Install xp keep ubuntuI

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Joined: May 11, 2008
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Posted May 30, 2008 at 3:19:02 AM
Subject: Install xp keep ubuntuI
Ok a few week ago i installed ubuntu on my raptor and it made a boot screen selector for me so i could switch back and forth from ubuntu and xp but i really need to re-install xp on the other drive will i ave any problems getting back to the ubuntu side on the other hard disc or will it create another boot select screen? Hope that made sense im tired :)
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proopnarine

Joined Apr 03, 2008
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Location:San Francisco

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Posted: May 30, 2008 4:04:31 AM
No, didn't make sense entirely :-) You have two hard drives in your machine, but only Ubuntu is currently installed? And you wish to re-install XP? I don't understand why, since apparently Ubuntu is presenting your with dual-boot options. Your best option, if possible, is to have XP installed, and then install Ubuntu, having GRUB handle the boot options. Get some rest :-)

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Xoligy
Joined May 11, 2008
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Posted: May 30, 2008 2:20:25 PM
Sorry for not making sense at the time. I have been using xp since before i can remember now, and when WD returned my raptor i installed ubuntu on it so i could do some php coding well try to! (i needed cron jobs and xp wouldnt do them). So i had xp already installed and installed ubuntu on my raptor it then made a duel boot screen so i could choose ubuntu or xp. But im having a few problems with xp and could do with formatting the drive really as it quicker than trying to fix it. If i did that would it effect me getting into ubuntu?
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Ante
Joined Mar 28, 2008
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Posted: May 30, 2008 7:21:09 PM
do you have two physical hard disks or did you partition one hard disk to two (or more) logical drives? nonetheless, it shoudln't be a problem as OS installs don't touch other HDDs unless you tell it to. If windows was installed on C and Ubuntu on D, stating on winsetup that you want to install XP on C and not telling the installer to format other drives (depending on your ubuntu setup, you may have selected ext2 or ext3 or whatever. windows may ask you if you want to format those partitions to NTFS/FAT. No, of course) [B]However[/B], I really wouldn't know if window's bootloader will override GRUB and you may not be able to boot to Ubuntu. I believe it shouldn't be a problem as well, since from what I can tell GRUB points to window's bootloader. I'd wait a lil bit for more info :)
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proopnarine

Joined Apr 03, 2008
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Posted: May 31, 2008 4:23:05 AM
I know that initially XP would always overwrite GRUB if GRUB was installed in the master boot sector. I don't know if that's still the case. If it is, then you'll lose your ability to boot Ubuntu if you install XP! Aha! Just found this (below). XP will overwrite GRUB, but it can be restored. Good luck. http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_linux_and_windows_xp_linux_installed_first.htm

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Xoligy
Joined May 11, 2008
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Posted: May 31, 2008 12:55:28 PM
Thanks for that proopnarine, i'll give it ago tonight/tomorrow as i dont really want to loose my ubuntu install guess i'll make a few back ups first tho ;)
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Shashank Sharma
Joined Jan 01, 1970
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Posted: May 31, 2008 3:34:17 PM
If you lose your GRUB bootloader, you can always restore it and that's not a hassle at all.

Coauthor of Beginning Fedora: From Novice to Professional published by Apress.

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Ante
Joined Mar 28, 2008
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Posted: May 31, 2008 5:39:15 PM
as the two have said, and me too, you don't necessarily lose the ubuntu install just the way to get to ubuntu, which can be fixed.
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