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How to dual-boot Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon/MATE and Windows 7

Windows 7 Boot Menu

Linux Mint 13 Cinnamon and Linux Mint 13 MATE are the latest editions of the popular Linux desktop distribution based on Ubuntu Desktop. This tutorial presents a step-by-step guide on how to dual-boot either one with Windows 7 on a computer with a single hard drive.

Because the Cinnamon and MATE editions of Linux Mint 13 share the same installation program, the steps involved are the same regardless of the edition you use. For this tutorial, a 32-bit installation image of the Cinnamon edition was used.

If your computer is running a self-installed copy of Windows 7, the default number of partitions will be just like the ones shown in the image below. Keep in mind that the partitions on an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) installation could be different. For this tutorial, the operating assumption is that you computer is running a self-installed copy of Windows 7. Note: On your computer, make a mental note of the amount of free space on the C drive listed on this image. You will need the information during the installation of Linux Mint 13.
Windows 7 Partitions

The objective here is to install Linux Mint 13 on the same hard drive, with GRUB, Linux Mint’s boot loader, installed in the boot partition (of Linux Mint), leaving Windows 7’s boot programs in the hard drive’s Master Boot Record (MBR) untouched. Then using another application to add an entry for Linux Mint 13 in Windows 7’s boot menu, so that at boot time, you will be able to choose which operating system to boot into. Selecting Windows 7 will cause the computer to boot into Windows 7 and selecting Linux Mint 13 will boot the system into your newly installed copy of Linux Mint 13, but not after a brief stop at Linux Mint’s boot menu.
Windows 7 Boot Menu

After creating partitions for and installing Linux Mint 13, the new partitions as seen from inside Windows 7 will look a lot different. This image shows the partitions from the computer used for this tutorial after the dual-boot operating has completed.
Windows 7 Linux Mint 13 Partitions

For this tutorial, the partitions that will be created for Linux Mint 13 are: a partition mounted at /boot; root partition mounted at /; a partition mounted at /home; and a Swap partition. You do not need to create all four, but that is what will be done for this tutorial.

What do you need to complete this tutorial? Just five items:

  • This tutorial
  • You, and an Internet-connected computer, needed to read this tutorial.
  • An installation image of Linux Mint 13 (MATE or Cinnamon edition). You may download it from here. Burn the downloaded image to a DVD, or transfer it to a USB flash drive.
  • The target computer running Windows 7 (Note: you may opt to reinstall Windows 7 anew)
  • EasyBCD – a free software from NeoSmart Technologies that will be used to add an entry for Linux Mint 13 in Windows 7’s boot menu

Note: If you are not familiar with disk partitioning in Linux and how to dual-boot operating systems, it is highly recommended that you read guide to disks and disk partitions in Linux and tips for dual-booting Windows and Linux before continuing with the rest of this tutorial.

Now that we have a pretty good idea of what we need to accomplish, time to get it done. To start, boot the computer from the Linux Mint 13 DVD installation image that you made. Linux Mint 13 DVD is a Live DVD and by default, will boot into a Live desktop environment. Click on the installer’s icon on the desktop to start the installation process. When the installer starts, click through the first steps until you get to the one shown below. You definitely do not want to select the second option. Like the second option, selecting the first option will lead to an automatic partitioning of the free space needed to install Linux Mint 13.
Mint 13 Disk Partition Options

Selecting the first option will actually bring you to this step, where you can see how the installer will resize the main Windows 7 partition (the C drive). The problem with selecting the first option, is that GRUB will be installed in the MBR of the hard drive, where it will overwrite Windows 7’s boot files. Since this is not what we want to do, the only option left, is the last option (Something else). So, if you are at this step, click the Back button.
Mint 13 Install

Selecting Something else and clicking Continue will bring you to the Advanced Partitioning Tool. “Advanced” does not mean that the tool is really advanced, it just means that it is for people who know how to partition disks in Linux. If you read and understood the material discussed in guide to disks and disk partitions in Linux, consider yourself an advanced user.

The main window of Advanced Partitioning Tool is shown below. By default, the partitions listed at this step – sda1 and sda2, are the two Windows 7 partition that we saw on the first image on this page. In Windows’ parlance, sda2 is the C drive, while sda1 is the System Reserved partition.
Linux Mint 13 Advanced Partition Tool

The task here is to resize sda2, freeing up enough space that will be used to create the partitions for installing Linux Mint 13. To begin, select sda2 and click Change.
Linux Mint 13 Windows Partition

This is the resize window, also known as the Edit Partition window. The sda2 on the computer used for this tutorial has about 320 GB of disk space. How much of that disk space we can free up depends, of course, on what is available. This is where you have to be very careful.
Linux Mint 13 Resize Windows Partition

The system used for this tutorial was a recent installation, so Windows 7 has only used about 7 GB. With that, I decided to allocate 100 GB to Windows. That amount is what should be shown in the New partition size field. And that is all you need to do here. Click OK.
Linux Mint 13 Resized Windows Partition

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Spencer
Spencer
11 years ago

Hi, I tried installing Linux Mint 13 and I’ve run into some issues. Once entering the Advanced Partitioning Window I see not just two partitions, but three, sda1 (fat16) *41.1 MB*, sda2 (ntfs) *13.2 GB*, and sda3 (ntfs) *987 GB*. Now, I’m guessing that sda2 is what Windows 7 is installed on, but what I’m lost on is which partition I should be changing. I don’t want to screw anyting up. So I guess my question is which partition should I be changing to make the Windows 7 partition 100 GB, sda 1, 2, or 3? Then once I do that will all 900 some-odd GB of storage be considered “free space” fo other partitions and then files of sorts? I’m sorry for all the questions, first timer with Linux and want to get it right. Thanks!

Spencer
Spencer
11 years ago

I’m new to installing any sort of linux distro and I have some questions. Why do we not want to choose the first option “Install Linux Mint alongside Windows 7”? Why do we not want it to overwrite the Windows 7 boot files? It says “Documents, music, and other files will be kept”. Will they not be kept if I choose the third option? I mean I know they will be kept in some way on the hard drive itself, but will I be able to access them on the Linux Mint file system and not have to be switching all the time? Sorry for all the questions, I just don’t want to mess up my computer if something goes wrong. Oh and one last question, is it possible to uninstall Linux Mint after it is already partitioned if for some reason I don’t enjoy it as much as Windows 7, for who knows why?

Thanks!

-Spencer

Spencer
Spencer
Reply to  finid
11 years ago

Thanks! I really appreciate your help! I’m deffinatly geting this disto of Linux Mint. Its awesome, and great tutorial, very easy to understand! I’ll comment again when I finaly have the chance to do it. Thanks again!

Coolcat007
Coolcat007
11 years ago

I totally failed at the last step. The entries didn’t show up, but afterwards I found out i did actually add (too many) entries.
When I tried to delete the entries I added twice, I accidentally deleted the rest too and couldn’t boot my pc anymore…

TIP: ALLWAYS MAKE SURE YOU STILL HAVE YOUR WINDOWS BOOT ENTRY!

Coolcat007
Coolcat007
Reply to  finid
11 years ago

Maybe it was not necessary, but I had a preinstalled home premium and didn’t know how to fix the boot, so I did a clean install with win7 pro (and win 8 pro). After I went through the tutorial again, I got mint installed. This time EasyBCD did work.

The tutorial was very helpful and I apreciate it that someone took the time to make it.

Coolcat007
Coolcat007
Reply to  finid
11 years ago

Not only that, but it’s also a legal full (pre release) version.

meridani
meridani
11 years ago

I found a pretty easy method.
I had win7 installed on my Thinkpad.
Than I installed fedora 17
-decreased the size of a partition
-made /, /home, swap
-installed in a normal way and when it asked for bootloader/mbr i selected to install on the first sector of boot partition.
-rebooted the pc and in windows open up easybcd
-add new entry linux with grub loader and select your c:\ drive and the next time i booted it allowed me to choose windows or fedora.

buzzyclonecattle
buzzyclonecattle
11 years ago

Went thru tutorial completely but had a Grub> prompt at the end after reboot. Dual booting on two separate drives. Still working thru it the simple way. Will dig into config files in Grub when I have to. Weakness seems to be in EasyBCD which is making this difficult.

Archie
Archie
11 years ago

Did everything listed above, everything’s going terrific till the OS choose screen. After choosing mint I’ve only GRUB promt suggesting me to god knows what. Think there’s a problem in easybsd cuz whether I choose “configure the boot device auto” or manually easybsd saz that it will boot mint from c:\. Any ideas?

Archie
Archie
Reply to  finid
11 years ago

It has UEFI

Archie
Archie
Reply to  finid
11 years ago

Nice to know) Thanks for you time

Bas
Bas
11 years ago

works, but now i have 2 bootloaders? where did i go wrong?

Thanks in advance!

bas
bas
Reply to  Bas
11 years ago

For all people with the double bootloader.
Insert the windows CD boot up, click repair, cmd. in the cmd menu type command: BootRec.exe /fixmbr

this fixed it for me.

cheers

saul
saul
11 years ago

After my friend installed Linux mint on my computer I didn’t have a terminal and I couldn’t boot back into windows. After weeks of trying to find a solution and failing I finally found your post, read everything multiple times word by freak in word and kept trying for hours. Finally it all made sense and I am successfully dual booting no problems and everything isin ttact 🙂 so thank you so much for the tut :)you have made this easy to follow and I feel as if I have left the noon stage 🙂 once again thank you 🙂

david
david
11 years ago

Hi there, just tried to do this and it stumped me as far as creating boot partition on free space. the boot is created but remaining space shown as unusable. no option for me to move fwd to next partitions. any suggestions?

jagadish
jagadish
11 years ago

Hi finid,
this is what i see in the boot loader.iam able to login into windows but i cannot login into the linux.please help me on this

There are a total of 7 entries listed in the bootloader.

Default: Windows 7
Timeout: 30 seconds
EasyBCD Boot Device: C:\

Entry #1
Name: Sony Original
BCD ID: {8378edd9-f577-11e1-8cac-94c62b152e83}
Device: \Device\HarddiskVolume1
Bootloader Path:

Entry #2
Name: Windows Boot Manager
BCD ID: {8378edda-f577-11e1-8cac-94c62b152e83}
Device: Unknown
Bootloader Path:

Entry #3
Name: Windows Boot Manager
BCD ID: {8378eddb-f577-11e1-8cac-94c62b152e83}
Device: Unknown
Bootloader Path:

Entry #4
Name: CD/DVD Drive
BCD ID: {8378edd7-f577-11e1-8cac-94c62b152e83}
Device: Unknown
Bootloader Path:

Entry #5
Name: Hard Drive
BCD ID: {8378edd8-f577-11e1-8cac-94c62b152e83}
Device: Unknown
Bootloader Path:

Entry #6
Name: Windows 7
BCD ID: {current}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \Windows\system32\winload.efi

Entry #7
Name: NeoSmart Linux
BCD ID: {8378ede0-f577-11e1-8cac-94c62b152e83}
Drive: C:\
Bootloader Path: \NST\AutoNeoGrub0.mbr

jag
jag
11 years ago

hi finid,
after installing easy bcd i got a pop up saying
the boot configuration data store could not be opened
illegal operation attempted on a registry key that has been marked for deletion

would u like to manually load a bcd registry for easy bcd to manage?

please let me know what should i do?

trpleboot?
trpleboot?
11 years ago

I am a computer noob, but I have winxpPro and I installed ubuntu using wubi.exe onto windows and I can boot either-dual boot. I was wanting to try mint and was wanting to know if I can use this tutorial to set up a triple boot system. I have about 215 GB free space on my hd, so that shouldn’t be a problem, but I’m not sure about what bootloader I have or if the MBR was “untouched”(as you put it in tutorial) when I installed Ubuntu.

Coolcat007
Coolcat007
Reply to  trpleboot?
11 years ago

If you want to try Mint, I advice you to use software like virtual box to create a virtual machine.

If you want to really use Mint, I think you should wait for the next answer. I can’t really help with that.

jagadish
jagadish
11 years ago

just adding to my previous question.
i have 4 partitions when i tried to install mint and i have taken 75 gb from the third partition to install mint.
now i can see 3 more partitions along with the existing 4 of windows7.

is it the issue with easybcd..or my installation

jagadish
jagadish
11 years ago

Hi finid,
iam new to linux and i have tried to install linux mint cinnamon 64 bit on my sony viao.
i got a message like this while installing
“I need a partitions for BIOS of at least 1MB” or something, “if you don’t correct this error, the boot might not work later”.
still i continued installing mint.at the end of installation i got a message like
(the message is not pretty much exact )
“detecting existing software configurations failed..need to set them manually”.
still i have gone ahead.and when i boot the system with windows and downloaded easy bcd ..no software entry is happening in it.
hope if i shutdown my system now..i dont think it can boot.
please help me asap.

pravin
pravin
11 years ago

Just one word Brilliant

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