Arch Linux

Dans564

Member

From: New Jersey, USA

Registered: 2011-02-04

Posts: 109

Wiki for arch/windows 7 dual boot with arch installed first

can someone point me in the direction of a wiki for installing/dualbooting arch with windows 7.  I need the wiki to have arch installed first cause that is what i have now.   Arch takes up my entire hdd, all 1.5 tb.  Every tut I have found so far has had windows installed first.. this would mean i would lose my arch install which i dont want to happen.

cell

Member

Registered: 2007-10-23

Posts: 111

Re: Wiki for arch/windows 7 dual boot with arch installed first

I think it use to be that windows would only install to the primary partition but I do not think that is the case for windows 7. Sorry but you would have to google that yourself to make sure.

I do not know any tut but this is what I would do.
*backup any important data
*resize the harddrive for win7
*install win 7
*setup grub, you can use the arch iso or any live cd or maybe even supergrub
*profit, i hope

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GR … B.27s_root

stryder

Member

Registered: 2009-02-28

Posts: 500

Re: Wiki for arch/windows 7 dual boot with arch installed first

If by "Arch takes up my entire hdd" means that you only have 1 partition, you will have to resize that partition to create another. In that case I would much rather use another HDD for windows. If you have several partitions already then all you need to do is to give up one of those primary partitions which is large enough for windows and copy the contents to root. You just need to reinstall grub to mbr after that.

jeslinmx

Member

Registered: 2010-11-20

Posts: 120

Re: Wiki for arch/windows 7 dual boot with arch installed first

Resize your Arch partition and make a new partition at the start of the drive. I'm not sure how Windows well works without a partition at the front, so I suggest you do it that way. After that, boot into Arch from your live CD, mount your Arch partition and run grub-install --root-directory=wherever it is mounted /dev/sda
Just to be sure, backup everything first. I have tried installing Windows with other OSes around, but I already had the 200mb partition in place at the start. If this is the first Windows install there's a good chance of it deciding to wipe your whole drive instead.

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Lenovo Y450 + Arch x86_64 dual boot with Windows 7 + Openbox standalone + Arch default kernel + Nouveau + yours truly = A lot of *****in' in the Arch Forums.