Windows 7: Dual Win7 & Ubuntu

I have the 32 bit Windows 7 & Ubuntu installed on one system with dual boot ... works fine and the menu appears correctly. I installed to a clean disk Windows 7 first and then Ubuntu second using the Ubuntu wubi installer. I also have another system with the 64 bit Windows 7 OS that I would like to put Ubuntu on too, but have been unable to successfully create a dual boot menu on it. I realize that boot.ini is no longer used but even using EasyBCD I cannot add Ubuntu. I use the wubi installer that works from within Windows ... I must be overlooking something simple??

Hello jlindblo...

yes, you're missing something here...
Windows 7 after a clean install, it creates a small 200MB hidden partition to store the BCD store database. (similar files to boot.ini). This is where the bootloader is stored.
This partition is currently invisible to you, so even if you added a linux boot entry in EasyBCD, easybcd thinks that it has written the files to the partition where the bootloader is, but it actually can't write there cause it's hidden (no drive letter given). To fix that, open Disk Management, assign a drive letter to your hidden small partition (200MB of size must be), and then add a linux boot entry from EASYBCD again. This time it should work and you should be able to dual boot.

(If later on you need to hide again the small boot partition, you can. You can have it hidden and the dual boot will still work. If you need to re-hide it, just ask. Disk management won't allow you, needs a trick.

Hope it helps

Hi limneos,

I'd be curious to know how to rehide that system partition without using a 3rd party app.

SIW2

Sure... I found it when I wanted it hidden cause I thought its convenient.

here you go.
Run elevated cmd and start diskpart

diskpart> list disk

(find your disk number with he 200mb hidden partition, your Windows 7 boot disk usually)

diskpart > select disk 0 (change 0 with your disk no)

diskpart> list partition (find your 200 mb partition)

diskpart> select partition 1

diskpart > remove (don't worry, it doesn't remove the partition , just the letter)

DONE

Thanks,

That's interesting - how do you then get it back -assign a letter in Disk Management ?

I don't have one of those little system partitions , but may try it in future.

SIW2

either by using the same commands, but instead of remove , type assign.

Or from Disk Management. It always allows you to assign a drive letter to this hidden partition, it just doesn't allow you to remove it.

my bcd drive is only 8mb and not 200mb

Thanks limneos ..... I appreciate your response to my dual boot question which I'll print out as soon as I can find an HP 5740 printer driver (which I have not been able to find thus far)

Is it the 5740 Deskjet, or the J5740 officejet? Are you looking for a driver for Windows 7?

HP Deskjet 5740. I remember that XP downloaded a driver for it automatically but since Windows 7 didn't I went to HP's site and downloaded the latest XP driver and attempted an install. It came back with an error and said it was not compatible. Now it seems that there was a mode in XP that would allow "Compatibility Mode" but I haven't come across it yet in Windows 7. Seems that Compatibility Mode was selectable from the Shortcut Icon before .... but if it won't install I won't have the icon. So I'm still working on that one ...

Jim