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How to dual-boot Fedora 14 and Windows 7

fedwin11

The next step relevant to this tutorial is the boot loader configuration step. The boot loader used by Fedora 14 is GRUB Legacy. By default, it is installed in the Master Boot Record (MBR). What we want to do here is install it some place else, and the best alternative location to install GRUB, the GRand Unified Bootloader, is in the /boot partition (/dev/sda3) of the Fedora installation. The reason behind this choice of location is this: If it is installed in the usual location, Windows will likely overwrite parts of it the next time you upgrade/update Windows.

To change the location, click on Change device.

fedwinDl9

GRUB settings

Then click on the second radio button to choose installation in to the “First sector of boot partition – /dev/sda3.” OK.

fedwinDl10

Alternate GRUB location

With the GRUB location changed, click on Next to continue.

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GRUB configuration

This step is not really relevant to this tutorial, but I just included it to show that if you are using the DVD installation image, the installer gives you the option to customize packages for installation. Next.

fedwinDl12

Package selection

When the first step of the installation has completed, and you reboot, the computer will boot into Windows 7. Why? Because the Windows loader in installed in the MBR, and is not aware that another OS now resides on the same disk. The task then is to edit the Windows 7 Boot Manager to include an entry for Fedora 14. Since I do know very little about Windows, and have never actually used Windows 7, other than for writing these tutorials, I found a very easy to use software that makes editing the Windows 7 Boot Manager very easy.

That software is called EasyBCD by NeoSmart Technologies. It is a free application and you can download it from here. Install it as you would any other Windows application. After installation, there should be an entry for it in the menu and on the desktop. Launch it and you should see the default boot menu. Notice that there is only one entry, and it is for Windows 7. The next task is to edit it to add an entry for Fedora 14. Click on the Add New Entry tab to begin.

BCD

EasyBCD

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reza
reza
11 years ago

hi
I have install a linux fedora 13 and dual boot it with windows 7, I have receive the congratulation from linux to install it when the instalation proceces complete, but when I want to choose the linux from my OS options(linux&windows)it dose not run and the pc restart!
I have install it exactly from your help(these 4 pages).
what is the problem, and, what should I do?
with kindest regards

Naveen
Naveen
12 years ago

Sir,

This is a good tutorial… but I have a doubt… I had to install Fedora 14 and I formatted my complete PC (Windows was also removed) and used up all 320 GB for Fedora… Now, Since I have Fedora 14 installed… can I somehow install Windows 7?… Please help me…

Naveen
Naveen
Reply to  finid
12 years ago

Sir,

yes thats an alternative… but installing Fedora and setting up the complete environment for my work… Netbeans My SQL and all took a lot of time and I dont want to do it again… plz if u could suggest smthn…

Naveen
Naveen
Reply to  finid
12 years ago

hey,

Thanks for the reply… I think I wud get another disk and install win7… thats the most oblivious choice I shud make 🙂

Andrew
Andrew
12 years ago

Thanks for this usefull tutorial. I install fedora 14 on a Dell Inspiron 1520 with windows 7 and work very well. God bless you !

adithyajones
adithyajones
12 years ago

I am trying to dual boot WindowsXp and Fedora15..For that purpose I partitioned hard disk using Easeus partitioning tool.Here is the partitions from left to right-C drive-primary partition(90GB),unallocated space(11GB),D drive-logical drive(30GB),7GB-primary partition(ESIA),unallocated space-8GB..There are unallocated space of 11GB and 8GB in the system,but when I run the option “Use Free Space” it is showing as no space available..

Sumesh
Sumesh
12 years ago

Excellent article – the most helpful guide I have seen so far. I followed the instructions and was able to get the dual boot configured for Fedora 15 and windows 7.

Siva
Siva
Reply to  Sumesh
12 years ago

I’m still fighting, what kind of disk you have? Raid?

Siva
Siva
Reply to  Siva
12 years ago

Solved, read below 🙂

Siva
Siva
12 years ago

I followed your instructions but didn’t work (I just did not reviewed linux partitions, left as they were), when I boot to fedora I just see a never ending blinking cursor in the top left (but I can boot to Windows 7, of course).

Maybe because the 3rd partition (Fedora /boot with grub at the beginning) begins after 1 TB? (I think this is the reason)

Or maybe because it does not work good on a RAID 1 (2 x 2 TB)?

p1: 100 MB Windows boot
p2: 1 TB Windows C: drive
p3: 500 MB /boot
p4: Fedora LVM

TX

Siva
Siva
Reply to  finid
12 years ago

I had already tried that option 🙁
News: I booted to Fedora 14 install media rescue mode and tried to reinstall grub, this is the problem:

grub> root (hd0,2)
Error 18: Selected cylinder exceeds maximum supported by BIOS

BIOS is updated, mb is a ASUS P8P67 EVO, problem seems to be the old 1024 cylinders limit (???)

Could it be a grub 1.x problem? And tx for your support…

Siva
Siva
Reply to  finid
12 years ago

SOLVED – well to tell the truth I had to surrend, old error = old method. As I suspected the reason was that linux boot partition started too far, I just moved it before Windows 7 partition and now it works.

– To resume –
Old situation (ERROR 18):
p1: 100 MB Windows boot
p2: 1 TB Windows C: drive
p3: 500 MB /boot
p4: Fedora LVM

New situation (OK)
p1: 100 MB Windows boot
p2: 500 MB /boot
p3: 1 TB Windows C: drive
p4: Fedora LVM

and used your method 🙂
Tx

p.s. it works with Fedora 15 too

sudeb
sudeb
12 years ago

When i try to install fedora 14 to my 34 gb free space at the time of partitioning the message show tha t”could not mount not enough disk space” , i have 320 gb sata hdd and windows7 home basic

Vinayak
12 years ago

i have 500gb hard drive
c drive 100
and d drive rest of the space(containing my data)
i want install fedora 14 by dvd.. (it is not live)
i am confusing in choosing

WHICH TYPE OF INSTALLATION WOULD YOU LIKE?

Please suggest me clearly step by step…
please i tried, i am not getting… please

Brane
Brane
12 years ago

Thanks, you helped me a lot!

Chewy
Chewy
12 years ago

This was VERY helpful. I was able to configure my PC for dual boot (into Windows or Fedora) specifically using these instructions. It worked flawlessly. Thanks.

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