CrunchBang Linux

mikhou

#! CrunchBanger

Registered: 2011-06-12

Posts: 147

Need to reinstall Windows 7 in a dual boot with #! [SOLVED]

Hey guys,

I only boot into my Win 7 partition about once or twice per week, but I actually do need it for an app that my company requires me to use which does not have a Linux equivalent.  However, recently my Win 7 was booting very slowly, asked me to repair it, and now it won't boot at all.  I think that I'm going to have to reinstall it.

Here's what my current setup is.  My computer came with Win 7.  The day that I received my computer, I shrunk the Win 7 partition, installed #!, and allowed GRUB2 to load into the MBR to manage my OS's.  It has worked beautifully.  Since then I have also created a partition for testing new distros, and GRUB2 does a beautiful job of managing all of my OS's installed.

Now, I think that I'm going to have to reinstall Win 7, but I'm afraid that it'll overwrite the MBR.  My question is this:  After I reinstall Win 7, if it overwrites the MBR, can I boot into a live #! CD, and then run

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

Will that allow GRUB2 to take back over managing the OS's again?  Can anybody point me to another way to do this?  I've searched, but I haven't found anything that specifically addresses the GRUB issue yet.  Thanks.

mikhou

Last edited by mikhou (2012-03-05 04:36:11)

xaos52

The Good Doctor

From: Planet of the @s

Registered: 2011-06-24

Posts: 4,290

Re: Need to reinstall Windows 7 in a dual boot with #! [SOLVED]

It has been decades since I used windows, but back then I do not think it was possible to install Windows without it claiming the entire disk. One then had to shrink Windows and re-install to any linux partitions, or just restore from a backup.

Really do not know how much of this is still true these days.

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bootinfoscript - emacs primer - I ♥ #!

cchhrriiss121212

#! Junkie

Registered: 2010-03-26

Posts: 309

Re: Need to reinstall Windows 7 in a dual boot with #! [SOLVED]

My question is this:  After I reinstall Win 7, if it overwrites the MBR, can I boot into a live #! CD, and then run

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

Will that allow GRUB2 to take back over managing the OS's again?

Yes, though I would prepare for the fact that the Windows installer may not play nice with your existing partitions. I have done this twice, with one success and one fail (the installer wiped all data).

Before proceeding, take a backup of whatever data you want as well as your ~/.config stuff just to be on the safe side. That way even if it does go balls, you should be able to reinstall #! in an hour or so.

el_koraco

#!/loony/bun

From: inside Ed

Registered: 2011-07-25

Posts: 4,644

Re: Need to reinstall Windows 7 in a dual boot with #! [SOLVED]

Really do not know how much of this is still true these days.

The Windows installer works with partitions these days. It's designed to be placed on an empty disk, though, so I wouldn't proceed without backup. mikhou, you'd do best to chroot into your #! install after the Windows installer overwrites the MBR. xaos has a great howto, just click on his profile and search his topics.

mikhou

#! CrunchBanger

Registered: 2011-06-12

Posts: 147

Re: Need to reinstall Windows 7 in a dual boot with #! [SOLVED]

Alright.  I'll back up my data, try to reinstall Windows without losing my Linux partitions, and then give the GRUB reinstall a shot with chroot.  Thanks for your help.  I'll report back in a few days.

mikhou

CBizgreat!

#! Die Hard

Registered: 2011-07-27

Posts: 1,271

Re: Need to reinstall Windows 7 in a dual boot with #! [SOLVED]

Might look that over. Reinstall may be drastic ... dunno. Though like everyone said, would consider backing up important stuff a good idea and expect having to reinstall grub2. Though that isn't much of a PITA from what I've seen on it. Still using legacy for bootloader so only ever had to reinstall grub2 like once ... upon a time.

vll !

PS, Also curious if you routinely run Chkdsk on win7 ? Think it's a part of routine maintenance for M$ OS's. I tend to overdo it and probably chkdsk XP 4-5 times a month, to be safe rather than sorry. Everytime I do summin major to the hdd, repartition, install a new gnu/nix OS etc. Tend to run chkdsk on XP, so that the window$ OS doesn't jump up n byte me. Well either way gd luck ... am sure you'll sort it.

Last edited by CBizgreat! (2012-02-25 11:32:53)

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Some common cbiz abbreviations. This will save me time and yet @ same time tell folks what the babble is supposed to mean.

Vll ! = ( Viva la gnu/Linux !)    Vl#!! = ( Viva la #! !)    Last but not least, UD ... OD ! = ( Use Debian ... or die !)

mikhou

#! CrunchBanger

Registered: 2011-06-12

Posts: 147

Re: Need to reinstall Windows 7 in a dual boot with #! [SOLVED]

@CBisgreat!:  I don't run chkdsk very often, if at all.  Again, I only rarely boot into Windows when I have to use this particular app (an expense report app) written by my company that is not Linux-compatible.

mikhou

CBizgreat!

#! Die Hard

Registered: 2011-07-27

Posts: 1,271

Re: Need to reinstall Windows 7 in a dual boot with #! [SOLVED]

If ya do alot of dinking around with the hdisk it's installed on. Mentioned above would start doing it more often. Don't see any reason why someone can't set it up to do it automatically on schedule, automated task or whatever it's called, canna remember. Either way think would help you avoid this kinda thing down the road. Anything window$ imo is finicky and can be hard to get along with.

Think a person HAS to chkdsk and defrag on a regular basis to keep things running decently for em. Coupla times a month and depending on what you're doing more often couldn't hurtcha. With anything gnu/nix all important OS partitions will have fsck set to automatically run every x number of mounts as default and no defrag necessary.

Viva la gnu/Linux !

Last edited by CBizgreat! (2012-02-25 21:44:57)

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Some common cbiz abbreviations. This will save me time and yet @ same time tell folks what the babble is supposed to mean.

Vll ! = ( Viva la gnu/Linux !)    Vl#!! = ( Viva la #! !)    Last but not least, UD ... OD ! = ( Use Debian ... or die !)

mikhou

#! CrunchBanger

Registered: 2011-06-12

Posts: 147

Re: Need to reinstall Windows 7 in a dual boot with #! [SOLVED]

Followup:

Hey guys, here's a quick followup to let you know what happened.  I have an Acer Apire Timeline-X 3820T-6480, and it has a Windows Recovery partition on it.  GRUB2 nicely found it when I first installed GRUB and it has been an option to boot into since that time.  Well, I chose this option last night and it booted into an Acer Windows recovery program.  I went through the reinstall, and guess what?  It didn't even touch the MBR!  I couldn't believe it.  So maybe Windows is finally learning to play nice with others.  GRUB2 is still my bootloader.  I still have all of my installed OS's available, including my newly reinstalled Windows 7.  I must say that I am totally shocked.  Just thought that I would give you guys an update.  Thanks for all of your info.

mikhou

xaos52

The Good Doctor

From: Planet of the @s

Registered: 2011-06-24

Posts: 4,290

Re: Need to reinstall Windows 7 in a dual boot with #! [SOLVED]

Thank you for the feedback.

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bootinfoscript - emacs primer - I ♥ #!