I hope this is posted in the right forum. I have a dual boot ubuntu 10-4 and windows vista each on a separate 500 GB drive. I want to install Windows 7 in place of vista but I understand that there are some issues with grub 2 if vista and linux are already installed. Also can it be done from within Vista as an upgrade without doing a complete reinstall. I also wondered if installing windows 7 as a virtual box would be a better option. I only have a few programs that I need to run in windows but I do use them regularly. Any help will be appreciated.

??What issues would those be?? Are you using Grub 2 to boot vista and Ubuntu now? I'm not familiar with Grub 2 but with Grub Legacy using the chainloader entry, if you installed another version of windows to the same partition, you should not need to change your entry in the config file.


Is the "it" you are referring to updating vista to win 7? You might get a response here as there are many LQ users very familiar with windows but I would suggest trying microsoft support site or some windows forum. I would expect you would be able to do this as microsoft sells update and full installation CD/DVDs of win 7. Might check this site:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...a-to-windows-7

Thanks for the reply. I believe the grub problem as I was lead to believe was an MBR corruption that would cause the dual boot to fail. As to the second part I have access to either install and only desired to know if the install from windows would lead to a failure to grub when the restart in the middle of the install is initiated. Perhaps I did not make myself sufficiently clear when articulating the question.

The issue you may have been thinking about is that whenever a windows version is installed, it will overwrite the master boot record without asking if you want that or notifying you that it is being done, at least to my knowledge. Solved my reinstalling/updating Grub.

Don't know what you are referring to here. Of course I haven't installed windows in over 8 years. I have not used Grub2 so don't wish to give advice in that regard.

almost certainly what is on about in this topic.

I would advise you ensure you have a Ubuntu disc to hand before installing windows 7 (if 7 fails and you are left with no OS this could be problematic). grub-install should be easy to do from within the live section of the ubuntu disc.

Reinstalled grub then updated to Grub2 after the windows 7 install. Dual boot is working again. Thanks for the suggestions and help. I only need windows for some applications I use and they will not run under wine. I am still trying to get Virtual Box installed and working so that dual boot will become unnecessary.