How to install windows XP AFTER installing Zorin OS5

Im kinda new at this... But I was wondering if anyone can help me install Windows XP after installing Zorin OS5. I want to keep Zorin as my main OS but there are a few programs that dont run on Wine/Play On Linux.... If anyone can help that would be GREAT!!!

Hi,

there are a few pitfalls, if you don't have too much on your Linux setup; it might be far easier to completely wipe your hard drive and install Windows first then Linux, that said, it is not impossible.

There are several how-to's out there and I will give you a few links, if you have further trouble, please let us know.

The first one is like I suggested, wipe the drive and install XP, you can install Linux again afterwards:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314458

http://viralpatel.net/blogs/how-to-rein ... ing-linux/

http://www.linuxscrew.com/2010/05/06/in ... ucid-lynx/

If you can use a partitioning tool, use Gparted to create your partitions:

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/gparted.html

You can create a partition for XP using the NTFS format, then create an "Extended" partition and within the extended partition, create 3 more, a swap partition which should be twice the size of your RAM, a root partition (forward slash / is the mount point) of about 20GB, and lastly a home partitiion ("/home" is the mount point) using the rest of the space. Both root and home should use the EXT4 format, swap has no real format and just be created as swap with no mount point.

Let us know if this helps.

Regards Wolfman

As WM said.
You will have to:

1) Create a zorin live CD.
2) Boot to the desktop from the live CD.
3) Use Gparted, choose ext, right-click>resize>choose size and then create an NTFS partition for your windows installation.
4) Install win Xp in the NTFS partition you created.

You will then see that it only boots to win xp. Do the following:

5) Boot with the live cd and in the live session open terminal and write:

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

You will get a result like the following

Code:

Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1       60280   484191232   83  Linux
/dev/sda2           60280       60802     4191233    5  Extended
/dev/sda5           60280       60802     4191232   82  Linux swap / Solaris

as you see the "linux" partition is on "sda1". Check and see where yours is.

Then do the following:

Code:

sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda

Ofcourse change "sda1" to your linux partition (if it is not the same).

Now, reboot.
You will get the grub menu back but there will be no option for vista.
Boot normally to Zorin, open terminal and write

Code:

sudo update-grub

When you reboot now, you will get a grub menu with all the options (zorin, vista, etc.).