Install windows after linux?

[Xorgone]

Hello all!
The past few days I have been tinkering around with linux mint, KDE desktop, and I have fallen in love with it.
I asked my bud if there was a way to dual boot Windows and Linux, and he said I had to install windows first.


I don't want to lose all the work I did on linux the past few days by reinstalling windows.


Is there any way to install windows after linux easily? I just want it for games. WINE is nice and all, but it's pretty laggy I feel.


ALso, not: I have linux on a USB, and windows on a disk


Thanks!

[trapperjohn]

No need to loose what you have done.

First you must shrink your Linux partition, so there's room for Windows. I use gparted to do this. You will have to run it from a live cd*.

Install Windows in the free space that's created by the shrinking your Linux partition.

When it's done, Windows will have control of the bootloader and you will not see your Linux in a dual boot menu. It's easy to fix this. To take over the bootloader, we need to re-install grub. I always do this easily and flawlessly with a live cd called Linux Secure Remix [url]http://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-secure/[/url]. There is an icon on the desktop when you run from the live cd session called bootrepair. The gtk that starts gives you a guided grub fixer.

*If you download Linux Secure Remix and burn it to a DVD before you start any of this, the live CD also has gparted.

[Xorgone]

No need to loose what you have done.

First you must shrink your Linux partition, so there's room for Windows. I use gparted to do this. You will have to run it from a live cd*.

Install Windows in the free space that's created by the shrinking your Linux partition.

When it's done, Windows will have control of the bootloader and you will not see your Linux in a dual boot menu. It's easy to fix this. To take over the bootloader, we need to re-install grub. I always do this easily and flawlessly with a live cd called Linux Secure Remix [url]http://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-secure/[/url]. There is an icon on the desktop when you run from the live cd session called bootrepair. The gtk that starts gives you a guided grub fixer.

*If you download Linux Secure Remix and burn it to a DVD before you start any of this, the live CD also has gparted.

Between my roommates and I, we only have one USB (with linux on it.) and no DVD-Rs.

Does that change anything?

[trapperjohn]

Only a little bit. Linux Secure Remix and bootrepair are just easy and convienent tools. Re-installing grub can be done from a terminal.

First resize and install Win as above. Make the partitions recognizably different in size so they are easy to identify.

You will have to use a different method of updating grub.

There are several good tutorials on doing this from a session of your existing live CD (on the usb) using terminal commands.

Here's one:
[url]http://opensource-sidh.blogspot.ca/2011/06/recover-grub-live-ubuntu-cd-pendrive.html[/url]. But look at a few others. Google: recovering dual boot linux after windows install.

Once upon a time we could install bootrepair directly in the live CD session, but don't try that. Better to use hard-core terminal commands.

[Spearmint2]

You using a single hard drive? Two hard drives? What version of windows? Can you spring the $10-12 for a new [url=http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3683319&CatId=2634]16GB thumbdrive?[/url] Link not endorsement of vendor. I've had no problem with that particular keyring USB drive for installing Linux to, some other thumbdrives have been problematic, only installing by finally using "dd" from another thumbdrive which successfully loaded. If so, you can install Linux on the thumbdrive and have it be persistent since it would be a full install and take it with you when wanted instead of slaved to an internal hard drive. Hmm, I see prices on [url=http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=16+gb+usb+drive+kingston+DTSE9&_sop=15]that model is going up a bit[/url] since I last ordered some. So, maybe $15 now?

If you check some of my posts, I go into detail on several on how to install Kubuntu or Mint 14 onto thumbdrive. The boot time can be slower, but once it's booted up into RAM things speed up and stay there. You can set it up to be fully Linux or put a first partition as FAT 16, FAT 32, or NTFS read only (any such partition for file sharing must be first one, windows will NOT see beyond the first partition on a thumbdrive), usually about 5GB and use that to place files you want to see when in Windows. Windows won't see anything past that first partition on the thumbdrive. When in Linux you have access both to the thumbdrive's partitions and to the windows hard drive too, or can add an ext2-3-4 partition to the hard drive to save files to that are just for Linux use and to keep from prying eyes from anyone just using the Windows capability on the computer. It's not for everyone, but for me, having Linux on a USB flash drive provides the ultimate mobility and security I like. It's also cheap and doesn't run afoul the wrath of Windows updates, fix boots, recover functions, and so forth.

[wayne128]

In Dual-boot Windows/linux, you could also let Win OS control MBR and install a graphical software to handle dual boot.

EasyBCD from Neosmart works on vista/7. Does not work on XP.

After installing Win vista/y, go to neosmart website, download EasyBCD, install, run, and add grub2 entry.
Reboot, boot menu would be like what you see in default Win vista/7, with additional line to choose grub2 to boot your Linux OS.

One advantage of using EasyBCD:
when your windows OS decides to repair itself.... it may wipe and replace MBR with its boot manager, thus wiping grub.

If you use grub to control dual-boot, you must then reinstall grub to MBR , this is the same as reinstall Win OS.

Using EasyBCD would still be able to boot both Win OS and Lin OS after Win OS does its repair.

[Xorgone]

Could someone explain to me as if I were a 5 year old? I feel stupid, but none of this makes sense to me.

You using a single hard drive? Two hard drives? What version of windows? Can you spring the $10-12 for a new [url=http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3683319&CatId=2634]16GB thumbdrive?[/url] Link not endorsement of vendor. I've had no problem with that particular keyring USB drive for installing Linux to, some other thumbdrives have been problematic, only installing by finally using "dd" from another thumbdrive which successfully loaded. If so, you can install Linux on the thumbdrive and have it be persistent since it would be a full install and take it with you when wanted instead of slaved to an internal hard drive. Hmm, I see prices on [url=http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=16+gb+usb+drive+kingston+DTSE9&_sop=15]that model is going up a bit[/url] since I last ordered some. So, maybe $15 now?

If you check some of my posts, I go into detail on several on how to install Kubuntu or Mint 14 onto thumbdrive. The boot time can be slower, but once it's booted up into RAM things speed up and stay there. You can set it up to be fully Linux or put a first partition as FAT 16, FAT 32, or NTFS read only (any such partition for file sharing must be first one, windows will NOT see beyond the first partition on a thumbdrive), usually about 5GB and use that to place files you want to see when in Windows. Windows won't see anything past that first partition on the thumbdrive. When in Linux you have access both to the thumbdrive's partitions and to the windows hard drive too, or can add an ext2-3-4 partition to the hard drive to save files to that are just for Linux use and to keep from prying eyes from anyone just using the Windows capability on the computer. It's not for everyone, but for me, having Linux on a USB flash drive provides the ultimate mobility and security I like. It's also cheap and doesn't run afoul the wrath of Windows updates, fix boots, recover functions, and so forth.

I have 1 hard drive, and Linux Mint KDE on a Tumbdrive which I boot like a disk. I can run the live version or install from it. I just want to be able to boot into windows or linux when I turn my PC on, so I can instlal games on Windows and not run into compatibility issues.

Verson of windows would be Windows 7 Ultimate (on a disk)

Is there anyway someone can like, Teamviewer my computer or something and run through the steps with me? I feel so stupid.

[nerdtron]

You have only hard drive and Mint KDE is currently installed right?

Short answer: (no effort required, start from scratch) Install Windows 7 and blow everything, then install Linux Mint with the option "Install alongside Windows". No problems and everyone is happy.

Long answer: (Mint remains intact)
Boot to the Live mode using your thumb drive and run the partition manager. Be sure you don't click your hard drive in the file manager so that it won't be automatically mounted.

Open the partition manager (I think it is Gparted) and you will see there the partitioniner. Shrink your current Mint partition and Hit Apply Changes.
If your not familiar with it,
read http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/05/17/how-to-dual-boot-ubuntu-12-04-and-windows-7/
or this http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/dual-boot-windows-7-ubuntu.html

After creating paritions, install Windows 7 on your newly created partition. After the installation of Windows, you'll lose the ability to boot Mint since WIndows 7 blows you boot record.
Next step, boot into Live mode again and follow this tutorial to recover you operating systems.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

[mrbass21]

Hey, we've all started somewhere. You'll figure it out, just stay with it.

He's asking how you want to store linux.

Since you only have one hard drive you have a couple of options:

1. Run from the Live CD completely and just boot linux from your flash drive to browse the web, whatever, and boot windows 7 from your computers hard drive

2. You can instal linux to another flash drive and boot from that (you mentioned you only have one, so this probably isn't an option)

3. Install linux to disk and use the bootloader to decide what OS you want to boot to

Option one requires no change and Spearmint2 seems to have some guides for installing and running from a flash drive, so I'll describe option 3. If anyone notices anything wrong, call me on it. I'm still in a learning process too.

Your buddy is mentioning installing Windows first because Windows used to have a really nasty habit of killing the bootloader in the Master Boot Record. It used to be safer to install Windows first then install linux.

You mention that you have the following: 1 Computer Hard drive, 1 thumb drive with linux on it, and one Windows 7 install disk.

If you're using the USB stick with linux already, I dont really see how you would use data.

If you have it installed to the hard drive, you'll need to make room for the new Windows install. When you installed linux to the hard drive, you probably told it "Use the whole thing; be as greedy as you want linux!", but now you need to make room for old Windows. The way you do this is by "Partitioning" the drive into seperate spaces to hold stuff. You'll take away space from linux, and give it to your new Windows buddy. This is done using Gparted and resizing as trapperjohn mentioned (a quick google search turned up this:[url]http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/using-gparted-to-resize-your-windows-vista-partition/[/url]).

Once you've done that you can install Windows to it's own partition and leave linux in its current partition. One issue now remains. The bootloader.

The Bootloader helps the computer... boot the OS and is required and the primary bootloader is stored in the MBR. The bootloader is what prompts you for what you want to boot at any time. Windows 7 has its own bootloader, and linux has several(only one of which is ever installed at a time). LILO and GRUB are the most widely used. GRUB is generally pretty good about finding Windows and adding it to the list of bootable OSes, you can even tell linux NOT to install a bootloader, or not install the bootloader into the MBR (this is how I am dual booting). Windows, however, will be so excited to be installed, that it will install straight to the MBR, and will give linux no love and forget how to boot it (where the critical file to start the booting process is located), and will boot straight to Windows 7.

So at this point you have two options:

1. Reinstall GRUB into the MBR, and grub will find Windows and your Linux install (hooray!)
2. Download a program called EasyBCD (it's free for private use), and you can tell it (and in some instances it will find them itself) where your linux install is and it will add that entry into the Windows 7 bootloader

I hope this helped make a little more sense on what's going on.

The bottom line: You need a bootloader to load the OS. Its a matter of using GRUB/LILO or the Windows 7 bootloader.

Fake Edit: nerdtron beat me to a post, but I'll post it anyways incase there is any information of value.

[Xorgone]

You have only hard drive and Mint KDE is currently installed right?

Short answer: (no effort required, start from scratch) Install Windows 7 and blow everything, then install Linux Mint with the option "Install alongside Windows". No problems and everyone is happy.

Long answer: (Mint remains intact)
Boot to the Live mode using your thumb drive and run the partition manager. Be sure you don't click your hard drive in the file manager so that it won't be automatically mounted.

Open the partition manager (I think it is Gparted) and you will see there the partitioniner. Shrink your current Mint partition and Hit Apply Changes.
If your not familiar with it,
read http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/05/17/how-to-dual-boot-ubuntu-12-04-and-windows-7/
or this http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/dual-boot-windows-7-ubuntu.html

After creating paritions, install Windows 7 on your newly created partition. After the installation of Windows, you'll lose the ability to boot Mint since WIndows 7 blows you boot record.
Next step, boot into Live mode again and follow this tutorial to recover you operating systems.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

I don't know if this means anything, but with the specific KDE Desktop of Mint 14, there is no "install alongside windows" option. (actually there might be, but would I have to have windows installed first?)

Also notable, when I installed win7, i ran my Motherboard disk to get the ethernet drivers, yet I still had no connection. I could only connect through mint.

[mrbass21]

I don't know if this means anything, but with the specific KDE Desktop of Mint 14, there is no "install alongside windows" option. (actually there might be, but would I have to have windows installed first?)

Also notable, when I installed win7, i ran my Motherboard disk to get the ethernet drivers, yet I still had no connection. I could only connect through mint.

Download the latest Ethernet drivers from the makers site and see if windows finds it then. You can probably find it with your linux distro and then put it on a fat32 thumbdrive and install it on your windows OS

[nerdtron]

I don't know if this means anything, but with the specific KDE Desktop of Mint 14, there is no "install alongside windows" option. (actually there might be, but would I have to have windows installed first?)

Also notable, when I installed win7, i ran my Motherboard disk to get the ethernet drivers, yet I still had no connection. I could only connect through mint.

There will be an option to install alongside Windows 7 if windows 7 is installed first.

Edit: not really sure about this since it was a along time after i last installed my KDE. I remember the KDE installer is a little different.
Did you already installed Win7? Try the KDE Mint installer now and see the options.

[briholt]

Here is a similar yet different question: Is it possible to leave space on the hard drive for windows to be installed later?

I'm new to linux and have been reading lots but I'm still in the early phases of a learning curve.

I originally intended to install windows 7 with linux. I read that windows should go in first. I thought I had a windows 7 installation disk, but it turns out that it's only an upgrade disc to be used with older versions of windows.

It's a new, single hard drive with 1 TB of space. Last night I was able to install linux on to it, but I made some mistakes in the partitioning. I think I know better what I'll do now. But, I'd still like to be able to 'leave room' for a windows operating system.

Would it be as simple as allocating some space (say 40-50 gigs) and "do nothing" with that partition?

If not, is there a good way to do this, or am I off base?

The intent for me to have windows on the machine is in case of games and other windows software (that the wife is comfortable with).

Thanks all

[Spearmint2]

That's how you do it. Format it FAT32 or NTFS and use it for saving insecure files to in the interim. Probably safest to make the windows partition as the first one. When you install windows, you will have to be sure to not let it completely redo the drive, then you will have to run the grub-update so both boot systems can be seen by GRUB.

[briholt]

Thanks Spearmint2

That's how you do it. Format it FAT32 or NTFS and use it for saving insecure files to in the interim. Probably safest to make the windows partition as the first one. When you install windows, you will have to be sure to not let it completely redo the drive, then you will have to run the grub-update so both boot systems can be seen by GRUB.

[briholt]

So, I'm running into a snag.

Each time I try to install and put an unused partition first, upon reboot I get a black screen with a prompt "grub rescue".

It might be because I'm not formating the unused partition at all, just leaving it. If I put it to FAT32 would this help?

Alternatively, I've tried to put the partition last. I was about to continue to install, but if you look at the picture I attached I noticed something odd: that the area I designated as swap ,the pink area, is where mint is going to be placed. And the swap area has taken over the area for /home.

Now, I'm on my 5 or 6th time trying to install mint with a partition to be used later for windows. Have I damaged something?

[kukamuumuka]

So, I'm running into a snag.

Each time I try to install and put an unused partition first, upon reboot I get a black screen with a prompt "grub rescue".

It might be because I'm not formating the unused partition at all, just leaving it. If I put it to FAT32 would this help?

Alternatively, I've tried to put the partition last. I was about to continue to install, but if you look at the picture I attached I noticed something odd: that the area I designated as swap ,the pink area, is where mint is going to be placed. And the swap area has taken over the area for /home.

Now, I'm on my 5 or 6th time trying to install mint with a partition to be used later for windows. Have I damaged something?

849 GB is far too much for swap. Seriously, it seems that there is something wrong in the partition table? ..

[briholt]

Exactly. I've got 16gigs of ram, and wanted the swap to be 20.

It's a new hard drive and so there is no loss in starting over (hence me trying this so many times).

Should I just do a basic one partition install to get everything reformated, and then re-install with partitions?

And how should I handle that to-be-for-windows partition? should I put it first, with a FAT32 or what?
Thanks for your help and patience.

[Spearmint2]

You have it right if you want windows in last partition, assuming it's a version that doesn't insist on the first partition. The partition program seems a bit wacky however in that top line, not the correct information. I'd do it and then check to see if the partitioning part worked OK in spite of the information reporting section in the top line. If all else fails, pop in a Mint 14 MATE disc and use GParted on it to fix the drive the way you want, then boot back to the Mint 15 Cinnamon disc and run the Install, use the Something else and ignore any information you know is wrong, having already gotten it correct previously.

Might be a bug in that particular partition manager version.

later;
Maybe what we are looking at is what you did earlier and since you haven't done the new changes yet, it's not reflected in the image. We are seeing what you have, versus what you intend to do, but haven't since the "install now" button hasn't been clked.

[briholt]

I'm going to post this here because the errors probably have something to do with the way I installed things.

I've got KDE 64bit version 15 (Olivia) I think

I went to download and install openOffice. Basically following this youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvKsTJuTXB0
So, at the terminal I ran:

Code: Select all

    $     sudo apt-get purge libreoffice*

And got the following:

Code: Select all

    E: Encountered a section with no Package: header
    E: Problem with MergeList /var/lib/apt/lists/packages.medibuntu.org_dists_raring_non-free_i18n_Translation-en
    E: The package lists or status file could not be parsed or opened.

Also, when I try to update using the GUI I get a bunch of errors as well.
I have no idea where to begin. For what it's worth, my motherboard is a GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD
I read that the drivers for it might need changing to work with Linux. I didn't do that because, one, I wasn't sure when to do that (pre or post install?) and two, I read someone had changed a simple setting in the bios obviating a full new update of different drivers. (Of course I probably read more into that than was really there.)

So, where should I begin? Thanks in advance.

In reading other posts about difficulty updating things I found that there was a request for sudo blkid, fdisk, and inxi

Code: Select all

   $ sudo blkid
    /dev/sda1: UUID="B129-08F6" TYPE="vfat" 
    /dev/sda2: UUID="16d89c97-d61c-4888-a822-d64ff8c29d5c" TYPE="ext4" 
    /dev/sda3: UUID="b2268810-e309-41b6-bdb6-354e000c0027" TYPE="swap" 
    /dev/sda4: UUID="b05cece5-cc62-4732-9e5c-ae370de1a716" TYPE="ext4"  
    $ sudo fdisk -l
    WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sda'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.
    
    Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
    Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
    Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
    I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
    Disk identifier: 0x00000000
    
       Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
    /dev/sda1               1  1953525167   976762583+  ee  GPT
    Partition 1 does not start on physical sector boundary.

Code: Select all

 $ inxi -vi
    Error 4: unsupported verbosity level: i