Windows 7: Reinstalling an OS in a dual boot system

Hey guys,



I am dual booting Ubuntu 10.04 and Windows Seven in my setup and I want to install the newest Ubuntu version over top the old Ubuntu but keep the Windows seven. Is there anything special I need to do? Or can I just delete Ubuntu's partition and install the new OS on it?

Hopefully this makes sense :P

Thanks

It's best to install Ubuntu on a separate HD booted via BIOS as GRUB will corrupt Windows 7.

There is no way to fix this?

Since you'll be installing Ubuntu last, you can follow this tutorial if you must install to same HD: Where to install ubuntu in my system?

If you can install to another HD, unplug Windows 7 during install and boot either via BIOS afterwards.

Why not just upgrade?

Open the /etc/update-manager/release-upgrades file and set Prompt=normal (you will need super user privileges – sudo). By default, this is set to lts, which will only prompt when a LTS upgrade is available.

Once you have done that, go back to the Update Manager, and click Check button. Now the Upgrade to 10.10 button will appear.

If you want to do a clean ubuntu installation then on the disk partition screen select your old ubuntu install partitions.

The latest 10.10 release allows you to choose the destination drive as the place to see Grub installed. Having custom installed the new release on usb flash drives while booted in 7 I can boot from the flash and still choose to boot into 7 without any mbr changes seen on the 7 host drive.

The flash drive was the drive selected for Grub during the installation when the prompt screen for selecting which drive will see Grub appears. That could also as easily been for a custom install onto a second drive. The installer will automatically prompt that it will be reformatting the root partition selected during the install. That will take care of the previous release you have on now.

The screens here are from an install onto VBox showing the manual options available for selecting where the mount point "/" is designated as well as where Grub will go. That will avoid trashing the 7 mbr entirely.

I think I may just end up reinstalling Windows 7 and Ubuntu 10.10. My Windows 7 has been acting weird, and I want Ubuntu 10.10 :P.

The best way to install this is Ubuntu first, then Windows 7, right?

Sorry :P

Windows first. Windows likes to overwrite whatever MBR is there first and only adds itself.

GRUB will recognize and add in other installs. (Or should).

~Lordbob

It depends on how you go through the installation. You can use the Grub options for 7 while seeing ubuntu go on last. For the custom install of 10.10 on a flash drive you can easily treat the flash drive like an internal drive and simply pointing everything at the target drive.

Using the manual not automatic partitioning options you can see Grub go to the ubuntu drive without touching anything on 7's and still be able to load 7 when booting from the Linux drive having an entry for 7. The Grub installer will automatically detect any other OSs present on the system and create a boot entry right under the default seen for ubuntu.

But you have to make sure the second drive is set as well as seeing the root/file system partition made the mount point "/" as shown in the screens earlier. That is what to direct Grub at. The Grub installer usually appears last for selecting where Grub will be installed. A slight improvement with the new installer seen.