Dual Booting Vista and Ubuntu (or any linux distro) with 2 Sata HDD

N

Nexus

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Mar 28, 2008
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Hey all

im just wondering if anyone could please give me some easy to follow instructions on how you install a dual boot of windows vista and ubuntu linux - or any linux distro for that matter using 2 SATA hard drives.

-i need to know it for 2 hard drives as i built my pc with the intention of only running vista on it and so used up all the hard disk space as one vista partition. i have since then discovered linux and think it is a great open source os that just works. - since ive used windows all my life and cant really change id like to use both however i cannot find any instructions on how to dual boot using 2 hard drives so i get an option of which os to boot upon startup.

i hope someone can help

thanks a LOT
 
I dual boot, as long as windows is installed, and there is a empty partition or extra HDD, then it's a breeze.

Just put your Linux CD in and install it to the empty partition, from that point on when you start your computer the "GRUB boot loader" will come up, at this point you select which OS you want to boot with.

Also tho, depending on what you want to do in linux or how much you plan on using linux, you could also use a LIVE CD instead, that way you don't have to actually install anything and won't take up any space on your drive, also this allows you to do anything you want with it. If you screw up the Linux OS while using a live cd... restart, it starts over fresh.


When I finish with the comp I'm wokring on now I'll also dual boot Vista and Ububtu 8.
 
Ubuntu has a pretty good partitioner built in to the installer. Just download and burn a boot disk, put it in and let it do it's thing. It'll prompt you to tell it how much space to give each partition. Make sure that Windows is loaded onto the harddrive first, becuase otherwise Windows will write over Ubuntu, because it's installer is stupid.
You will have to have the boot sector of each OS on the primary harddrive. As far as I am aware, there is no way to have windows on one and ubuntu on the other.
I am running a dual boot Ubuntu/XP pro system right now, and there have been no problems at all with my set up!
 
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