Dual booting Redhat 7.2 and Windows XP Version 1.0
Contributed by John Oates - jpoates@eos.ncsu.edu
This HOWTO specifically details how to create a dual boot system using
Redhat Linux 7.2 and Windows XP with a NTFS file system using the GRUB
boot loader.
The Problem: The problem was stumbled upon after I successfully
persuaded my Windows XP-using-friend to install Redhat Linux 7.2 onto
the empty end of his hard drive. "Sure." I tell him, "dual booting
will be no problem!" A few days later he calls me up frustrated saying
that he can no longer access his Windows XP operating system....
The procedure I gave to my friend for the install was one that I had
learned from past experience. Knowing how MS Windows XP likes to
overwrite the MBR(Master Boot Record), I tell him to:
1. fdisk the Hard drive and make a partition for Windows XP and leave
whatever you want to allocate to Linux unpartitioned.
2. Install Windows XP onto this partition. (This should be a primary
partition!)
3. Boot to the Linux install CD and partition the remaining
unpartitioned part of the HD and install linux. (Install GRUB into the
MBR, it should detect both OSes)
4. Reboot and enjoy your new dual boot system!
Redhat 7.2 uses the new GRUB bootloader. The situation my friend
encountered was this. He wanted to dual boot Windows XP and a new
install of Redhat 7.2 on the same hard drive. After going through the
painless Redhat 7.2 install process and rebooting his machine the GRUB
boot loader only detects the linux install. His first instinct of
course was to reinstall windows. A typical microsoft approach, but
"No," I tell him, "The XP operating system is still on your HD, GRUB
simply cannot see it." Having very little experience with GRUB, since
previous distro's use LILO, I was unsure how to fix the problem. I had
a good guess it was probably just a simple mod to the /etc/grub.conf
similar to how LILO operated. Indeed this is the answer! I scoured the
net for quite a long time looking for the few lines of code that would
enlighten GRUB to the existence of XP. I found that many others had
dealt with the exact same problem. Unfortunately, a proper and simple
answer was more than I could hope for! So here is the solution for all
to see who might try this very common and simple procedure. Add the
following lines to the /etc/grub.conf file:
title Windows XP
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1
As it says in the grub.conf file. You do not have to restart GRUB as
you did LILO for the changes to take afffect. Simply save the file and
reboot. All should be well. If you find yourself in a similar
circumstance but you are using LILO instead, these lines can be added
to the /etc/lilo.conf to fix the problem:
other=/dev/hda1 (device XP is installed on)
label=Windows XP
table=/dev/hda
Restart LILO (I believe you can just type lilo at the prompt to do
this) and then reboot. I hope this short HOW-TO of my experience with
dual booting XP and Linux on the same HD has helped you. My apologies
if your system has further issues that this document does not solve. I
am no Linux expert, just a hobbyist trying to document my findings.
Dual boot Windows XP and RedHat 7.2.
Moderator: jasonb