I posted a video on how to dual boot 7 with Zorin 9 - the only difference I would make these days is make '/' 50 Gb and not 30 Gb.
https://vimeo.com/110085401Not matter whether a Desktop or Notebook, the first thing to do is make a 'System Repair Disc' using menu search in Windows 7 - it is covered in the Video.
The other is to make sure you backup all your critical data - if something does go wrong it is more likely to be the other OS!
If you can't stand lengthy videos, here is the updated text version:
1. Prepare Windows first by going into Windows 7, and if you don't have 'Computer' on desktop, go to menu, right-click and 'manage'.
2. Select the partition with 'C:' on it, right-click and select 'Properties', then go to 'Tools' Tab. Select 'Check disk' and make sure both boxes in the next pop-up screen are checked and then click on start which then brings up another window to select 'Schedule a scan' - click on that.
3. Close all windows and reboot - you will get the cursory 10 second count-down to cancel Chkdsk - DON'T - you could end up with an unbootable system - I did this on a 200 Gb drive and it took a good half-hour.
4. After chkdsk has completed it will reboot, give a cursory report that it is clean (hopefully - just as mine did) and you may get a brief message that there is no signal (from graphics card) and then your login screen will appear.
5. Go to 'Manage' once more and do a defrag analysis of C drive - uisng the same procedure above [2.] but click on Defrag tool - mine was only 4% so not needed but like to do this anyway for dual-booting - analysis took quite a while and then I ran the defragment option - another good half-hour.
6. Re-boot to windows once more to see if Windows finds a change and requires a reboot - this used to happen on XP but does not appear to be needed for Windows 7.
7. Go to Manage once more, right click the C: drive, Properties and 'Shrink drive' - let Windows do all the calculation and just accept what it offers - this will eventually after 15-20 minutes a reduced drive with unallocated space to the right of it. - This is where we will install Zorin. Put the Zorin DVD into the drive and reboot - use your one-time boot option (if you have one) to boot from DVD - Dells = F12, HP = Esc, if you have a 'homebrew' like the one I built with an Asus Mobo then F8 might be the button to press. Select the Optical Drive - if your machine does not have this option it will mean pressing the 'Del' key to enter BIOS and go to 'Boot' section then 'Boot Order' or 'Disk Priority' - usually pressing the + key will change the first default option (the hard disk) - on older machines you should also change second option as this would have been the optical drive (I am disregarding machines with Floppy Disks which would be 1!) and change to hard drive or you will go round in a loop!). Press F10 to save changes and exit.
8. Booting from Zorin will bring up a blue screen giving you the option to try in Live Mode - the first (top) option.
9. Then press Enter to select the first menu option of trying without installing.
The screen will change to a glowing/pulsating 'ZORIN' logo that first flies in from left to right - then darkness for quite some time, then a mouse cursor, then the desktop. Be sure at this point you have a wired connection to your router/internet connection - and click on 'Install to Hard Disk/drive' icon on the desktop. (Alternatively, Menu | System Tools | Administration | Install Zorin OS).
9a. Can't remember at which point this screen appears but you get a check list that
a. you have enough space to install to
b. are connected to the internet
Be sure to check mark the bit about installing updates and other stuff during install - this is why it takes quite a bit of time to install!
10. Installation Options screen appears - choose the last option - 'Something Else' - this will launch the Partition Editor. Select the 'Free Space/Unallocated Space' then click on the '+' symbol, bottom left of the window that is open and a new interface opens - make it a Primary Partition with size 50000 Mibs (About 50 Gb) - you might get away with 30000 (30 Gb) but I like to play safe! - format to 'ext4' (ext2 if SSD) and mark as '/'. Next highlight the remaining unallocated space, '+' once more and this time create 'Extended Partition' - select this partition to add at the END the 'swap area' - I make this double the amount of physical RAM you have in the machine, and then everything in front I create the last partition, '/home' where all your data and windows applications live at the 'BEGINNING' of the extended partition - make this 'logical'.
11. Crucial this bit - install GRUB on the partition marked '/' - this should be sda3 - remember the number - this is crucial for when you get to use Easy BCD 2.2 Community Edition.
12. The installer screen starts - begins with Language - default is English, click on 'next'
13. Memory is going - can't remember if Keyboard layout is next or 'where are you?' - Click on 'next'.
14. Where are you - enter your City and be amazed at the number of places around the world that share your great City name! Once done, click on 'next'
15. Username etc screen next - DON'T use capitals in username.
System - rename this - preferably in lower case - no hyphens, no underscores, no gaps. DON'T checkmark 'encrypt home folder' or the OS will not install or boot correctly!!! Click on Next. This takes a VERY long time!
16. After eventually it has completed installation, either carry on playing in live environment or re-boot into Windows 7.
17. In Windows 7 - Download Easy BCD 2.2 Community Edition from Softpedia.com. After install it offers you option to launch - do so - it even offers language to launch in - nice touch. Now then we need to add a Linux Partition so we go to the Penguin tab - for the Boot, drop down to GRUB2, (if memory serves me right the default is 'neo-smart' or some such).
Next select the partition where GRUB is - now this latest edition is very cool - you should recognise the smallest of the two GNU/Linux partitions of '/' and '/home' and it will also be indicated by the size we chose earlier - highlight that ('/') partition to select it to boot from. Next we give a name to the bootloader entry - mine is 'ZorinOS 9 32-bit Ultimate' - and that is what shows up as the second entry in my Windows 7 Boot loader on boot - the other neat thing that Easy BCD does is it automatically captures your existing mbr settings at point of launch after install!
Save your Easy BCD settings, close the application and re-boot - you now have an uninterrupted mbr so your Windows will NEVER be affected!
This method will work with any distro - you just have to remember to stop the distro of choice wanting to put the Bootloader in the MBR.
I reported some issues with Windows 7 and reinstalled it - the MBR was intact so I could boot Zorin after reinstalling Windows - basically thanks to Matthew Moore and EasyBCD - my video differs as it shows how to make room for GNU/Linux - Matthew Moore's video is working with a 'blank canvas'.