How to Partition Hard Drive and Install / Dual Boot Windows 7?

[belliot2]

Hi,

I just built a new computer yesterday and installed Ubuntu on it. I now want to partition the hard drive so I can run either Ubuntu or Windows 7 on it. My hard drive is 1TB so space isn't really an issue as this is a brand new computer. I'm a computer science major and I can get Windows 7 (download, not the disc) for free thanks to the college.

I've never used a dual-boot before so I want to make sure I get this right. Can anyone instruct me on how to go about this??

Thanks

 

[chamaecyparis]

Redundant thread OP can google.

However, suggest begin by downloading and burning SystemRescueCD at 8-10X maximum

Use it to wipe hdd clean of anything; partition a small portion (say 300GB) for Win7; format this to say, FAT32; install Win7.

Use gparted (within the ssysresccd) optionally to create two more partitions (i.e. one 16-20GB Primary for / and a very large Extended partition of which use only about half for a /home and a swap; saving Unallocated both within and without the Extended for another future distro, as desired optionally)

Install linux ; GRUB to /

 

[skittle]

Hi, Ignore above post. Overly complicated. You will encounter issues.

Read this guide and all will be good: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

Basically (in order):
1: boot and install windows 7 (leave some free space for ubuntu)
2: boot and install latest ubuntu to free space.

Everything is automated and easy to setup.

 

[chamaecyparis]

Hi, Ignore above post. Overly complicated. You will encounter issues.

Read this guide and all will be good: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

Basically (in order):
1: boot and install windows 7 (leave some free space for ubuntu)
2: boot and install latest ubuntu to free space.

Everything is automated and easy to setup.

skittle,
it's obvious you are a Win7 user first and have never used a Slackware distro.-- your answers are simplistic t a fault.

do not question my helpfulness

 

[Ijack]

But the OP wants to install Ubuntu, not Slackware.

 

[rjq]

Hi,

I just built a new computer yesterday and installed Ubuntu on it. I now want to partition the hard drive so I can run either Ubuntu or Windows 7 on it. My hard drive is 1TB so space isn't really an issue as this is a brand new computer. I'm a computer science major and I can get Windows 7 (download, not the disc) for free thanks to the college.

I've never used a dual-boot before so I want to make sure I get this right. Can anyone instruct me on how to go about this??

Thanks

Just remember installing win7 first >AND on the first partition<, once installed you can make some partitions within win7, install Ubuntu afterwards and the boot loader will take care of booting both OSes, otherwise win7 will wipe out GRUB and you would have to do an extra step to restore it (fairly easy any way) it just seams cleaner doing it this way. If you have Ubuntu already in the first partition it will not do, I would recommend start from zero.

 

[skittle]

skittle,
it's obvious you are a Win7 user first and have never used a Slackware distro.-- your answers are simplistic t a fault.

do not question my helpfulness

Didn't you hear? slackware is so 1990's...

As ijack says, OP wants ubuntu. It is valiant to preach slack way of doing things, but in the end this will only drive new users away. ubuntu team tries hard (and succeeds) to create tools that make things easy so why not use them?

 

[belliot2]

Actually, I don't "want" Ubuntu. I already have Ubuntu. I want Windows 7. So basically I have to get rid of Ubuntu and then start over?

 

[Ijack]

The simplest way is to start over (assuming that you haven't huge amounts of data that you want to keep), install W7, then install Ubuntu.

It's not the only way; you certainly can resize your Ubuntu partition with GPartEd (well, it probably depends upon what file system you are using and whether you are using LVM, which could complicate matters), install Windows 7, and then reinstall GRUB. But it's a lot of fussing about. Far easier to backup any data to an external drive and start from scratch. It's not as if installing either Windows 7 or Ubuntu is a lengthy process.

Or, if you don't "want" Ubuntu you could always try Slackware.

 

[skittle]

... probably depends upon what file system you are using and whether you are using LVM...

Default ubuntu install does not use any fancy partition scheme or LVM

OP: Please read the guide in the link posted further up. it has detailed instructions for both starting from scratch, and for installing windows after ubuntu.

 

[belliot2]

Okay, how big should I make the partitions? Should I just partition half for Ubuntu and half for Windows 7?

 

[rjq]

Okay, how big should I make the partitions? Should I just partition half for Ubuntu and half for Windows 7?

That would depend which one you use the most and what do you plan to do with each, other wise half and half would do, is also a good practice to separate the "home" folder in a separate partition, solve lots of problems when reinstalling. a strip down win7 can live in as little as 15 gb and Ubuntu even less than 10 but think about the extra software you want in your systems and the amount of data you need in each.

 

[belliot2]

That would depend which one you use the most and what do you plan to do with each, other wise half and half would do, is also a good practice to separate the "home" folder in a separate partition, solve lots of problems when reinstalling. a strip down win7 can live in as little as 15 gb and Ubuntu even less than 10 but think about the extra software you want in your systems and the amount of data you need in each.

Half and half would be ~ 500gb each since I have 1TB hard drive, right? So I'd be safe for sure with both? I don't have any plans of installing any different OS's besides Windows 7 and Ubuntu.

 

[rjq]

Half and half would be ~ 500gb each since I have 1TB hard drive, right? So I'd be safe for sure with both? I don't have any plans of installing any different OS's besides Windows 7 and Ubuntu.

Example: This is what I would do with that amount since I storage lots of pictures/graphics/and ISO images but not for long (I like to archive my stuff in DVDs)

Win7, if this is the one you are going to use the most I would give it around 400-600 (thinking that storage is a must)
Ubuntu I would give about 20gb for the File System and another 400-500 for the Home folder in a separate partition, I would use the rest for backing up important data just to have two copies of the same file (like bank info) in two separate partitions.

Is just a suggestion, everything just boils down to >how< are you going to use your computer, and which OS is going to be used more often, I would change the above values if Ubuntu is the principal one.

 

[amdfangirl]

You don't really that much space for either OS unless you have a ton of files. To be honest I would partition it (Windows - 200GB) (Ubuntu - 150GB) (Rest as storage space).

 

[audiovoodoo]

In the days I ran dual boot that was the root I took. That way I had a single drive dedicated to my media library that I could access from either system.

 

[chamaecyparis]

Actually, I don't "want" Ubuntu. I already have Ubuntu. I want Windows 7. So basically I have to get rid of Ubuntu and then start over?

__________________________________________________________________________________
31 Jan12@0555

That was fun -- we should try it again sometime!

Next time I suggest paying more attention to the OP than the responder -- lamo!

BTW, I love you guys -- all o' ya' -- you're like family!

 

[amdfangirl]

What is the concept of listening you speak of?