Linux & Windows Dual boot partitioning question.

RickSMO

I have a question that will hopefully speed up my process of getting my new net-book setup. Due to swap space being a lot faster the closer it is to the front, I started putting the swap partition first, then installing the linux OS, which alone has increased my speed and made my linux operating systems (Ubuntu and Fedora) run much faster and smoother.

This is all fine and dandy, but since I have a dual boot system, I then install windows 7 and come up with the problem i'm sure all you linux gurus are predicting I am about to say, windows wipes out grub from the mbr and Linux appears to be gone, and all I have is windows.

So then I have to re-install linux over the previous partition to have grub loaded once again into the mbr file.

The reason I have been doing it this way, is to make sure my swap space partition is first on my hard drive so that it is used at it's best ability.

Is there a easier way to skip this third step, by simply loading grub again on it's own? I'm sure there is a easier way to do this, and even tho this way is working for me, it is very time consuming.

Suggestions please.

asedt

Easiest way is to always install Windows first to not mess up the grub.

But as you know the Linux installation is not gone so you can reinstall the grub to fix it (with the Live CD/DVD in a rescue session or with Super Grub Disk):
http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=214137

http://www.supergrubdisk.org/super-grub-disk/

RSims

I'll try that next time, thanks.

marc

Just use a livecd to chroot to your linux installation and "flash" the grub again to your mbr.

Or use a livecd, partition your hard disk as you'd like it to be, install windows and then linux.

Both things might work

Regards

nixsavy

Once windows reinstalled , Check reinstall ubuntu bootloader so you would have linux boot loader in MBR

dday35216

I have begun doing the same thing. I just create the partition that I'm going to use for swap space first... then install windows on the next partition ( and of course it creates a very small extra partition of it's own) and then partition the rest of the disc and install Linux there. Works like a charm for me and I don't have to install Grub again. I just have to tweak the menu and set the default timing.

I'm currently running Zorin 9 and Win 7 together on a Dell laptop.

webreplicator

Depending on the Distribution, a menu may be missing when performing a dual boot.

here is how to fix it:

http://dfirewall.com/windows-7-boot-option-centos-7.html

I hope that helps.