Hi,

How is everyone?

I am planning to buy a new laptop, and I want to dual boot Windows 7 and Linux. For Windows, I'll buy a Windows 7 install CD, and would get Linux to a USB stick (Ubuntu).

Here are my requirements:
1. I would like to have 4 separate partition for my Windows, Ubuntu, swap space, storage.
2. Windows should not be able to see the swap space and Ubuntu partition (I won't mind if Linux can see the Windows partition)
3. Both OS should be able to read/write to the storage partition

My concern is that, which of these 2 OS will I install first? (this is under the assumption that my hardware can install both methods, cd and usb install).

Thanks all!

just better search for those models in market i am sure u would get a better option for your queries

first windows, create its root partition and the common storage.
next linux and create its root and swap.
windows will not use by default the swap and ext* partitions.

1 members found this post helpful.

@Jamesfredette, I do not understand.

@ilesterg, it shouldn't matter, since Linux will live on the USB Stick presumably along with its bootloader.

However, it is probably easier to setup the swap and other partitions during the Linux install. Then let windows do its thing.

Edit:
realised I may have read it wrong..
the USB is just for installation media.

If Linux is going on the hdd..
Windows first, then Linux

1 members found this post helpful.

If you install Windows after Linux then Windows almost always overwrites the MBR (Master Boot Record)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8K7Daoy9nc‎
may be this is not the best video but you can get many useful in the right pane with clear instruction and practical.

1 members found this post helpful.

Oh, consider using GPT instead of MBR to partition

MBR has a 4 partition limit ( unless you use extended partitions )

GPT has a lot more flexibility , and can go beyond 2TB

Great! MBR and GPT came out.

So, I was thinking that I might want to create another partition in the future, so I might want to use GPT instead of MBR. If so, would Linux and Windows both support GPT?

But, given that I only want 4 partitions, I think the 3 of you agree that it would be best to do Windows then Linux.


Cheers!

Linux will have no problem with GPT, and as far as I know Windows7 will be happy....

Then again,. after a quick search I'm not certain, some say yes, some no.

However,
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/sh....php?p=2942595
provides a walk through for win7 and GPT

Windows is not something I deal with much

I will go with Firerat, use GPT.

First install Windows then Linux.

It depends on the Windows version and architecture you want to use if GPT is an option. In general, Windows 7 understands GPT, but only the 64 bit versions can boot from it, and only if you use UEFI instead of the legacy BIOS option.
So it may be easier to use MBR if you don't want to hassle with UEFI boot.

Windows thinks it's the only game in town, and will usually nuke any existing Linux installation if installed after Linux.

Linux will respect an existing Windwos installation, and ask you if you want to install Linux alongside Windows or replace Windows.

The moral of this story? Always install Windows first, because it is the stupider and more egotistical of the two operating systems.

1 members found this post helpful.

Unless you remove the Linux partitions during the install Windows will not touch any installed OS, it will only replace the bootloader.

Which is what I meant, but I no doubt stately it poorly.

If you had a bootable Linux installation in place and then installed Windows, you would no longer have a Linux as a boot-time option. Windows doesn't overwrite the Linux partition(s), but considers them "useless", therefore removing references to them from the boot setup. You can of course repair the damage Windows did to the boot process, assuming you know what it did (as most people here would), but to a newbie it would appear that Linux is gone.

However you look at it, Windows does not play well with other operating systems and cuts them out of the picture at boot time, leaving only itself as the sole boot option, albeit not by overwriting those Linux partition(s).

Linux can boot quite happily from an extended partition. I'm doing just that on my dual-boot Win7/Mageia computer. The extended partition issue is irrelevant

My understanding is that Windows cannot read from Linux file systems, such as ext3 and ext4. It would see the partitions, but could not read the files.

Very well said.

Yep, from my understanding, this would help with my requirement2.

Thanks all for your kindness. I'll now mark this thread as solved.