setting up a vista/ubuntu 8.10 dual boot with two SATA drives

renisel · 12-18-2008, 03:33 PM

I currently have a desktop running Vista on a SATA drive and would like to add a second SATA drive to handle Ubuntu 8.10. All the info I have been able to find concerning dual boots with Windows and Linux seem to be for two IDE drives or one IDE and one SATA drive. If I just install Ubuntu to the second drive, then change the BIOS settings to boot from that drive first, will grub show Vista as one of my options on start-up? Thanks.

syg00 · 12-18-2008, 03:40 PM

Better to change the BIOS boot order prior to the install - regardless of IDE/SATA. That way the installer will recognise the drives correctly.
Intrepid (8.10) should handle setting up the mapping for grub to boot Vista on the (now) second drive o.k. Else it's easy to fix.

beachboy2 · 12-18-2008, 03:51 PM

Before you go ahead with putting Vista on one disk and Ubuntu on the other, do consider the importance of using your second hard drive as a backup drive. (see second link).
If you plan to backup your data in some other way then follow the first link.

This link uses one OS per drive:

http://www.pctipsbox.com/dual-boot-vista-and-linux/

This link shows both OSs on one drive:

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vi...lled_first.htm