Dual booting Mint and win7 starter on Asus 1015PED Netbook

Plod · 03-05-2016, 05:45 PM

Greetings, I am and elderly Linux noob and haven't been able to find the answer by searching the Forums. Probably because my question is too simple.

I have Linux Mint (Cinnamon) on a USB drive and playing around in the BIOS (with fingers crossed) I am able to boot it ok.

I would now like to dual boot it with win7 Starter but need some guidance. I presume I just hit the "Install Linux Mint" button and it does the rest, or is not that simple?.

Probably need to do something more in the BIOS?. Are there any pitfalls to watch out for please?.

BW-userx · 03-05-2016, 05:58 PM

Quote:

I presume I just hit the "Install Linux Mint" button and it does the rest

nope you have to make room for your Linux install or you'll install over top of Windows.

these are the instructions for dual booting windows 10 but the disk manager for windows 7 still works the same.... good luck

look here

oh but do not be afraid to come back and inquire furter if you need more information...before you install Mint. Even afterwords. if needed ...

Plod · 03-05-2016, 06:31 PM

Thanks. I just knew it wouldn't be that easy. I might just stick to booting from my USB.

yancek · 03-05-2016, 07:12 PM

A windows install will generally take up the entire disk. You can shrink the windows partition using it's Disk Management tool to leave unallocated space on which to install Mint. The link below has a detailed tutorial on dual booting windows/Ubuntu using an MBR install which you probably have with windows 7. Mint uses the same installer as Ubuntu so the major difference will be the background color during the install.

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/u...all-guide.html

syg00 · 03-05-2016, 07:15 PM

That makes it look more complex than it might be.

It used to be the partitioning had an option to "make room and do a standard dual-boot install". Perfect for the OP.
But with the encryption and LVM options now, that all seems to have gone away. Pity.

Plod · 03-05-2016, 08:46 PM

Well, that all looks a lot more complicated that I had anticipated. Thanks for your help.

BW-userx · 03-05-2016, 08:49 PM

it is really not as complected as it looks. Just more then what I think you thought needed to be done in order to get Linux On your hard drive too. IMO maybe wrong. BUT,

If you have the ability to install another hard drive in your system, then you can side step that partitioning of your hard drive and just use the second hard drive for your Linux Installed and still have a dual boot.

Plod · 03-06-2016, 12:28 AM

I am just using a small Netbook to try out Linux before I installed it onto my main computer, but thanks for the suggestion.

BW-userx · 03-06-2016, 12:23 PM

turn a internal HDD into an external HDD with the use of a USB cable and an adapter for the HDD to complete the connection to your NetBook. then boot into your install USB Stick then install it using your netbook as a portal/proxy/gateway (whichever term you understand) to your external HDD then install it on to that. when you want to run Linux just plug it into your USB and let it boot up off of the external Hard drive and use it like that.

this I have done before.