Hello All,

I have a laptop with opensuse 11.3 already installed, i want to install now windows xp.
i don't want to lose my data and also i heard grub boot-loader/boot-editor should be installed.
Please anyone let me know what all things to be done step by step.

and my Hard disk details are as below

root:~ # fdisk -l


Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000080


Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 6527 52426752 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 6527 39162 262140928 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 39162 40206 8385536 82 Linux swap / Solaris


root:~ # df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda1 50G 17G 31G 35% /
devtmpfs 1.9G 300K 1.9G 1% /dev
tmpfs 1.9G 16K 1.9G 1% /dev/shm
/dev/sda2 247G 203G 31G 87% /home

hey varunb,
you must have windows installed before linux otherwise windows will erase the linux bootloader and you will not see linux. So you ca backup your data install windows then linux, that will create a dual boot so that you can choose between the two.Your bootloader will be at installed on.
/boot/grub/grub.conf
OR
/boot/grub/menu.lst

Or just reinstall Grub after you do have install windows on a separate partition .
But if windows is not on the C drive as windows call it you have to map you're drives

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.
I have already opensuse 11.3 in it. All i wanted to know is can we do dual boot with windows xp or so on installing linux first.

I have done the other way installing windows first on laptop and then installing suse/linux, making dual boot, this all works fine.

But this time i want to know whether we can install windows.(where opensuse 11.3 is already installed first)

Hi,

How can i map drives? and i think if i install windows now, i will not be getting the boot grub screen at all
and by default it logins to windows.

Is there any way to do that???

Yes that is correct is will directly goes to windows .
But if you install it on a separate partition or drive linux is still there .
Which every live CD or DVD you can reinstall GRUB and run sudo update-grub to get windows in GRUB menu
Fore instance on this website you find a lot of info about GRUB 2 www.dedoimedo.com/computers/grub-2.html or visit the Ubuntu website

So before installing windows, i need to edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst file and add few lines mentioning windows and portioning number.

but how i do i get know that windows is going to install on same partition??? it may vary right??/

Through the LiveCD you can do fdisk -l again and see what partition(s) has(ve) been formatted as NTFS.

oh ok thankz for the reply to all.

i will try doin it.

steps to follow is:
1.To take backup of my every data.
2.To edit /boot/grub/menu.lst file and 3lines mentioning windows and partition number.
3.To install windows.
4.To boot from live cd and update grub and /boot/grub/menu.lst file.

please add if i am missing anything.

Point 2 can be together with point 4. It isn't necessary to edit menu.lst before installing windows. You may want to take a look at this guide: http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_l...lled_first.htm, even if it mention ubuntu as linux OS, the procedure will apply to any other distribution as well. Good luck!

reinstall opensuse after installing XP ServicePack-3 ( the only still supported version )

and install OpenSUSE 11.4 and NOT 11.3


suse 11.3 hits End of life soon
--January 15th 2012 which is in 67 days --

Or wait 6 days and install the upcoming stable release 12.1

If I remember right windows only will boot from a primary partition.

Yes that is correct .
But if you install windows on a other than the partition c: as they called it .
You can fool windows in that way that think that it is on the partition C: by drive mapping .