[Techtalk] Dual-Boot Installation Order?

[Gil Weber]

** Reply to message from Nicole Zimmerman <colby at wsu.edu> on Thu, 11 Oct 2001
17:59:04 -0700 (PDT)

Nicole, Judith and I sure would like to know your secrets for installing Linux
first, then Windoze 2K, and then not resulting in Windoze eating Linux. We've
done several such installs and every time Windoze ate Linux -- absolutely
destroyed it. Only way we've been able to get a successful dual boot is to
partition, install Windoze 2K, then Linux. In fact we actually had a triple
boot, Linux, OS/2, and Windoze 2K beta. At least we had the triple boot until we
tried to do a clean install of Windoze 2K gold and it ate everything. Destroyed
the boot manager which was not in the MBR and wrote all over every other
partition leaving messages saying "noting to load here."

The beta version of W2K was very forgiving. It behaved. Unfortunately the Great
Satan wouldn't allow that in the gold version. 

How have you convinced the Great Satan's W2K to stay in its own little box?  :o)

As an aside, if you have any O/S other than Windoze on the C: drive (the first
partition) then Windoze will not install. It will tell you that there is
something wrong with the partition. It will lie to you. If you do not delete and
leave empty for Windoze what Windoze thinks is its holy right to residence it
will not install.

Now, if you've found some magic work around to this W2K stubborness please
reveal it to the hungry poor. :o)

Thx.
Gil


> Just a note on this.
> 
> Windows 2000 is MUCH more polite on the MBR. I have done tons of
> linux-and-then-2k installs without this stupid overwriting the MBR
> problem. (Not that the problem is stupid from the linux side, it is stupid
> that the problem even exists from the windows side)
> 
> Common practice for non-2k (and maybe XP?) installs is to install windows
> first, then install linux and configure LILO (or the bootloader of your
> choice) to load both linux and windows.
> 
> -nicole
> 
> At 19:06 on Oct 7, Carla Schroder combined all the right letters to say:
> 
> > Windows assumes that It Is The Only One, and overwrites the MBR, erasing all 
> > traces of any other non-Windows OS.  Unlike Lilo or Grub, which recognize 
> > other OSs and make room for them in the bootloader, Windows does not share. 
> > It also is hardcore about the cylinder 1024 limit.
> > 
> > If you install Linux first, Windows will overwrite the MBR, and you'll need 
> > your handy Linux boot disk if you ever want to see it again.
> 
> 
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