Troncoso
VIP Member
So, I really wanted a Linux distro on my Laptop, but I've always had an issue with the MBR if I ever wanted to get rid of the second OS or wanted to change it. And really, I'm tired of installing Windows. It's just annoying to have to set everything up all over again. So, I did some searching (didn't take long honestly) And found EasyBCD.
When you go to download it, you will brought to the commercial version, if you scroll down to the bottom, you will see the link to the free version, in small font.
What you do, is you'll install your linux flavour like you normally would. When you get to the point where you are choosing which partition to install it on, in most cases you are also asked where you want to install your boot loader (GRUB or LILO). Well, instead of letting it install to default, you install it to the same partition as your second OS (or to you /boot partition if it is separate). Now, when you do this, then boot the PC, it won't even see your second OS because it won't know how to look for it. So, after you've installed linux, you go back to windows and run this program. It asks you for the boot loader you are using and the partition it is on (in my case, when I specified the boot loader, it found the partition automatically) Then it will ask you to name this addition. Afterwards, you click a button and the info is added to the MBR. Now when you boot you'll see the option for either Windows or the name that you gave your section boot option.
The only downside to this process is that, when booting up, you have to pick the second boot option, and then you have to choose the actual linux mode to boot into. So, one extra button press.
The positive side, is that now you can freely mess with, change or delete your linux OS without the worry of messing up the Winodows MBR.
Hopefully being a member on here for over 4 years and my 2500+ post status will not target this as spam. If this, for some reason causes any problems please let me know.
When you go to download it, you will brought to the commercial version, if you scroll down to the bottom, you will see the link to the free version, in small font.
What you do, is you'll install your linux flavour like you normally would. When you get to the point where you are choosing which partition to install it on, in most cases you are also asked where you want to install your boot loader (GRUB or LILO). Well, instead of letting it install to default, you install it to the same partition as your second OS (or to you /boot partition if it is separate). Now, when you do this, then boot the PC, it won't even see your second OS because it won't know how to look for it. So, after you've installed linux, you go back to windows and run this program. It asks you for the boot loader you are using and the partition it is on (in my case, when I specified the boot loader, it found the partition automatically) Then it will ask you to name this addition. Afterwards, you click a button and the info is added to the MBR. Now when you boot you'll see the option for either Windows or the name that you gave your section boot option.
The only downside to this process is that, when booting up, you have to pick the second boot option, and then you have to choose the actual linux mode to boot into. So, one extra button press.
The positive side, is that now you can freely mess with, change or delete your linux OS without the worry of messing up the Winodows MBR.
Hopefully being a member on here for over 4 years and my 2500+ post status will not target this as spam. If this, for some reason causes any problems please let me know.
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