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Old Zorin Forum archive → Installation

strange issues with dual boot...

birkopf

Sun Jan 13, 2013 12:52:03 pm

Guys, your help is needed again :) I'm using linux on dual boot since 8 or more years and never run into such a problem with grub. It's worth to add - its first time I have two disks in my laptop and second HDD is fully dedicated to home partition.

It looks like that:

HDD1
Primary
Sda1 - Zorin 6

Extended
Sda2 - swap
Sda3 - Win 7

HDD2
Primary
Sdb1 - /home


Windows didn't want to install at all so I removed extended partition and have done the same table on disk1 but all on primary.
Windows installed ok, after that I installed zorin to overwrite MBR. Unfortunately grub is nakerd and goes straight to windows. I tried to restore grub and all went correctly. I tried to update grub and all fine as well. I have changed active/bottable partitions from windows on sda3 to linux on sda1 and nothing helps. I kicked out windows and it says that there is no system on the disk.

What's happening ?

birkopf

Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:14:32 pm

swarfendor437 wrote:Hi birkopf, You're problem is that you have Windows7 further down the line - IT should be sda1 nd not Zorin.
For dual booting always have Windows as your first OS, THEN add GNU/Linux - download the guide I have created here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3962



No, unfortunately this doesnt work either. It's really strange. It seems that Win7 takes over MBR and even when I go to grub and install, update, refresh, etc and all seems correct - it still takes no effect.
I just installed as you advised and again - no grub :(

birkopf

Sun Jan 13, 2013 6:50:24 pm

swarfendor437 wrote:Does this happen even when you tell it to put the GRUB in sda? I take it you have done a manual install - based on the information you provided I would have done that - also might be worth making a 1 Gb '/boot' partition to help at the very start of sda1. Then create NTFS for Windows. Leave 15 to 30 Gb for '/' then make drive 2 logical drive with your swap at the end of the second drive (create that first) then your '/home' at the start and fill what is left.


I'm happy to try. I have two 320GB disks in my laptop. Second one is dedicated as whole to my /home. In this case should I do:
Sda1 : 1GB /boot
Sda2 : 270GB ntfs for windows
Now extended partition and
Sda3 : 512 MB swap
Sda4 : +/-20GB Zorin6