On 28/01/12 17:55, Liam Proven wrote: > On 28 January 2012 17:44, Barry Drake <ubuntu-advertis...@gmx.com> wrote: >> I understand the problem. Windows (any version) refuses to install >> unless you try to install to a drive with a valid boot record. > What? No it doesn't! > > Depends on the version. I don't think I have ever met a version that > won't install *at all* but several versionxs, including, I think, XP > pre-SP3, do not rewrite the MBR so leaving GRUB or LILO in there. > > OTOH, many versions /do/ rewrite it even if they don't have to, > erasing the MBR & rendering Linux unbootable after installing Windows > on a dual-boot system. > >> Reformatting using gparted makes this impossible for Windows. > No it doesn't. I do this frequently, at times on a weekly basis or > more. No problems. > >> I get >> around it by using clonezilla to clone the mbr from another drive onto >> the drive that gparted has blanked and re-formatted to NTFS. > The "FDISK /MBR" method is a *lot* quicker and easier, believe me. > > You can also rewrite the MBR from the Recovery Console on a Win2K or > later install disk, or using the free Windows 7 Recovery CD: > http://neosmart.net/blog/2009/windows-7-system-repair-discs/ > > However, DOS is quicker and easier and works fine. > > If you have >1 physical drive, remember to do this to all of them, > just in case. Again, this is easier with DOS than XP. > > >> Windows >> will then install OK. For some reason known only to Microsoft (must be >> a commercial consideration therefore) reformatting the drive under the >> Windows installer will not overcome the problem. > Not true, but a reformat will not always reinitialise the boot record. > E.g. formatting a secondary drive or partition won't. > >> Ah well, twas ever thus .... > :¬) > > Um. If anything, it was more straightforward in the days of Win9x. > > TBH I have never dual-booted Windows 3 with Linux - I was not using > Linux that early; I only started in 1995 or so. I have many times > dual-booted Linux with plain MS-DOS, DR-DOS or FreeDOS, though. It's > handy to keep a small (32MB) primary bootable DOS partition for things > like firmware re-Flashing. >
Back then you could create a boot disk and boot Linux from that, it would then point to the right place on the hdd, so you could have dual dos/win3.1 and Linux Paul -- -- http://www.zleap.net http://www.ubuntu.com skype : psutton111 -- ubuntu-uk@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
