[SOLVED] how install dual boot with windows 7 and Linux

[zodz77]

I have new build, want to install windows 7 with Pclinuxos64,kde5,2019.05 Linux on new hard drive, i don't know how to do it.

 

[Alabalcho]

Start with Windows install, Custom option, leave eg half of the SSD/HDD unpartitioned. Once Windows is ready, install Linux, again custom install, create Linux partition(s) in the free space, install GRUB in the MBR, and use it as a boot loader.

 

[LinuxDevice]

Out of curiosity, do you know if your Windows 7 uses old style BIOS mode, or if it uses UEFI? I ask because I have an older Win 7 disk from prior to UEFI existing, and some distributions (notably Ubuntu) tend to not like old BIOS mode. Pretty much everything works if the disk is newer UEFI style (GPT partitions). If you boot a temporary Linux live distribution on DVD you can run the command "sudo gdisk -l /dev/sda" to list the partitions of the first hard drive. If one of the partitions lists with "EFI system partition", then you are completely modern. Even if you are not, many distributions still work great on old style BIOS. But you should probably know which you use prior to install, and be careful to never remove the EFI partition.

 

[zodz77]

thanks for your input, I guess will find out soon.

 

[zodz77]

Start with Windows install, Custom option, leave eg half of the SSD/HDD unpartitioned. Once Windows is ready, install Linux, again custom install, create Linux partition(s) in the free space, install GRUB in the MBR, and use it as a boot loader.

Thanks so much for your reply,