In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Norman Dunbar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
Hi Norman, That is really helpful. I will take the risk at some time of setting up a dual boot system. As you say Windows XP first, then a Linux distribution to follow. An article on this in QLToday would be useful to other users too. >Evening Malcolm, > >> Umm ... that does seem anticlimatic ... :-) ... you mean the Linux >> installation just detects what space it has the potential to use and >> just installs itself there ? > >Most Linux distributions these days happily locate an empty partition on >your disc, and prompt you to install there. However, you do get other >options such as : > >* Wipe the entire hard disc and use all of it. >* Resize the Windows partition and use the freed space. > >My last install was the former - due to Windows eating my Linux root >partition. Now gone forever on this laptop! > >My first ever install was a dual boot with Windows 98. I had to defrag >the windows D drive to get all the free space at the end. Then the >installer allowed me to resize the Windows partition non-destructively. >I then installed Mandrake 7 (I think) into the freed up space. They >advise you run Windows chkdsk after that just to be sure. > >The best way to dual boot with any flavour of Windows is simply to make >sure Windows is installed first - hopefully leaving you with a free >partition or otherwise. Regardless, Linux will cope. > >Doing it the other way around is fraught with danger. Windows, all >versions, believes it has a god given right to be the only OS on the >computer, and doesn't bother to note that you may already have data - it >takes over the entire drive without so much as a by your leave. > >Windows XP is also redesigned to make dual booting much much more >difficult, so, best advice is this : > >* Run XP or 2000 rather then XP. >* Install Linux last of all - it's easier and linux accepts that other >OSs may exist. > >Have fun. > > >Cheers, >Norman. -- Malcolm Cadman _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm