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    Dual booting Vista and Linux

    Discussion in 'Linux Compatibility and Software' started by Rich.Carpenter, Feb 19, 2009.

  1. Rich.Carpenter

    Rich.Carpenter Cranky Bastage

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    I plan to dual boot Vista Business 64 (or Windows 7) and Linux, and I have a couple of questions.

    1. I will have a 128GB SSD as my primary HDD (where the OS and applications are to be installed) and a 160GB 7200RPM drive in the T500 UltraBay for the second (primarily for virtual machines and other data storage). What I would like to do is split both drives for use half by Windows and half by Linux. This shouldn't be a problem, right?
    2. If and when I may decide to completely remove Linux, I've had the problem in the past with not being able to properly remove the boot partition and boot manager, or at least not to reconfigure it correctly so that Windows will go back to booting as it did before Linux was added. What is the best method for doing so?
     
    Rich.Carpenter, Feb 19, 2009
    #1
  2. ALLurGroceries

    ALLurGroceries  Vegan Vermin Super Moderator

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    1. That's no problem
    2. The best way is to use the windows installer CD and select the recovery console, then run a fixmbr and fixboot
    Edit: woops I just realized you said Vista, the command is different for vista's recovery mode command line, it's bootrec /fixboot
     
    ALLurGroceries, Feb 19, 2009
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  3. Rich.Carpenter

    Rich.Carpenter Cranky Bastage

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    Ok. I know I tried fixmbr before, but never fixboot. That may have been the problem. All I know is for a few months, I was using GRUB to boot Windows, long after Linux had been removed. :p
     
    Rich.Carpenter, Feb 19, 2009
    #3