Adding Windows XP To An Inspiron With Ubuntu

Question

I bought a Dell Inspiron 1420 with Ubuntu.  I would like to dual boot Windows XP.  What is the best way to do that?   Can I shrink the last Ubuntu partion, create a new partition and install Windows XP there?  Is so how do I shrink the last partition?   Do I need to reformat the drive, install Windows XP and the reinstall Ubuntu?

Claude B · Answer

@LinuxOn1420 wrote:

I bought a Dell Inspiron 1420 with Ubuntu. I would like to dual boot Windows XP. What is the best way to do that?

Can I shrink the last Ubuntu partion, create a new partition and install Windows XP there? Is so how do I shrink the last partition?

Do I need to reformat the drive, install Windows XP and the reinstall Ubuntu?

The best and easiest way to dual boot with XP and Linux is to install XP first, then install Ubuntu. Windows Master Boot Record (MBR) wants be on the first sector of the first partition of the first hard disk and will erase whatever is there.

OTOH, GRUB, the Linux bootloader is well aware of Windows's asocial behavior and will fix it the right way. That's why it must be installed after the one from Microsoft.

LinuxOn1420 · Answer

>The best and easiest way to dual boot with XP and Linux is to install XP first, then install Ubuntu.

>Windows Master Boot Record (MBR) wants be on the first sector of the first partition of the first

>hard disk and will erase whatever is there.

I was afraid of that. I really wanted to keep the shipped installation as that would maintain Dell's support and make it easier to get hardware warranty support. It would also maintian Dell's hidden partions and recovery software.

I have some bootable utility products that will shrink/expand NTFS partitions. Is that a Linux equivalent? If so I will give installing Windows XP at the end of the drive. (I can always reformat and install it at the front if it doesn't work.)

ebozzz · Answer

Try this........   http://knowledge76.com/index.php/Windows_-_Add_MS_Windows_to_Your_System76_Machine   It is for a System76 machine but I would imagine that the process is the same.

apostate · Answer

There is. GParted will do this, but the issue isn't in making space for Windows, it is the bootloader. The Linux boatloader is able to load itself, and then 'chain load' any operating system you want. The Windows NT bootloader munches whatever is on the master boot record and installs itself by default, you can't tell it not to. Sooooo....can you burn 'recovery disks' from the Dell recovery partition? Then install XP into a new NTFS partition sized accordingly, and second reinstall the Dell Ubuntu? Ubuntu should offer to just take up the remaining unpartitioned space, so you wouldn't even need to resize anything at that point.

ebozzz · Answer

The URL that I posted above describes how ro reinstall GRUB, the bootloader used by Ubuntu. No need to reinstall the entire OS.

LinuxOn1420 · Answer

>The URL that I posted above   The link you supplied was very usefull as was: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=540397&highlight=Dell+1420+Wireless+WEP   Between the two of them I might survie the process or at least the laptop might if I don't.

LinuxOn1420 · Answer

If I did it (this is how):

1. I had a license for BootNG from TerabyteUnlimited and so I created a bootable installation CD.

2. Using gparted live I reduced the size of the sa6 (second partition in the extended set) partition to free up enough space for Windows XP and Boot NG.

3. Reduced the size of sa4 (the extended partition) to free up the space freed in (2).

4. Booted BootNG and did the following: (Edited to add cutoff information)

Installed BootNG into a small partition at the end of the free space.

Crated the two partitions I wanted to use for Windows XP and quick formated them as FAT32

Grouped the Linux partions together as group "Dell Linuxubuntu 7.04

Grouped the Two Windows XP partitions as group "Windows XP"

Put the Windows XP installation CD in the drive and rebooted

5. Selected Windows XP from the BootNG boot menu -- the Windows XP installation process started

6. Installed Windows XP to the C:\ partition. (It only sees the two partions grouped as Windows XP -- the rest looks like unpartitioned space.

The rest is the usually Windows XP installation - drivers, 82 critical/security updates, etc.

Now when I boot the machine I have a choice between Dell Linux ubuntu 7.04 and Windows XP. Whichever one is selected doesn't see any of the partitions belonging to the other OS.

Message Edited by LinuxOn1420 on 10-05-2007 09:07 PM

Message Edited by LinuxOn1420 on 10-05-2007 09:14 PM

Message Edited by LinuxOn1420 on 10-05-2007 09:20 PM

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