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I have Ubuntu 14.04 on my laptop with GPT partition as one /dev/sda: enter image description here

Now I want to install windows 7 in a dual boot. I see this Ask-Ubuntu post How can I install Windows after I've installed Ubuntu? but using Gparted is little hard for me.

Please explain this to me, step by step using live-USB?

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Seyoung
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  • Someday we will call this the depreciated method. run windows in a VM and dont dual boot. Run both at the same time. its easier, and works better. – j0h Apr 10 '15 at 17:54
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    VM may be easiest. Windows only installs to gpt partitioned drives with UEFI. And how you boot installer is how it installs. Or you must boot Windows 7 installer in UEFI mode. And Windows 7 usually only boots in BIOS mode. You have to copy to flash drive & modify some files (?) to make it UEFI bootable. – oldfred Apr 10 '15 at 22:40

6 Answers6

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You seem to have not just only a GPT but also a UEFI installation. In that case there will be no overwritten MBR bootloader, which is what the link in your question is mostly about.

I'm pretty sure that machine shipped with Windows 8, so you should have followed the instructions in my answer on How to use manual partitioning during installation? and kept Windows 8.

If I wasn't entirely clear: You shouldn't be concerned about the bootloader but installing the OS you want correctly with UEFI enabled. If Windows 7 installs without flaws, do that, else get your Windows 8 Recovery or install from Windows 8 media. I heard Microsoft now offers 8.1 media for download on its website even for OEM installs (because they also don't like OEM bloatware).

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LiveWireBT
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The installation of Windows 7 in dual boot has been unambiguously described in the link that you have mentioned in your question.

If you want to know how GParted works, check the following steps:

  1. To launch gParted you may use either of the methods:

    • the Dash (Ubuntu 11.04 and next): click the Ubuntu logo in the top-left corner of the screen, then type gparted and click on the gParted icon that will appear.
    • or System->Administration->gParted menu (Ubuntu 10.04)

    • or by typing in a terminal

      gksudo gparted

  2. Then create partition for Windows 7 (atleast 15-20 GB) and proceed for installation accordingly.

You may just wish to go through this resource I found: GParted partitioning- Full Tutorial

A.B.
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Dhaval Simaria
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  • Note that GParted can't resize a partition that's currently mounted. Because the Linux root (/) partition (/dev/sda2 in Seyoung's case) is necessarily mounted whenever the OS is booted, resizing it requires booting another installation, such as an Ubuntu live medium. – Rod Smith Apr 11 '15 at 01:33
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You just need a free space on hard disk, you can manage partition for your windows 7 OS from the windows OS installer. Use Disks (it's an application) to make a partiton with free space. Notice that you cannot install Win 7 on GPT formatted disks.

Fructo
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  1. Before starting please backup your files, because re-sizing and creating partition can lead to loss of data.

  2. After that Open Gparted.

  3. Select the disk with largest amount of free space and click on "Move/Resize the selected partition" choose how much space you want to allocate to your windows 7 installation.

  4. When you are satisfied click on Resize/Move.

  5. Nothing has changed yet, in order to apply the changes click on the green check mark "Apply All Operations".

Now you have unallocated space and your Ubuntu installation.

Close GParted.

  1. Now put your windows installation USB and reboot to your windows installation.

  2. Choose language, keyboard and timezone for your windows and click next.

  3. Read and accept the license and click next

  4. Select the Costum(Advanced) option.

  5. You can now see the unallocated space, select it and click "Drive options(Advanced)" at bottom right cornor.

  6. Click New.

  7. Click Apply.

At this point windows will create an additional partition called "System reserved".

  1. Click next and the installation will begin.

When your Windows installation has completed, you will notice that the grub menu will not appear.

  1. To fix that download Ubuntu and make a bootable USB. Boot to Live mode, download bootloader, run it and choose the recommended fix.

And you are done.

Now if you restart the grub menu will appear. You can now choose between booting to windows or ubuntu.

You can also check this video out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5LMoa1OK9Q

Hope it helps

Dhaval Simaria
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Maiwand
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No need of commands, use EasyBCD for adding grub again to boot menu.

  1. Install windows 7 on a separate drive (Ubuntu previously installed on another drive)
  2. After windows installation Ubuntu will not boot.

  3. PC will boot into windows automatically.

  4. Enter into windows and install EasyBCD for windows

  5. Open EasyBCD and select add boot entry.
  6. Select grub2
  7. Give any name 8.select drive to load.( give automatic or select the drive of your Ubuntu installation) 8.OK and close EasyBCD.

9.done and reboot .

You can find new boot option and enter into it ,your grub is there.

Arun Tom
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  • Boot into a Ubuntu LiveUSB/CD.
  • Open Gparted and shrink your /dev/sda2/ to have enough space for the Windows installation.
  • Create NTFS storage partition if necessary.
  • Now restart and boot into a Windows installation media in UEFI mode.

Assuming that you have a UEFI based system, it would be better to install Windows to an unallocated disk partition. So the Windows installer could automate the creation of additional partitions such as EFI partition, recovery partition etc.

  • Continue and follow the Windows installer until it is finished.
  • Now boot back into a Ubuntu Live Media.
  • Chroot into your old Linux file system as follows..

Mount your Linux root. sudo mount /dev/sdaX /mnt/ (/dev/sda2 in your case)

Mount boot partition sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/boot

Bind these directories, so grub can find your Windows installation.

sudo mount –bind /dev /mnt/dev
sudo mount –bind /dev/pts /mnt/dev/pts
sudo mount –bind /proc /mnt/proc
sudo mount –bind /sys /mnt/sys

Then sudo chroot /mnt

If you successfully chrooted, then..

  • Reinstall/Recover Grub

grub-install --efi-directory=/boot/efi /dev/sda

References:

Gayan Weerakutti
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