Dual Boot ?

[sheprd]

How do I dual Boot so I can put a different OS on my computer and still use Windows? I am trying a Linux OS from a DVD and would like to install it on my hard drive with out affecting my Windows7 OS. Is this possible ? Thanks for any help

[SuperSparks]

Dual booting Linux and Windows is somewhat fraught with difficulties Do you just want to try Linux out, and learn your way round it, or are you intending to use it seriously?

[Midknyte]

Most Linux distros have "live" cds. Just boot from the disc and try it out.

Your other option would be to create a VM.

[sheprd]

Thanks very much MidKnyte for your help. I'll try your suggestion.

[DVOM]

Dual booting Linux and Windows is somewhat fraught with difficulties

Sparks, I think if you tried it with some of the newer distros your difficulties wouldn't be quite so "fraught"....lol

sheprd, probably the easiest way would be to grab the VMware Player, which is free, then download a premade VM (cost=free), unzip it and fire it up. No partitioning necessary, no dual booting "fraught with difficulty".

VMware Player:

http://www.vmware.com/products/player/

Source of premade VM's:

http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/cat/508

http://linhost.info/vmware/

I recommend trying several different distros.

Personally, I use Linux Mint as my main linux distro primarily because it comes preconfigured with all the codecs, flash player, Java, etc., already installed and ready to go. So all your multi-media will play right out of the box. Most other distros are somewhat "fraught" with a lot of frustration just trying to get all those things installed and running. It's based on Ubuntu.

I also have Ubuntu on my system, mainly because it has the greatest availability of software. It probably has the largest user base and support base there is in the linux world. So whatever you may need to do, the tools you need are probably available with Ubuntu.

But whatever distro you choose, prepare to STOP WORRYING about viruses, malware, driveby cr@p installs, etc., etc., because it just doesn't happen in linux. I've been using linux for surfing the web for about 6 years now. That's six (6!!) beautiful years with no anti-virus, no firewalls, no Hi-Jack This scans, no MalwareBytes scans, no trojans, no root kits, no...no...no...no!!

It's a beautiful thing!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a Windows vs Linux freak, I use Windows a lot for work with no complaints, but when I surf the web, I use linux.

[SuperSparks]

Sparks, I think if you tried it with some of the newer distros your difficulties wouldn't be quite so "fraught"....lol

I keep reading too may horror stories of unbootable PCs. On my latest rig I installed a caddy for the OS drive, so that I can use a separate HD altogether for Linux.

[sheprd]

Thanks SuperSparks and DVOM for your very helpful info. I really appreciate it. I'll check out the info. Also couldy you explain a bit about adding a caddy to the OS ? I want to check everything I can. That No virus with Linux statement really interests me. I was unaware of that added benefit of using Linus

[SuperSparks]

You don't add the caddy to the OS, you physically install it in a 5.25" bay. That allows you to easily swap hard drives, so that you can use one drive for Windows and a different drive if you want to boot into Linux. This is the kind of thing:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-028-_-Product

I use IcyBox ones myself.

[SpywareDr]

Here's an example of an 'Icy Box Mobile Rack For 3.5" Sata Hard Drive With Sata Interface'
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mobile-Rack-...851647-3765504

Here's a good shot of an iCute:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/images/Full/a36gz.jpg

[sheprd]

Thanks SuperSparks. I'll check into this info. THanks again. I've been trying for an hour to download VMware but keep getting the run around.

[sheprd]

Thanks SpywareDr, I overlooked your response . I understand now about a caddy for a HD.

[SpywareDr]

No problem.

[sheprd]

I've decided to purchase an external HD and install Linux on it. Are there any problems to watch for in doing this? Seems this would be fairly easy to do. I got the idea from SuperSparks, seems this is the method he was discussing when using a caddy for an external HD. This way there should be no chance of harming my Windows 7 OS. Thanks much to all you wonderful responders.

[Train]

Can you computer even boot to a USB hdd.
You have to check in the BIOS.

And being USB, it will be slow!

[DVOM]

I keep reading too may horror stories of unbootable PCs. On my latest rig I installed a caddy for the OS drive, so that I can use a separate HD altogether for Linux.

Sparks, I can't understand all the trepidation over little things like misplaced or corrupted MBR's or Partition Tables. Or maybe creating another partition so your windows "boot.ini' inadvertently points in the wrong direction.

What fun would it be if we didn't break 'em once in a while?

Anyway, I thought you were a virtualization kind of a guy. That just about eliminates all the guess work and dangers to the "delicate" parts of the mysterious and little understood "soft underbelly" of the fickle breed known as "Windows".