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HOWTO: Dual-Boot Windows Vista & Ubuntu

 

This is how I setup my laptop to dual boot Windows Vista and Ubuntu 7.04:

  1. Install Vista

  2. Update Vista

  3. Restart machine

  4. Defragment the Vista Partition
    Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter

  5. Create space on disk for Linux partitions
    Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management > Right Click on Volume containing Vista > Shrink Volume (I used 10GB for Linux)

  6. Restart machine with LiveCD for Ubuntu 7.04 in drive

  7. Click on the Install icon on the Desktop

  8. When you get to the partion options, right click and select 'Delete' for any partition which does not contain Vista. Don't delete the Partition containing Vista! Keep deleting extraneous partitions until you have nothing but Unpartitioned Space and the Partition containing Vista

  9. When all partitions except Vista are deleted, press Back a few times until you get to the beginning of the dialogue for partitions. There should now be an option to automatically install Ubuntu into the Unpartitioned Space. Select that option, and install Ubuntu

  10. Ubuntu will install into an Ext 3 type partition and will also create a Swap Partition

  11. Restart machine. The machine will boot into Linux for now

  12. At the Ubuntu desktop, we are now going to edit the GRUB menu.lst file. GRUB is the boot loader for Ubuntu and we have to tell it where Vista is located. We need to edit the menu.lst file

  13. Applications > Accessories > Terminal from the Ubuntu desktop. At the ~$ prompt, type this:
    sudo cp /boot/grub/menu.lst /boot/grub/menu.lst_bak
    This will create a backup of the original menu.lst file

  14. Again at the ~$ prompt, type this:
    sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

  15. Near the top of this file, you will see a command line that looks like this:
    timeout 10
    I changed mine to '7' (seconds). This boots the GRUB's boot menu a touch quicker

  16. Near the bottom of this file, you will find a line that looks like this:
    ## ## End Default Options ##
    Immediately below this line, add the following text:

    17. title Windows Vista
    root (hd0,0)
    makeactive
    chainloader +1

    Note: you are adding this text ABOVE all other Ubuntu title statements

  17. 'Save' the changes

  18. Finished! When you next boot the machine, don't touch a thing and it will default boot into Windows Vista
    Restart the machine again. This time, press the 'Esc' (or down arrow) key during the 7-second countdown. You will go to the GRUB boot menu where you can choose Windows Vista or Ubuntu