Grub2 is the most commonly used boot loader today. It specifically warns against installing in a partition. Code: root #grub-install /dev/sda1 Attempting to install GRUB to a partition disk or to a partition. This is a BAD idea. Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged. My preferred method on dual boot systems is to install Windows first, then Linux. Grub2 is installed to the MBR. During setup it detects the previously installed Windows partition and adds it to the list. On my multi-boot test machine, sda is an SSD with Windows 7 on sda1 and Windows 8.1 on sda2. Windows 10 is installed on it's own SSD, in sdb1. The 3rd drive is a conventional spinning platter 1 TB drive. It is divided into about 15 logical partitions that I install various Linux distributions. Grub2 is installed to the MBR of drive 3, but drive 1 (sda) is set as the active drive. I have installed the Gag boot loader on sda and use it to choose which OS is booted when I power up the machine. If that fails for some reason, I can always press F12 and choose to boot from drive 3, bringing up the grub menu directly. This is slightly convoluted, but it has the advantage of isolating the other operating systems from the running OS, reducing the chance of corruption.
Come on!! Maybe is the most common ALTERNATIVE boot loader, but be sure that every 2 Grub2 bootloader there are 98 windows ones. Never seen that stupid message in my life but, message or not, there are a zillion of reasons to install it in a place different than the mbr. The most important of them is that TWO functional and independent bootloaders are better than one
Did you come here just to stir? In case you haven't noticed this is a Linux forum - why on earth would anyone promote Windows bootloader here? Many are here to learn Linux and wean themselves off Windows!
I liked the discussion which revealed lot of configurations.... whether it is Windows or Linux or Multi Boot with several OSes. Some of us are here to find possibility of using Windows and Linux side by side as mentioned in the thread title. "[Dual-boot] Rafaella+Windows 7".
I come here to share my experience, If you don't like my suggestions just don't follow them. No one will die because of that. Not sure what you use the computers for. I use them to do things and I choose the most practical way to do them. I couldn't care less about who made the bootloader, and i care even less after some jenius decided to ditch the good old Grub for the configuration mess which is Grub2. That said no one told you to use the windows bootloader (which works and is pretty easy to manage, thanks to easybcd). I told you to use both of them. Changing the active partiton (something you can do with a mouse click from any os) you can switch the main bootloader w/o any fear of loosing something or about being stuck with an unbootable PC, because a silly mistake. There are users that are taking Linux as the main OS, but almost no one, aside a bunch of integralists/purists, uses it as the only OS installed on the system. So becoming skilled about partitions, filesystems, discs organizations and so on, is the first thing that an user should do. And that isn't a Linux only thing, like it or not.
I've been using Linux for almost 3 years now and have learned how to use the command line for most things. I like the fact that after you enter a command, you can see exactly what's going on inside the Terminal and if a part of the process has failed for some reason. It's also very useful to know what to do when and if you encounter a grub> prompt or grub-rescue> prompt immediately after booting the system. That being said, you're not going to be able to learn much of anything if you're a beginner with Linux and find you cannot boot into your newly installed Linux OS. In that case, using a utility like EasyBCD or Roderick Smith's rEFInd is an easy way to get things up and running, and the learning process can then begin. So I say use whatever works for you and you have confidence in using.
Should I install another bootloader as a safeguard measure like T-S said? If the answer is positive, how do I do that? One thing I couldn't do was to find my Moto G when I plugged it into the USB port. System didn't recognize it as media (mtp) and the device didn't give me a choice to set up how I wanted it to connect to Linux. I have rooted it with Cyanogen Mod. I've read about AirDroid but want to learn the USB way. If you guys know of any website that has a good reading about it, let me know.
That is just making things over complicated, and begging for something to break. Install Windows then install Linux and let Linux install Grub. No issues, Windows will be added to the Grub menu. If something happens to the Grub bootloader, you can reinstall it with a Live OS. And there again, Windows and Linux will be available from the Grub menu again. I've done it a thousand times. Some people just like to fix things until they are broken.
No there is nothing of over complicated here. It's actually the simplest and safest way to go It's exatly the opposite. In the way I have explained you can safely upgrade windows and/or linux w/o breaking anithything That's the newbie way. It works. Until you reinstall windows. When you do so the win setup will overwrite grub with its bootloader and the mentioned newbie is in big troubles. Yes some people like it. People like me instead, likest to do the things right since the beginning, and likes to not have to fix things each 15 days.
Ok, thanks for your input guys but just calm down. No need to argue over the internet. @T-S Could you post how to do your safeguard steps so me and others can learn? Thank you. Keep in mind that I'm a newbie, you'll have to teach like you would to a 5 year old -retarded- kid.
I already did it. Not sure what I have to add. Jus keep in mind to install the linux bootloader on the boot linux parition (which can be a separate boot partition or the only system partition depending on how you formatted the HDD). Usually the setup has an advanced button during or right after the partitioning phase, there you can choose where to install the bootloader (usually grub2). Which means installing it on hda5 instad of the default hda. When the setup phase is accomplished, reboot in windows install easybcd and choose to add an item, select linux, select the right grub partition (choose "grub legacy" to do so), choose a description for the new item you added. The configuration of Vista+ bootloader is pretty obscure by itself, but easybcd makes it dumbproof.
Hello wmh - Don't worry about using the Windows chkdsk command. It's purpose is to check for errors in the NTFS filesystem on the Windows C: system partition. The Master Boot Record is not affected because it lies outside of any existing partitions on the disk. And to be clear: bootrec is a Windows command. It has nothing to do with grub. Grub can only be installed or modified through Linux. Fix the boot problems with Windows first, using your Windows installation disc, then reinstall grub using your Linux Mint installation media and the instructions in my previous post. If you're not having any problems with using the Nvidia-346 drivers, then forget everything I mentioned in my previous post and keep using them. If it ain't broke, then don't fix it, because you might end up breaking it.