If you have an existing Windows 7 / Linux Mint dual boot system, a simple upgrade to Windows 10 didn't disturb the Linux install or the dual boot. This was on a MBR partitioned system. I had an existing Windows 7 / Linux Mint dual boot on a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop and upgraded to Windows 10. The dual boot and the Linux Mint were not disturbed by the Windows 10 upgrade. But you offer good advice for adding Linux Mint to an existing Windows 10 install. That worked great on another system that I have that also has a UEFI/GPT partition.
Hello bjorn96 - Based on your answers, it looks like your system is using MBR boot. I'm still trying to figure out why the Linux Mint installer does not see your Windows system and offer you the option to "Install Alongside Windows" on the installation options screen. Usually this is not an issue on MBR systems. What I suggest is this: Follow the instructions in my tutorial right up to the point where you choose the "Device for bootloader installation". Then instead of installing the bootloader to the EFI system partition as described by me, use the default choice "/dev/sda", which is the correct choice when installing on MBR systems.
Hello bjorn96 - I think I have the answer as to why the Linux Mint installer fails to offer you the option to install Linux Mint alongside Windows 7. Last night I discovered that your system uses Legacy boot, not UEFI boot as I had previously thought. I also realized your disk has a MBR partition table on it, not a GPT partition table, and this holds the key to the problem. Based on all of this information, I'm willing to bet that your disk already has four partitions on it, and they are all primary partitions. Am I correct? If this is the case, what you're going to have to do is delete one of these partitions, so that the installer sees only three primary partitions on the disk. It will then create an extended partition containing two logical partitions, one for root and one for swap. A good candidate for deletion is the recovery partition. Go to HP's support website and find out how to create bootable recovery media, either in the form of a DVD set or a USB flash drive. Once you have done this, and tested it to be certain that it works, you can then delete the recovery partition. However, just doing this by itself may not provide enough unallocated space on the disk needed to install Linux Mint. It will depend on how large the recovery partition is, whether or not the recovery partition is the very last one on the disk, and if the Windows C:\ partition is directly adjacent to it as well. If you could provide a screenshot from Windows Disk Management, we could figure out how to proceed.
Hello John! I want to install Linux Mint 17.2 x64bits and Windows 7 x64bits (dual boot) on a reformatted 1TB HD in a GA-P35-DS3 rev2.0 motherboard using MBR as it isn`t UEFI. Should I start installing Windows or should I install Linux Mint first? How many primary partitions should I divide the HD with?
You should start by installing Windows first. Then Linux Mint will recognize your Windows installation and ask you if you want to erase it or install along side it. Sizes are completely up to you, and can get very involved. Personally when I ran a dual boot setup with Windows 7/Linux Mint I had it set up as follows, in this order on the HDD, and set up in the same order as shown (YMMV): System Reserved - 100MB (Windows Required) C:\ - 50GB Linux SWAP - 2GB Linux Mint / - 50GB D:\ - remaining space (NTFS for transferring files between Linux and Windows and storage) Your Windows C:\ size will need to be adjusted for your own needs, but other than that it is a good starting point because Linux Mint will not use that much space unless you plan on using Wine and installing a bunch of Windows programs through that. Mint will create the correct type of partitions that it needs, ie; extended/logical, automatically when you setup Linux Mint. If you need more help with the partitioning in Linux Mint just ask, it can get a little tricky.
Thanks Ska! What YMMV stands for? If I want to run some games on linux through Steam what should I do? I had some problems on cylinder, headers and sectors mismatch on MBR. I used testdisk and it said there were errors on Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB HD103SJ. When I reformat everything will MBR be fixed or do I need to use the fdisk/diskpart command?
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary. (Just that your situation will vary depending on your needs) If you are going to be running Steam then I would bump the Linux Mint / partition up to at least 100GB. But you know, you could just split the drive in half and use one half for Windows and the other half for Linux. Are you trying to leave Windows all together, or is there 1 specific program that you need Windows for, or are you just trying Linux out? Once you install Windows on the HDD then the MBR should be re-written and hopefully you shouldn't have any more errors.
The warning about the disk are only warnings, not errors. They indicate that the disk geometry is different than the geometry information stored in FAT or NTFS boot sector. That is possibly because a EFI GPT partition table is present. Nothing to worry about. You also might want to start your own thread.
TTKU - Try To Keep Up TBBTLTIHYWIA - This Better Be The Last Time I Help You With Internet Abbreviations IMTUAIGA - I'm Making These Up As I Go Along
Heheheheheh I get it, I get it, I get it... Meanwhile it installs I get the feelings of a kid with a new toy in hands to play with.