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Absntmind
January 3rd, 2009, 10:44 PM
Hello all. I tried Ubuntu a while back (dual boot on the same drive as XP), and liked it. Problem was, after a while it caused problems with xp. Eventually, after reinstalling both Ubuntu and XP twice and eventually having the same thing reoccur, I gave up. So I'm ready to try it out again, but wanted some advice on where to install it.

I have two drives. One 250gig main drive with XP loaded, and one 1tb drive I use for storage. Both are Sata drives. I don't know if I should put a partition on the main drive, or try it on my storage drive. Which would work better, or safer? I definitely dont want to risk losing any of the over 400gigs of stuff I have on my second drive, yet I don't want to risk having to reinstall XP along with the tons of software. So I ask, what would you do? Or, what would be my best option? I know theres a risk one way or the other, just wanted to ask how most people would go about it.

I'm not sure how much has changed within Ubuntu, so I'm not updated on the improvements made. Could be I'm worrying about nothing, but then there's murphys law...

2hot6ft2
January 3rd, 2009, 10:47 PM
Personally I would unplug the 1T drive and setup a duel boot on the 250. Once everything is installed and working plug the 1T back in and go about my day.

More specifically when I turned the pc off with the livecd already in the drive I would unplug the 1T drive.

theozzlives
January 3rd, 2009, 10:53 PM
Ubuntu shouldn't mess with your XP, I have dual boot on my laptop and both co-exist fine.

DeMus
January 3rd, 2009, 10:58 PM
Hello all. I tried Ubuntu a while back (dual boot on the same drive as XP), and liked it. Problem was, after a while it caused problems with xp. Eventually, after reinstalling both Ubuntu and XP twice and eventually having the same thing reoccur, I gave up. So I'm ready to try it out again, but wanted some advice on where to install it.


Can you tell us some more about the problems your Ubuntu installation got with XP, or vice versa? When you first install XP and then Ubuntu there can not be a problem. XP does not see Ubuntu (doesn't want to see it, because next to Windows there is nothing!).
Ubuntu can see your Windows drive(s) and you can read and also write on them.
So please tell us about the problems you got, what did you do, what happened, etc.

Demus

Absntmind
January 3rd, 2009, 11:04 PM
Thanks 2hot6ft2, that will probably be what I do. At least if anything happens, I'll have everything backed up on the larger drive.

DeMus, since it was about a year ago, I cant remember the specifics. Though at the time, it was not an uncommon problem from what I understand. Something about ubuntu affected a file xp needs to boot/load. I fixed the problem (found solution in a forum) by booting from my xp cd, then running a command to repair the file. Then I ended up reinstalling because it was still occasionally giving me problems after that. So as far as "there can not be a problem", there was, so there can be. Which was the reason I have been reluctant to try again. I'm just guessing since it was a while back, most of those problems would be fixed by now. Like I said, I liked Ubuntu a lot, but I also need XP. So I'm going to give it a go once again :)

DeMus
January 3rd, 2009, 11:12 PM
Thanks, that will probably be what I do. At least if anything happens, I'll have everything backed up.

Please answer this:
Can you tell us some more about the problems your Ubuntu installation got with XP, or vice versa?

Demus