How Difficult Or Even Possible To Dual Boot My Ubuntu Machine

[Richb2004v2]

Having opted to bring my little Linux netbook to work with me for 4 weeks I have now found I have software to use that will only run on windows. Unless I can get a machine to borrow from work I am stuck. So I am now wondering how difficult, and even if its possible, would it be to install windows XP onto my external Seagate hard drive to make a dual boot machine. To make it more difficult I am on a 'mobile telephone' internet connection which makes it very difficult to search the net for help or instruction. I'm expecting this either to be impossible or very difficult.

I have limited internal drive memory of 20gig (eeePC), a 4gig SD memory card and the Seagate 320gig external, as well as a DVD rom drive. I'm currently running Ubuntu.

Thanks.

[garyh]

Having opted to bring my little Linux netbook to work with me for 4 weeks I have now found I have software to use that will only run on windows. Unless I can get a machine to borrow from work I am stuck. So I am now wondering how difficult, and even if its possible, would it be to install windows XP onto my external Seagate hard drive to make a dual boot machine. To make it more difficult I am on a 'mobile telephone' internet connection which makes it very difficult to search the net for help or instruction. I'm expecting this either to be impossible or very difficult.

I have limited internal drive memory of 20gig (eeePC), a 4gig SD memory card and the Seagate 320gig external, as well as a DVD rom drive. I'm currently running Ubuntu.

Thanks.

Surely if you divide the 20 gig drive into 2 partitions you can run both operating systems from the internal drive. I ran XP for a few years on 6 gig harddrive when it was first released. The external drive may not want to boot, I am not sure on this but I think also it may be rather slow.

[joncl]

I have software to use that will only run on windows.

Have you checked to see if the windows application will run under "wine" ? If not worth a try as then you can run it in ubuntu as well.

[Insight]

Sounds like a challenge but reckon it is possible. The last time I installed XP I'm sure it recognised my external drive as an install location. The concern here is that it doesn't write over your internal drive MBR.

If that happens, you'll need to run Linux from the Live CD and reinstall GRUB.

[dave_boo]

Well, trying to get Windows to boot from an external drive is an exercise in frustration. While you can get it installed, use your imagination as to what happens when you first boot. Window's kernel goes through its initialisation processes. So it initialises the low-grade items first (north/southbridge, ATA controller, VGA controller, etc.). Than it moves onto the higher-grade items. Now two things can happen; the first is the most catostrophic. The USB controller gets reset. That will sever the link that Windows was booting over--not good. The second is that even if that's not an issue, Windows expects to be on the C:\ drive (technically it expects the boot loader to be there). If the other drive(s) got initialised first, that's not true is it?

I think the best bet for you would be to install a virtualisation programme (VMWare, VitualBox, etc) and create the Windows virtualised machine on the external drive. No fuss no muss other than the speed penalty.

[Insight]

^ On my dual-boot system at home the Windows installer ended up labelling the drive it's installed to J:. Looked at switching it back to C: but the resounding advice was if it works, don't touch it.

This link details how to do it, but it does look like a bit of a chore. The VMWare/VirtualBox approach does seem a good deal simpler.

/edit crapped up the link

Edited July 1, 2009 by Insight

[jackdanielsesq]

Most folks here are of the same mind - ya can always try it and then tell us we are all wrong - also, as far as I

can recall VM dont do USB well - might be wrong - I hate pseudo anything. The NB BIOS is the real kicker, then there's also XP. Divvy up the SDD and install XP, or buy a larger one. Keep data on ext.

But doesnt the ext drive mess the notebook concept a little + powerwise?!

BR>Jack