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.

I upgrade my dual boot Ubuntu/XP Toshiba A70 to Vista, forgot it would trash grub. Not asking for a fix, warning others do like I did, ghosted the XP partition onto a USB drive.
Couple more days, and I'm ditching that P.O.S. Vista for good. Nothing but five minute bootups, software reinstalls, blue screens and other problems!

Didn't Ubuntu require FAT32, whereas Windows Vista required NTFS?

Let me get my archeology tools and dig up what FAT32 wuz...
NTFS was for XP, Linux uses ext3. Vista has some stupid new MS file system...
FAT32 should only be on a tech's USB stick so you can read the tools for stubborn old coots on 98...

Hello to everyone here this is my first post.

Now I have a question
can I do dual boot with XP and Linux instead of Vista and Linux?
and how can I do it?

Thankssssssssss

Heres some very good, easy to follow dual booting guides. I even managed to install vista then ubuntu following these guides http://apcmag.com/node/5162/

Looks like a good idea, however you can never be 100% sure both os's will stay consistant in that grub menu.

You certainly can.

Install Linux to any partition you like. Once booted, find out the device the / partition (where grub should be in the bootsector) is installed to.

df -h

should tell you this, you are looking for the device / is mounted to.

if its /dev/sda3, then do this:

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

this will create a file called bootsect.lin in your present working directory.

copy this file to c:\

edit c:\boot.ini and append the following line:

c:\bootsect.lin = "Linux"

Reboot and choose Linux from the boot menu.

Its not even that complicated Phantasm66. Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS 2007 and Suse (probably others but I haven't tried) will resize your Windows partition for you and then install. Once they install they use grub or lilo and your Windows install is an option.

I suppose if you insist on using Windows' bootloader then the manual way is how it would need to be done.

Hi,

This is my first post on this forum & this is my first attempt to install a Linux!
I have a PC with one single internal hard disk with two partitions!
I have a external USB drive with around 30 GB space!

I read various posts on this forum about how to install Fedora on second
disk! I haven't come across anything that talks about how to install XP &
Fedora on the disk! Is this possible ? If so, how can one go about doing
it ?

Also, if it's not possible, can I install Fedora on external USB drive ?
I have used the USB drive as a backup for my internal disk! Is it possible
to make it bootable for Fedora ? If so, how to do it ?

Thank you for your help in advance!

I am searching on internet for few hours, I found a way to resize
main partition "ntfs" occupied by XP using tool "Qtparted" on Knoppix
live CD! Even though I have taken backup, I was bit nervous about
it as I haven't this kind of stuff before in my life! It was easy thing to
it! It took me three hours to do it - including downloading, live CD,
buring DVD, booting maching with DVD, running Knoppix and resizing
the partion!

Cheers!

Hey I've tried going through all those steps, but can't get it to work. Linux shows up as an option, but GRUB never gets loaded. The screen goes black and there's a blinking cursor at the upper left (which is actually what happens right before Linux loads up), however the cursor just keeps blinking until I turn off the PC.

I figure my setup might be partly to blame, but I'm not sure. I am quad-booting on two hard drives. I've got two Vista partitions on the first drive, and a Vista and Linux partition on the second drive. When the computer first starts up the Windows MBR displays all my OS choices (including Linux although it gets me nowhere). I can successfully boot all 3 Vista partitions from there. If I want to boot into Linux, I have to change the order in which the drives are booted and it works just fine. However, it would be a lot more convenient if I could boot Linux from the boot list.

Here are some settings I've tried:
bcdedit /set {ID} PATH \linux.bin <-- I made this file before I came across this post
bcdedit /set {ID} PATH \bootsect.lin
bcdedit /set {ID} device boot
bcdedit /set {ID} device partition=C:

Of course, I tried these one by one. Anyone know what the problem could be?

Thanks Phantasm66.

To rokit try GAG. Haven't tried it on Vista/Linux but It works with XP/Linux.