OK, I had to investigate this just recently, so I thought I would share. Here is what to do if you want to add Linux to Vista's boot menu, rather than using Grub in the Master Boot Record.

# Install Vista as normal.

# Install Linux, but install Grub to the bootsector of your / partition (which from now on we will call /dev/sda3) and NOT the MBR (i.e. /dev/sda)

# Boot Linux from the install CD, choose rescue mode.

# From the command prompt in rescue mode, mount your Linux installation partition, i.e.

mount /dev/sda3 /mnt/sysimage

then chroot it:

chroot /mnt/sysimage

reinstall Grub just to make sure that its working OK

/sbin/grub-install /dev/sda3

now, make a file image of the bootsector of /dev/sda3:

dd if=/dev/sda3 of=bootsect.lin bs=512 count=1

copy the bootsect.lin to somewhere you will be able to get it back when in Vista.

# Now, back in Vista

copy bootsect.lin to c:\

open a command prompt with cmd, and do the following:

bcdedit /displayorder {current}

bcdedit /create /d "Linux" /application BOOTSECTOR

(should say something like created entry, it will give it a name, like {cfc90cf0-f718-11db-b281-005056c00008} )

then

bcdedit /set {cfc90cf0-f718-11db-b281-005056c00008} device boot
bcdedit /set {cfc90cf0-f718-11db-b281-005056c00008} PATH \bootsect.lin
bcdedit /displayorder {cfc90cf0-f718-11db-b281-005056c00008} /addlast
bcdedit /timeout 5

# Reboot, Linux is now in the boot menu which if you select it you will go into Grub.



Easy, eh??

Thanks. Your work looks useful.

Any time. Have fun.

Thank you for your info. I have similiar but different thing.... I have using linux operating system and for my backup I am using windows server. it's awesome to work with two different operating system.