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“How to” Dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 7 (Ubuntu installed first)

I have recently seen many posts from people trying to dual boot Ubuntu and Windows 7 beta, but not succeeding. So I tried it out myself and found a solution.

Index
1. Obtain a copy of Windows7.
2. Partition your disk with gparted.
3. Install Windows7.
4. Re-install Grub.
5. Edit Grub to List Windows 7.
6. Have Fun.
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1. Obtain a copy of windows 7.

Official Microsoft Link – No more link your time for the official download is out

*You can also find a torrent of this but for legal reasons I cannot provide a link. *

2. Partition your disk

**This does go wrong in some cases, if in doubt back up your valuable data.**

Boot from a Ubuntu live cd or a gparted live cd.
Start up gparted, If ubuntu is on the whole disk you need to re-size it by at least 8 gb for Windows 7. (Make sure windows 7 is on the second partition to make it easier for grub) You will be left with some unallocated space on your hard disk if you want you can partition it to NTFS or you can do it later on the windows install.

3. Install Windows 7

Follow the on screen instructions, Select the un-partitioned space to format and install windows on, or if you already made it NTFS choose your NTFS partition.

**It will ask for a product key but you have 30 days to do that. Note: Beta keys will work with the RC**

4. Re-install GRUB

Now you have windows 7 but it has completely eaten your boot loader so you need to re-install grub.
Boot from the ubuntu live cd and go to terminal.
Type in terminal:

“sudo grub”
“grub> find /boot/grub/stage1″

That should return your Ubuntu partition in the form of (hdX,Y), use that:

grub> root (hdX,Y)
grub> setup (hd0)
grub> quit

(you don’t need to type the grub> bit)

That has re-installed grub but you can no longer see windows7

5. Edit grub.
Go to terminal from normal ubuntu and type :

“sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst”

A large text file will open and at the bottom leave a line and add this:

title windows 7 beta (Loader)
root (hd0,1)
savedefault
makeactive
chainloader +1

(Do not type this line but if that does not work on re-boot try “hdo,0 or hd0,2” and so on until it works.)

Now that is done you can re-boot into windows 7 and ubuntu happily