and repair grub2 using mint live cd/usb
b. try to recover back deleted partition using tools such as test disk etc (am not trying it yet but had try recover my deleted and formated partition on my usb hdd using it)

good luck

[Lordaiken]

When I installed Mint 8, I must have inadvertently reformatted the entire hard drive before partitioning. The partition manager only reads the Linux partitions and then the "unknown" unallocated space. I ran the Live CD, but when it came to selecting which partition option, I choose to manually create them. Does Mint automatically reformat the hard drive for you? If so, that's good to know for the future.

It's no big deal about Windows 7 anyway, I can just reinstall it...I backed up everything regardless before installing Mint.

[feed3]

When I installed Mint 8, I must have inadvertently reformatted the entire hard drive before partitioning. The partition manager only reads the Linux partitions and then the "unknown" unallocated space. I ran the Live CD, but when it came to selecting which partition option, I choose to manually create them. Does Mint automatically reformat the hard drive for you? If so, that's good to know for the future.

as far as i can remember, doesnt happen to me, not even once, not even when i'm installing another distro though.

Partitioning part quite straight forward (at least for me) and doesnt face any problem to do so (yet?)

when done dual booting win 7 and xp, and when done creating one empty space or partition for my mint or other distro,
i boot up from live usb. usually i will not to choose the "installation" option from the menu of live usb (nothing important perhaps, just personal preferences),
try a bit of the initial functions needed by me (like if the sound is working, can connect to the net etc) from the live system,
then after that i will install it.
when it comes to partitioning,
i will straight away choose the manually option (the last one if i'm not mistaken),
find for empty space left by me (the easiest way for me personally) or the empty partition,
check if the size is correct,
highlight it,
press change,
choose ext4,
choose to mount it as / ,
mark the box for formatting it, (if you have created an ext4 or ext3 partition before that and does not mark the box, it will not format the partition for you and of course it wont formatting the other untouched partitions - at least for me)
end of partitioning part. thats all.