I tried but all of the instructions that I find are for if you already have windows and you want to add linux, not if you have linux and want to add windows

I don't know how much Linux knowledge you have, but it is best to install Windows and than linux. If you don't reinstalling linux, just wipe the hard drive and start over with windows first.

If you are using Win XP/2000, you should be able to install it on the second partition, windows like the first partition the best.

If you can create some free space for windows, than I don't see any reason you can't install it after linux is already install.

Try using linux cfdisk and see about creating some free space but don't format it, just leave it blank. Then use Windows cd to start the installation.

I haven't used it but heard that partition magic is one of the best partitioning programs out, but cost dollars.

Good luck.

i'm a GNewbie, however, i've done a fair amount of research and i was going to suggest the above, too. Save you files to external media and load windows on the HD (not sure how this is done, but google is your friend!). the best instructions i've seen so far are from vectorlinux.com

ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distribu...#integrity_win

i'm sure others are out there... and if any are better - let me know!

good luck! i think mepis is a good choice.

Look, I'm about 1/2 a minute ahead of you on your Linux learning curve, but this was one of the first things that I did when I did the HDD Mepis install. Here's how I did it:

Windows XP was already installed on the entire harddrive. This is a little different from your application, but bear with me. I ran Mepis from the LiveCD and used the QTParted application.

With QTParted, I shrank the existing Windows partition to just over half the total drive size. You can shrink or expand existing drives without damaging the information already there. This is not fool proof, and you are prompted to back up the existing info before proceeding, but I didn't have any issues. I then used the same QTparted to create a new drive with a Linux friendly file system (ext2, Reisdorf, etc.)

Once you get all the partitions layed out the way you want them, tell the application to make the changes. Nothing happens to the drives until you execute the changes.

Once this is done you should be prompted to install the boot manager. Doing so will make the computer display a screen with all OS choices each time it is started up. You can then choose Windows, or linux, or whatever else is there.

Once you have this done, you should be able to boot to Linux. You should also be able to boot from your Windows CD and install XP on the new "windows friendly" partition.

Oh yeah, one other thing. I learned rather quickly to always refer to "it" as Windoze when asking for Linux help.

Good luck!

OK, i reinstalled windows, stole partition magic with limewire, created the partition, made it larger with QT parted, and now when i go to the install center it wont give me a choice on which partition to install it on... Or is it already installed just after using qt parted?

>stole partition magic with limewire,



That is illegal.

I do realize that, but I'm not going to pay for something that I'm gonna use once then delete it... And if I didnt know it was illegal i wouldnt have said that i stole it haha

it should give you a choice of where to install mepis.

btw, if you followed the link i provided earlier, you could have learned a little about fips and fdisk and then refrained from stealing partition magic(ally shrinks your wallet).

ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distribu...#integrity_win

this is another tutorial that may interest you (it is depian based):

http://www.linux.org/lessons/index.html

anywho, a couple considerations:

1. it is common to set up /home on a different partition than your boot partition. this makes upgrading the system a lot easier. i've also seen setups where /usr is its own partition, too. that's where the programs go.

2. some folks want to access files from both windows *and* linux. IIRC, that means setting up a fat32 partition since both winxp and linux can apparently both read and write on a fat32 partition.

good luck and let me know how it goes. i will be following in your footsteps shortly. :-)

it should give you a choice of where to install mepis.

btw, if you followed the link i provided earlier, you could have learned a little about fips and fdisk and then refrained from stealing partition magic(ally shrinks your wallet).

ftp://ibiblio.org/pub/linux/distribu...#integrity_win

this is another tutorial that may interest you (it is depian based):

http://www.linux.org/lessons/index.html

anywho, a couple considerations:

1. it is common to set up /home on a different partition than your boot partition. this makes upgrading the system a lot easier. i've also seen setups where /usr is its own partition, too. that's where the programs go.

2. some folks want to access files from both windows *and* linux. IIRC, that means setting up a fat32 partition since both winxp and linux can apparently both read and write on a fat32 partition.

good luck and let me know how it goes. i will be following in your footsteps shortly. :-)