Fedora 13 and Windows 7 dual boot
 

Does Fedora 13 make a working Windows 7 doubleboot by default?
I've been in the belief that GRUB cannot boot Windows Vista or Windows 7,
but Grub2 can. In the Fedora-pages it seems to say that Fedora uses
legacy Grub by default.

If I want to make a double boot with Windows 7 do I have to use
"advanced" disk partition and install grub in the beginning of the
root partition and then use Windows 7 boot editor or EasyBCD or something
to add Fedora (Grub) into the Windows 7 boot alternatives?

How about if I already have Windows 7 / Linux Mint dual boot
(Grub2 as the primary boot loader) and I need to install Fedora
to replace Linux Mint?

F13 uses grub 0.97

There seems to be no reason why fedora can't boot win 7, why would you think that ?

There are many posts where people have mentioned related issues, but none to my knowledge have been directly due to F13.

For example :
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum...m/1400972.html
http://www.mjmwired.net/resources/mjm-fedora-f13.html

There has been some problems that legacy Grub hasn't been
able to boot the Windows since the new binary boot (BCD) that came
with Vista. It didn't understand the second phase I guess.
Grub2 knows how to do it.

In Vista or Windows 7 there is no "boot.ini" that could simply be edited.

The problem was that after installing Grub, the windows couldn't be
booted. I think that's why the EasyBCD was written.
With it you can use Windows boot to start Grub.

It took me a while, but I managed to do it with Ubuntu 9.10 and Ubuntu 10.04, which have the same version of GRUB (I think).

I prefer to boot Windows from GRUB, rather than booting Linux from Windows, since I can install BURG and completely make my OS selection screen look awesome. I don't like black and white.

BTW, I'm triple booting LFS, Linux Mint 9, and Windows 7 Ultimate with no problems. You just have to overwrite the MBR with GRUB, which breaks Windows, and then pop in your bootable Windows 7 disk and click "Automatically Repair Boot Problems".

It took a couple of tries, but there finally appeared a GRUB prompt that had a "Windows 7 (loader)" option.

Check this out, they updated since the last time I read it (which had just text and no images, but still readable), but it fixed my boot problems: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Re...tallingWindows. It's for the scenario that Linux is not detected by Windows.

I also tried EasyBCD, but every time it loaded NeoGRUB (and GRUB, I tried both), it had some "searching" stall or something. I wouldn't recommend it.

Here's a BURG tutorial, the best bootloader ever made: http://ubuntuguide.net/decorate-grub...der-using-burg. To switch between themes, press the "T" button, it's pretty cool.

Part of the problem with grub not booting win 7 is that SOME manufacturers put the boot manager into a hidden partition. They do that to save a couple of dollars on DVDs which they don't supply unless asked (not so kindly either). That hidden partition contains a re-install file also so don't delete it without the DVD.

The grub in Fedora has been modified somewhat to not use the file /boot/grub/menu.lst. They use menu.lst as a symlink to /boot/grub/brub.conf which contains the boot stanzas.

Tom

I've found that its best to have Win 7 installed and configured first; and thereafter install Fedora.

Anaconda will recognise your Windows partition; and you can shrink it; following which you can use the rest of the drive/s for your Fedora install.

Thereafter dual booting worked 100% for me. I didn't have to make any advanced changes to grub at all.

Well, here in Finland I haven't seen a PC sold with Vista or Windows 7
install disks included. It's always a partition on the HD.
Of course I have the rescue disk set, but if something goes really wrong...

Also, the machine I've been referring to is my office machine.
I can't afford messing the Windows 7 side up. Neither do I have access to Windows 7 install media.

Also I already have Grub2 on the MBR from Linux Mint.
What's the best way to replace Linux Mint by Fedora?

Should I "fix" the MBR with the rescue disk, install Fedora with Grub on the root partition and use Windows 7 boot editor to add that Grub into the list of available operating systems?

There are 2 ways.

I suggest that you leave the grub2 as it is and install Fedora's boot on it's "/"(root) partition and use "chainloader +1" in your grub2.
That will make sure your Windows 7 boot is not touched.

Other option is to write down grub.conf that refers to Windows 7 boot and to install Fedora's /boot over the /boot from Mint. But I am not sure if you will not have down time or problems with Windows 7 boot.

Thanks.
I guess I'll try it the way DrLove73 suggested.
Sounds the safest way.

You can't do that if replacing Mint with Fedora - you must replace the code in the MBR at the same time.

To answer your question, F13 boots (chainloads) Win7 without you doing anything. I found (on this laptop) that I lost Win7 hibernation, but that is all.
(Win7 64-bit Ultimate edition in case it matters)

The problem is thus:

Assuming you already have Win Vista/7 installed, then install Fedora/Ubuntu/anything else that uses GRUB to dual boot with it, the GRUB config file is set up wrongly, in a small but vital way.

It labels the Windows boot partition as (0,0) where it should be (0,1). You can just change it in /boot/grub/menu.lst the first time you load up Fedora, but before prior to doing that it does look very much like GRUB doesn't know how to boot Windows.

I have Fedora 13 and Vista dual booted on my main computer, and all is well.

I have Windows 7 (64-bit, if it matters) AND Linux Mint 8 installed.
The idea is to replace Linux Mint 8 with Fedora.

Linux Mint 8 uses Grub2 by default.

At the moment, the Grub2 boots Windows 7 boot manager.

To all who replied with their wisdom. MBR/GRUB is replaced only if you install grub code of the new system inside MBR. If you choose to install grub/boot on root partition "/" of ANY new Linux system, then ABSOLUTELY no harm will be done to existing grub/boot inside MBR. Then all you have to do is to MANUALLY add new item to existing grub to point it to the newly installed Linux system and you HAVE to use "chainloader +1" to be able to boot new system.