Question about dual booting (reinstalling windows with linux already on)

calimer · 10-23-2003, 09:06 PM

Hi, I recently have had a problem with windows where it won't read my C: partition which is where I have my windows setup stuff. I am thinking about just reinstalling windows over that partition since I keep my programs and stuff on my D partition. Now, I've heard that it is better to install windows first then linux, so after hearing that I am worried about installing windows since I already have linux on. Will windows overwrite some of my stuff? Or can I just reinstall windows on the c partition and not have to worry. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
-calimer

absolut_ray · 10-23-2003, 09:30 PM

if you reinstall windows, it will most likely write over the master boot record and automatically boot into windows all the time...
your best bet is to find a third party boot selector and use that. i use power quest bootmagic (they also make partition magic, and it comes with that) but its not free.
there is a free partition manager by Ranish which also has links to (free?) multi boot programs:
http://www.ranish.com/part
i havn't used it personally, but it was recommended by my OS professor

you might want to check it out before doing anything drastic --windows likes to control the pc completely :-)

akaBeaVis · 10-23-2003, 09:32 PM

One things for sure, windows will overwrite the boot loader for linux if it's installed in the master boot record (mbr) of the c partition, which is likely if you're set up to boot from that partition and you've been seeing the linux boot loader (lilo?) , if your linux is installed on a separate partition from where you're going to reinstall windows, you should be ok, make a boot-disk for linux first, then after windows overwrites you can boot to linux from it and re-install the boot loader (lilo?) back where it was.

absolut_ray · 10-23-2003, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by akaBeaVis
One things for sure, windows will overwrite the boot loader for linux if it's installed in the master boot record (mbr) of the c partition, which is likely if you're set up to boot from that partition and you've been seeing the linux boot loader (lilo?) , if your linux is installed on a separate partition from where you're going to reinstall windows, you should be ok, make a boot-disk for linux first, then after windows overwrites you can boot to linux from it and re-install the boot loader (lilo?) back where it was.

yeah, that will work too

akaBeaVis · 10-23-2003, 10:32 PM

edit: stupid question asked below...

akaBeaVis · 10-23-2003, 10:34 PM

heh, I didn't see your post (takes me more than 2 minutes to post these days...) or I would have left this alone, but I *was* curious: does the "absolut" in "absolut_ray" have anything to do w/vodka?

absolut_ray · 10-23-2003, 10:43 PM

kinda

i'm a cs/alcoholic (sike

)

akaBeaVis · 10-23-2003, 10:46 PM

omg, I used to play CS for like 12 hours straight and consume vast amounts of...*liquids* (makes you play better...), aah the joy of sticking an auto-shotgun in someone's back and blowing them clean away...but then the cheaters ruined it...

absolut_ray · 10-23-2003, 10:48 PM

ohh haha, i meant computer scientist

(a la absolute value)
don't play cs much tho, action hl is more my style

akaBeaVis · 10-23-2003, 10:50 PM

ok, it's "math" related, not "vodka" related, cool. (of course I prefer the vodka answer)

absolut_ray · 10-23-2003, 10:53 PM

if i were to choose an alcohol inspired nic tho, it would have to be yuengling_ray or corona_ray

akaBeaVis · 10-23-2003, 10:57 PM

aah, ok. a "beer" guy, for beer those are not bad choices (and if we don't end this it's going to get moved by an admin to the "linux general" or "linux and alcohol" forum or something), so cya lata.