Win 7 with Vista and Linux triple boot

heismark · 25 Oct 2009

Hi

I installed Win 7 on a triple boot with Vista and Linux and meant to keep Linux and Win 7, expecting Vista to be overwritten. Unforeseen Vista remained installed.

Using a special boot cdrom, I get entries for all 3 OS, but Vista boots into my Lenovo laptop's rescue software and proposes to "rescue" the Vista and I can't get passed that. I expect it means deleting the other OS?

I imagine I could uninstall Vista in some way placed in the folder Windows_Old or maybe being able to boot it, as I would be able to get some registration keys off software as well as using some software that doesn't work on win7. How can I now uninstall Vista safely?

I expect a partition manager like in Linux could recover the partitions for new data.

Does anyone have some comments on this?

Cavsfan · 25 Oct 2009

I have a similar tri-boot system with Vista Home Premium 64 bit, Ubuntu 9.04 64 bit and Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit RC Build 7100. I preordered Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit and have the installation DVD.
I am wanting to put the purchased copy of Windows 7 in place of the windows 7 RC for now. and just need to know if I can do that.
Would I need to format the logical drive that the windows 7 RC is on prior to installing? And will I be given the option to choose where I want to install it?
heismark, I am also interested in the answer to your question because for now I do not want Vista to be touched until I can figure out the answer to some other questions.
Thanks! :)

heismark · 26 Oct 2009

Well, since noone has any answer, I used EasyBCD and edited the boot manager.

Rebooting didn't bring up the Vista. So I began deleting the files manually in Windows.old. It didn't cause any problems. What I left was the Lenovo software in case I really need to 'rescue' the factory settings. The Lenovo rescue system takes up a significat part of the disc, like 25%.

I now get the EasyBCD boot menu and a Neosmart Linux selection as well and then it boots nicely into PCLinuxOS.

Also I used hours moving Thunderbird mail to the external USB connected harddrive as I don't want future OS changes to affect my mail. Actually a responsible OS-maker would create a system where most user data would be secured after upgrading the OS.

Now I am sure replies will turn in about how I should have done...

wallyinnc · 26 Oct 2009

Guys, welocome to the forums

heismark said:

Vista boots into my Lenovo laptop's rescue software and proposes to "rescue" the Vista and I can't get passed that. I expect it means deleting the other OS?

heismark, I believe your system is booting from a Vista recovery partition. Can you identify that? It should be a separate partition.

Cavsfan said:

I am wanting to put the purchased copy of Windows 7 in place of the windows 7 RC for now.
1) and just need to know if I can do that.
2) Would I need to format the logical drive that the windows 7 RC is on prior to installing?
3) And will I be given the option to choose where I want to install it?

Cavsfan, in order:
1) yes, you will need to do a clean install. If you have user files in RC you have to migrate them to the retail version (you should not "upgrade" from the RC to the retail). Here is how to use Windows Easy Transfer for that
2) Not necessarily, if you do a clean install Win7 will do that for you. You can do that, though
3) Yes, see steps 6 and 7 here

heismark said:

Now I am sure replies will turn in about how I should have done...

I think you did it right, maybe WET would have spared you some time.

You all: BACK UP PERSONAL FILES BEFORE ANYTHING!!

Regards,
Wally

heismark · 26 Oct 2009

Thanks; My installation is great now, booting to either 7 or PCLinuxOS.

Only stone in the shoe is wasting 20GB on the Lenovo Rescue system with a Vista copy. A partition manager doesn't show it. Too well hidden. But a clean and total Linux installation can by experience remove it. Then I would need to install 7 on top again and I don't want to do more than 2 days of installation work

Specially if my user data incl. email is on an external drive and I don't need the drive space on the laptop.

Backing up my email's before installing 7 would have been clever, but no bells ever rang.... probably because I am so used to everything being on the external drive (except obviously mail and the Mozilla Thunderbird mail client). But now it is secured.

I might even switch to webmail in the future.

wallyinnc · 26 Oct 2009

I am definitely going crazy since I didn't link in my head your first and second posts, sorry for the unappicable first remark

I have a HP, so I may not be of help, but can't you make rescue disks and delete that recovery data? I suspect it is not a separate partition (as in my HP and as you get with Win7) but maybe files in your present partition?

I would try the recovery DVDs anyway, since keeping the recovery inside the same disk is asking for trouble: One second: The time it takes to wipe three years of work | iGeneration | ZDNet.com

heismark · 27 Oct 2009

I'll look for ways to remove the rescue part on the web. I can't even see it's there.

Well, here it is: http://blog.keeme.net/archives/1

Cavsfan · 27 Oct 2009

Thanks for the help! I was able to do a fresh install of Windows 7 in place of the Windows 7 evaluation copy 7100! It gave even better stats than the RC did (perfromance report). I am currently backing up my wife's and my email and then I will free the space used by Vista and Ubuntu, format it. Give Ubuntu the first part of the drive and let Windows 7 have the rest of my 500MB Sata drive. I have a 1TB USB drive that I am backing everything up to. Now I'll be dual booting instead of tri-booting.
heismark, didn't mean to take over your thread! I think we both got the answers we needed and I believe this thread can be marked resolved.
Thanks again!

wallyinnc · 28 Oct 2009

heismark said:

I'll look for ways to remove the rescue part on the web. I can't even see it's there.

Well, here it is: Lenovo Laptop + Rescue and Recovery = Missing Hard Drive Space!

Good reference. Did it work for you?