windows and linux nstallation
 

Hi,

can I install Linux first, and then install Windows? If no, can you please tell me the reason?

thanks
Mokku

You can, indeed, install linux before windows.
Experienced users don't like to do this because, unlike linux, windows is not designed to respect non MS operating systems.

Very experienced users do not install windows at all.

You can, but it is probably far easier to install windows first, because as far as I can recall, Windows will overwrite your linux boot loader and not give you the option of booting into your Linux distribution. After installing Windows, you would have to boot into your linux with a boot disk or LiveCD and re-install the boot loader.

Flow chart?:
Option one: Install Windows --> Resize Partition with GParted LiveCD (Or similar) --> Install Linux --> Done!
Option two: Install Linux (Reserving space for Windows --> Install Windows --> Boot Linux with Boot disk --> Re-install Linux Boot loader --> Done!

So you save a rather irritating step by installing Windows first.

This may help with your install.

http://apcmag.com/5459/dualboot_ubuntu_and_windows_xp

Thanks a lot for your information. Basically if I install linux first, windows will override grub and manually I need to install. If I'm wrong correct me.

Historically, Windows has also been pretty unfriendly about being loaded anyplace but at the front of the hard drive also. I do not know if Vista changes this, but you may not succeed if you load Windows on back of the drive.

In the past, when I have needed to do that, I have made a small partition in the front of the drive to put the Windows boot stuff onto, then put the rest of the installation where I needed it.

It is just a whole lot simpler and less fraught with minefields to install Windows first.

Yes, you're correct, mokku. To avoid lots of potential problems, install Windows first. But, as was also mentioned, make sure you install Windows on the first partition of the drive. Once I installed it on the second partition and it installed fine, and GNU/Linux worked fine, but when I'd pick Windows from my grub menu, it'd get a blinking cursor on the top left of the screen and I couldn't figure out why. Just install Windows on the first partition to avoid this.