Another tri-boot question!

G

GARoss

Member
I ready didn't want to cut-into some of the other similar post, so I'll make this my 1st post @ this forum.

I have Windows XP 32 bit installed on C: with about 34Gb free space, all NTFS.
E: is all NTFS @ 90% used.
J: is Ubuntu Linux amd64 with ext4 @ 25% & the other 75% of J: is NTFS free space.

What I'd like to do is install Windows 7 RC 64bit on the unused NTFS space on J: next to Ubuntu. But, I don't know what to expect after installing Windows 7. My understanding is it is not like Ubuntu wher it writes a multi-boot menu with GRUB. It just boots to Windows 7; not even an option for XP - one of it'e own! I guess it would be simpler to install Windows 7, then re-install Ubuntu again. But, getting all the drivers working in Ubuntu amd64 was a real pain in the bottom & I'd like to avoid that @ all cost.
So, I'm here to ask if there are alternate metholds with EasyBCD that won't whipout my Ubuntu & XP?
I'm assuming that once Windows 7 is installed I'd need to use EasyBCD to write a new multi-boot menu. Is this doable?
Thanks in advance,
George
 
Hi George, welcome to NST.
GARoss said:
I ready didn't want to cut-into some of the other similar post, so I'll make this my 1st post @ this forum.

I have Windows XP 32 bit installed on C: with about 34Gb free space, all NTFS.
E: is all NTFS @ 90% used.
J: is Ubuntu Linux amd64 with ext4 @ 25% & the other 75% of J: is NTFS free space.
Click to expand...
First of all, Linux partitions are not given drive letters by Windows, since it doesn't recognize the file system. Secondly, you can not have a partition that is part NTFS, and part ext4, or any other combination of different filesystems. :brows: They are completely different.
What I'd like to do is install Windows 7 RC 64bit on the unused NTFS space on J: next to Ubuntu.
Click to expand...
You can't install Windows on the same partitition as Linux. It just wont work. You need to create a separate NTFS partition for Win 7.
But, I don't know what to expect after installing Windows 7. My understanding is it is not like Ubuntu wher it writes a multi-boot menu with GRUB. It just boots to Windows 7; not even an option for XP - one of it'e own! I guess it would be simpler to install Windows 7, then re-install Ubuntu again. But, getting all the drivers working in Ubuntu amd64 was a real pain in the bottom & I'd like to avoid that @ all cost.
So, I'm here to ask if there are alternate metholds with EasyBCD that won't whipout my Ubuntu & XP?
Click to expand...
Of course. Have all 3 OSes on separate partitions from each other, with each having their appropriate filesystem, and use the Win 7 bootloader (which you can edit with EasyBCD) to control the boot, and chain to either XP's NTLDR, or Ubuntu's Grub.
I'm assuming that once Windows 7 is installed I'd need to use EasyBCD to write a new multi-boot menu. Is this doable?
Thanks in advance,
George
Click to expand...
Yes, it is very easy. Just add a normal XP entry, and a normal Linux entry for Ubuntu, using 2.0 Beta version of EasyBCD, which has far more features and capabilities than the 1.7 release.

Jake
 
Thanks Jake,
My bad!
"J: is Ubuntu Linux amd64 with ext4 @ 25% & the other 75% of J: is NTFS free space".I've been using Ubuntu for 3 months & I've learned this; 90% of all home computers are Windows OS & 1% Linux. I tend to phrase things in Windows-like terms to find common ground, unless I'm posting at a Linux website, because most wouldn't know what sda1 & swap are. Obviously, you do!:happy:

"What I'd like to do is install Windows 7 RC 64bit on the unused NTFS space on J: next to Ubuntu.":?? Of course I didn't intend to install Windows 7 in the Ubuntu partition but on the same HDD with it's own partition that is al ready formatted in NTFS. In this case, clarity is important & I wasn't very clear! I don't know if Windows 7 will need to re-format or not, being it's all ready NTFS.

"Of course. Have all 3 OSes on separate partitions from each other, with each having their appropriate filesystem, and use the Win 7 bootloader (which you can edit with EasyBCD) to control the boot, and chain to either XP's NTLDR, or Ubuntu's Grub."

So, once Win7 is installed, download & install EasyBCD 2.0. Then EasyBCD can detect XP's NTLDR, or Ubuntu's Grub, then write this info into Win 7 bootloader? That's it?
George
 
GARoss said:
So, once Win7 is installed, download & install EasyBCD 2.0. Then EasyBCD can detect XP's NTLDR, or Ubuntu's Grub, then write this info into Win 7 bootloader? That's it?
George
Click to expand...
Not exactly. EasyBCD is not what detects NTLDR, because it is not the bootloader. Rather, it edits the Vista or Win 7 bootloader (namely, the BCD file that is a part of it) so it can detect NTLDR or Ubuntu's Grub, and chainload it.
What will happen is when you use EasyBCD 2.0 Beta to add an XP entry to the Win 7 BCD, EasyBCD will give you a window asking you if you want to let it auto-configure "boot.ini" (i.e. XP's boot configuration file) for you. So hit Yes at that point.
Do not modify where the BCD entry is pointing at under "Change Settings"!
The BCD entry for XP only points at the boot files which needs to be stored in the "system" "active" partition, or it wont work. The boot files are what points at XP (not the BCD entry). So, by default, the XP entry will be created by EasyBCD pointing at the "system" "active" partition (which you can see which one that is from Disk Management), which obviously will need to have XP's boot files placed into the root of that partition. SO, make sure BOOT.INI, NTLDR, and NTDETECT.COM exist in the root of the "system" partition (you may need to unhide protected system files and show hidden files and folders using the Folder Options in the CP first before you can see them). If they don't, then just copy them over from XP's partition.
Once you do that, then XP can boot from the Win 7 boot menu, because bootmgr will chain to NTLDR, which is XP's bootloader.
As for Ubuntu, just add a normal Linux entry under the Linux tab in the Add/Remove Entries section, making sure to point it at the correct drive and partition Ubuntu is installed to under the "Device" drop-down menu, and it should work. You should not have to check the "Grub is not installed..." box if Ubuntu is on the same HDD as Windows.

Cheers.

Jake
 
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