Installing windows after Ubuntu

[chris.tkd]

Hello,

I have ubuntu/xp dual boot on my machine, i use xp to play windows games. I want to re-install windows in the windows partition without effecting my ubuntu install. I think that when i reinstall windows the NTloader will wipe out GRUB and i wont be able to logon to the ubuntu partition any more?

Is there a way to install windows without installing ntloader? or is there another way to do what im after?

[ajgreeny]

Use the ubuntu live CD to reinstall grub and you're all there.
Boot into the ubuntu live CD
open a terminal and run :

sudo grub

This gets you to a simple grub command line.
Then:

find /boot/grub/stage1

This will tell you where your /boot/grub/stage1 is which is needed to boot ubuntu. Replace the question marks in the following command with the output of the this last command :

 root (hd?,?)

[like : root (hdo,1) ,probably]
then:

setup (hd0)

This is where your windows partition and MBR normally is, but if you want grub on another disk, use hd1, etc as appropriate. It's much easier to use the windows MBR and then just change the default boot system later if others in the family demand windows boots by default.
Then:
quit
Finally reboot, and hopefully you will now have a working grub bootloader.