DUAL-BOOT WINDOWS 7 WITH UBUNTU 11.04 (NATTY NARWHAL)

This guide shows how to leave Windows 7 unaltered when you create a natural dual-boot of Windows 7 and Linux Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) if Windows 7 is installed first. The Windows 7 boot loader will stay in control (not Linux's GRUB). You can then select either OS from a Windows 7 menu during bootup. No data loss will occur and a third-party boot utility is not used.
In this procedure you need to shrink the Windows 7 drive to make room for Linux unless you install Ubuntu of a second hard disk. Using a second disk is a little easier but far from essential. 




Important Installations:
EasyBCD. The highly-acclaimed EasyBCD is a free editing utility that allows any user to easily edit the Windows 7/Vista boot menu (the BCD or Boot Configuration Data). Some settings, not used here, are very advanced. EasyBCD works in Windows 7 and Vista, but also in Windows XP if you first install Microsoft's .NET Framework(new window).
Hidden Active Partition. Many Windows 7 users will have a small Primary disk partition(s) that's marked active and is hidden (but is visible under Disk Management in Windows 7). This must be counted if you want to create a new Primary.
Shrinking a Windows 7 or Vista drive. You should use Shrink in Windows' Disk Management to resize the Windows partition. If the free space achieved is inadequate, you can read  "HOW TO SHRINK A VOLUME IN WINDOWS 7 HARD DISK" for instructions on completing this task successfully.



Details: Install Linux Ubuntu 11.04 on first or other disk when Windows 7 was installed on first

Installing other operating systems on your Windows 7 computer may invalidate your warrantee.
It's important to follow the instructions exactly as stated and you should have a properly working Windows.

Make your preparations

  1. Download the 700 MB Ubuntu 11.04, standard or 64-bit version from www.ubuntu.com (or request the totally free CD).Create the Ubuntu Live CD from the downloaded .ISO file.
  2. Download NeoSmart's EasyBCD 2.1 (free - it edits the Win7/Vista boot loader). 
  3. Disconnect all unnecessary external devices before you start.

Make disk space available for Linux Ubuntu

You must create disk space and leave it as Unallocated or Free (not formatted). Decide first on how much disk space you wish to allocate to Linux and if you will create an extra partition (/home) for your Linux data. This data partition can be left intact should you wish to reinstall Linux at a later time. The Swap area size should be about twice your RAM size but you should allow less than twice if you have a lot of RAM.
Make a note of the size of the Free/Unallocated space.

Installing Ubuntu 11.04 hard disk:

  • You should have no trouble using Win7's Shrink in Disk Management to create Unallocated space for Ubuntu.
  • Restart to Windows when finished.
  • Then skip from here to Install Linux Ubuntu 11.04

Install Linux Ubuntu 11.04

  1. Bootup from the Linux Ubuntu 11.04 live CD
    In the Welcome window, select the correct language and click Install Ubuntu.
    Read the Preparing to install Ubuntu window and click Forward.
     
  2. In Allocate drive space, select Something else (that's IMPORTANT), and click Forward.

  3. In the new Allocate drive space, do not click 'Install Now' until instructed.
    This section has been designed by the Ubuntu team with dual-booters in mind. Thanks team!

    Highlight the free space you created earlier on the correct hard disk (sda=1st disk, disk0) (sdb=2nd, disk1)
    and click the Add button. Note: the vertical scroll bar appears only when you mouse-over it.
    • The Create partition window will open.
      • In Type for the ..., select Primary (but Logical if 3 Primaries already exist on that disk)
        - if in any doubt, select Logical.
      • In New partition size ..., enter all available minus about 2000 MB for the Swap.
      • In Location for the ..., select Beginning.
      • In Use as:, select Ext4 journaling system (the default) in the drop-down.
      • In Mount point:, select / (forward slash) in the drop-down.
      • Click OK.
    Back in Allocate drive space, highlight the now smaller free space (scroll down if necessary)
    and again click Add.
    • The Create partition window will open again.
      • In Type for the ..., select Logical.
      • In New partition size ..., use all available space (unless creating a data partition).
      • In Location for the ..., select Beginning.
      • In Use as:, select swap area in the drop-down.
      • In Mount point:, no change is allowed.
      • Click OK.

    If you left space for a Linux data partition, now use remaining free space to create, exactly as above, another EXT4 partition for your own data but select /home for Mount Point
     
    The next part is VITAL for the correct location for Ubuntu's boot loader (GRUB2).
    The default is for /dev/sda and you must not accept it.
    • You are still in Allocate drive space.
      Note of the Device name allocated to the Ubuntu EXT4 partition, like /dev/sda5 or /dev/sdb1.
    • In the drop-down under Device for boot loader installation:,
      select the /dev/sd** name you just identified for the Ubuntu EXT4 partition.

    Make sure you are happy with what's displayed on-screen.
    When you are ready click 'Install Now', or click Quit.

    Linux Ubuntu 11.04 will now install itself on the new Ubuntu EXT4 partition and will place Ubuntu's boot loader (GRUB2) at the start of that partition.
     
  4. During the installation, you can attend to location, keyboard, password, imports, etc.
    (Log in automatically, under Password, is useful for many home users).

    Click Restart Now when installation is finished, remove the DVD when requested and press the Enter key.
    Window 7 will boot normally.    We can now use the EasyBCD 2.1 utility to add Ubuntu 11.04 to the Windows 7 boot loader.

Place a Linux Ubuntu 11.04 boot option in Windows boot loader

  1. Restart to Windows 7
  2. Install and run EasyBCD 2.1 from the Windows 7 drive.
    Click Add New Entry in the left pane.
    • Click the Linux BSD tab under Operating Systems in upper right pane.
      • In Type, select Grub2 in the drop-down.
      • In Name, use a name like Linux Ubuntu 11.04
      • In Device, it will be Automatically configured - we used GRUB2, not GRUB(legacy).
      • Click Add Entry in the same pane and wait a few moments while EasyBCD locates Ubuntu.
    • Optionally, you can now modify the timeout of the boot loader menu
      - click the Edit Boot Menu (left pane) and set the Boot default OS after to about 5 seconds.
    • Exit EasyBCD.
  3. Restart computer. Select Linux Ubuntu 11.04 from the Windows 7 boot menu.

Congratulations! You have created a natural dual-boot of Windows 7 and Linux Ubuntu 11.04 when Windows 7 was installed first, the original MBR is unchanged, and the Windows Boot Loader menu is shown on bootup.


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