Ubuntu Linux BUT want windows dual booting on same drive...

[keef247]

already got a sweet install of ubuntu with all the hard drive space partition automatically and formatted.but i want to put windows on to dual boot for steam as i have a ati card so lol linux=no no for games.its just till main rigs up... so can i just repartition my ubuntu and do it over the top?or would it have been better if windows was on first or does it make a difference if i just repartition it so i have some left for windows?what program should i use on ubuntu and do i need to edit anything (and how and what and where) so it will dual boot, like so ubuntu triggers a boot loader?does it have grub or? what do i do people!
cheers

[directhex]

ideally, you want windows installed first - the windows installer will eat any non-windows boot loaders it sees.

however, it *can* be done this way round.

firstly, you need space for a windows partition. download a gparted livecd, and free up some space as an ntfs partition.

install windows to the blank partition (the windows installer should see it as c:\) - at this point, linux will no longer be bootable.

boot back into the gparted livecd, and open a terminal. type:

sudo grub
root (hdX,Y)

X and Y should equate to the drive number and partition number of your linux partition, counting from 0 - for example if your linux drive is "sda" and partition is "sda1", then use "(hd0,0)". If it's drive 3 partition 7, use "(hd2,6)"

setup (hdX)

X should be the same as before, usually 0

quit

at this point, linux becomes bootable again - but windows doesn't.

reboot into your linux system, open a terminal, and run:

sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

this file defines all the partitions you can boot into. windows needs an entry. add the following, AFTER the line "### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST":

title           Windows
root            (hdX,Z)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader     +1

X and Z are the drive and partition number for your Windows partition. remember, start counting from 0, not 1.

save, quit, reboot, sorted.

[keef247]

thanks mate will try it now.
cheers

[ikonia]

once again this is in the wiki -