Dual Boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu

Installing Ubuntu or many other Linux distros via the CD usually come with this Grub Boot Loader but removing the Ubuntu or some other Linux installation removes the Grub Boot Loader as well and makes Windows 7 undetectable at startup and your choice would be to install the Linux distro again so that when this Grub Boot Loader gets installed, it will again detect Windows 7. I've gone through this problem and for a few minutes or so, I thought I killed my Windows 7.

With ubuntu one thing many are not aware of is the other option available for adding a new boot entry into the 7 BCD using the EasyBCD program. The "Grub is not installed in bootsector" box needs to be checked off however to avoid seeing Grub installed on the 7 drive.

The custom install of the distro first sees the root/file system partition made the "/ mount point" when installing ubuntu onto a separate drive. That's also where you point the Grub installer. Note if 7 is already installed first on let's say the host/boot and Linux is going to a second drive the 7 drive would be left unplugged during the install to avoid seeing the 7 mbr effected by the Grub installer.

Once ubuntu or other is running you then run EasyBCD to see the new entry added into the 7 boot options. This works using the NeoGrub loader option with that program which then will load the distro when selected. The Neosmart guide for this is seen at Ubuntu - EasyBCD - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

I tried the Wubi installer but didn't care for that much here. Thatt's because I still have to find a way to see Linux Mint Debian added as a boot option. For a fast non geek install of ubuntu the Wubi works great for that however.

The NeoGrub option won't work on anything Debian based for use of the EasyBCD program as the alternative there for some reason. With ubuntu previously installed to the second OS drive on the last whiile 7 was still in beta form the Grub loader was replaced by the NeoGrub option while Grub was targeted at the second drive with the first unplugged after the initial mishap with the 7 mbr. But that again was dual booting across two separate drives not having a single split.

Now for simply booting live from the ubuntu cd live and seeing a custom install to a separate partition get used to the idea of running the Startup repair tool since Grub will overwrite the existing 7 mbr entry in favor of the GNU OS's boot loader. It would add 7 in as a boot option instead of seeing ubuntu added into the 7 boot options as the end result same as what was seen when installing ubuntu on a second drive and not pointing Grub correctly at the second drive.

Now you see why many will automatically prefer the Wubi option over trashing the existing boot information in case they later decided to dump a distro they put on.

One option you haven't thought of is how to custom install any distro on a usb flash drive without trashing your Windows installation in any way! Here I have either ubuntu or even a much larger Linux Mint Debian based flavor installed on root partition while the front end is a large data recovery partition I can carry on a key holder.

If you don't have a second drive to install Linux on separately and then use the NeoGrub form of Grub(included in EasyBCD) or use the Grub option to boot into 7 this is one way to have a full install without any effect on the main drive. It also makes for a portable OS.

A good sized flash drive of course is always the recommendation. Ubuntu for example was able to fit on a 2.25gb root partition when looked at as the smallest amount of space you could get by with. That would be a 4gb flash drive over trying to fit the entire thing on a 2gb model.

For data recovery purposes a good 16gb while an 8gb can pass is the recommended to see a flash drive split up as illustrated in an old thread on how to use ubuntu as the distro selected for this seen at Using the "Other OS" For a USB Rescue Device?

For use of the entire flash drive simply to install it for OS only use while still able to boot then a 16gb is the place to start for the smaller distros like ubuntu or Puppy Linux while the larger releases like Linux Mint Debian(Debian based LMint release) not capatable with ubuntu would see a 32gb model used. That come prepackaged with install option for some 200 apps and why it was considered while the regular LM 13 cinnamon and other for some reason would not install directly. Those had to see the iso written to flash drive for live only.

For ubuntu and having a second hard drive a 3rd party solution namely EasyBCD made it possible to see a boot entry for that particular distro added into the 7 BCD. When trying this out back in 2009 the ubuntu install on the second drive here went off without a hitch. You first have to unplug the 7 host drive to prevent any accidental overwrite of the 7 mbr by the substitute form of Grub(NeoGrub) and then once the second drive sees Grub installed there making that a stand alone drive by the way you check off the "Grub isn't installed in bootsector" box when using the EasyBCD option to add the new entry in.

It seems a bit complicated at first until you see that where you point the Grub installer will be what makes the difference as far as the 7 boot information. Since then I have custom installed distros onto flash drives and seen a boot entry for 7 added each time in the Grub loader but haven't trashed the 7 mbr. You simply point Grub at the flash drive as where that will be installed since installing Grub is a mandatory function seen with the distro's installer.

Actually the distro installer for many Linux flavors will want to take over the entire drive. The VM alternative on the other hand is the convenient no fuss option to look over but not full experience the other OS and why another program called Bochs is being looked at for not only running distros but possibly 98SE or the Win 8 Enterprise 90day trial.

With the Wubi option the ubuntu install ran without problems but left a lot to be desired and was later removed. It's a fast way to get a dual boot going but as you found out not the preferred. Without a second drive one other option does still come to mind being a custom install to VHD.

That would be a Virtual Hard Disk you could attach in the DM in order to try dual booting by that means. Virtual Hard Disk - Create and Attach VHD You would still need some way to configure the boot entry however since this was originally intended for being able to dual boot let's say Vista with 7 having Vista on the VHD or vice versa.

Then there's always a choice of opting for an entirely different ubuntu compatible distro you may find a bit more to your liking while somewhat larger in size. A good one for Linux Mint 13 still ubuntu compatible unlike the LMDebian release is definitely a more flavorable distro with more option. Dual Boot - Windows 7 and Linux

LM is of course one you would see on dvd not cd. But the guide indicates it will work for ubuntu as well as Linux Mint looking back at the ubuntu 12.07 release at the time that was posted. Here I simply ended up finally getting around to installing LMD on the second drive when running into dual boot problems with the 8 RPreview where both Windows installations were simply put trashed with disk errors from booting into 7 from the RP's own boot options. The stand alone provides a chance to have a complete lookover at that distro for the time being.