dual boot- Linux and Windows- Toshiba laptop...

[Bill Davidsen]

Aaron Konstam wrote:
> On Sun, 2008-02-17 at 10:44 -0500, Bill Davidsen wrote:
>> Mike Chalmers wrote:
>>> On 2/17/08, Tim <ignored_mailbox at yahoo.com.au> wrote:
>>>> On Sun, 2008-02-17 at 00:31 -0500, Mike Chalmers wrote:
>>>>  > I wasn't aware that the Toshiba recovery discs gave you the option to
>>>>  > partition the disc, that is why I asked. I thought that recovery discs
>>>>  > automatically took up the whole hard drive.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I don't know whether *they* do.  They weren't mentioned in the message
>>>>  that I replied to.  You'd have to check on yours, or simply try it, to
>>>>  see what options you get.
>>>>
>>>>  I can imagine recovery discs restoring a system to how it was when you
>>>>  bought it.  In my case, on an Asus system, the initial setup was a 5 gig
>>>>  recovery partition, half the drive as the OS, remainder as a spare
>>>>  partition.  But I appear to have an ordinary Vista install disc, so I'd
>>>>  expect to be asked how I wanted to set up the drive.
>>>>
>>>>  You can try pre-partitioning using Linux, and hoping that a Windows
>>>>  install may just use already set-up partitions.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  --
>>>>  (This computer runs FC7, my others run FC4, FC5 & FC6, in case that's
>>>>   important to the thread.)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Don't send private replies to my address, the mailbox is ignored.
>>>>  I read messages from the public lists.
>>>>
>>>>  --
>>>>  fedora-list mailing list
>>>>  fedora-list at redhat.com
>>>>  To unsubscribe: https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list
>>>>
>>> I think my best bet is to install Windows using the recovery discs and
>>> see if it has a partition option. If it does not then I will use a
>>> partition program to resize the partition and then install Linux.
>>>
>> I would install Windows first. Windows is far more likely to damage 
>> Linux that vice versa. Back when I ran dual boot I put the boot info in 
>> the Linux partition and made that the active partition. Some vendor 
>> Windows versions check the boot sector and object or "fix it" if it 
>> changes. The MSFT boot sector should (as in used to) boot the active 
>> partition
> 
>> n, which then gets you into grub.
> The standard method that has always worked for me is:
> 1. Start installing Linux until the point where you partition ans set
> the types of the partition. Leave the first partition for Windows.
> 2. Install Windows into its partition.
> 3. Install Linux with grub boot in MBR on the first disk scanned.
> 
That works, but some versions keep a CRC of the MBR and after a change 
either fail to boot or rewrite the MBR and then reboot. And the few 
times I have watched a Windows install you did get a chance to diddle 
partitions from that, although I don't remember if it was offered if 
there were partitions already.

-- 
Bill Davidsen <davidsen at tmr.com>
   "We have more to fear from the bungling of the incompetent than from
the machinations of the wicked."  - from Slashdot