Reinstall windows Vista

Dou you have Grub installed?
If you have GRUB you can choose the Windows Vista Recovery partition, did you already do that?

Appreciate your attention.
Yes , got GRUB installed. Do have 2 HDD of 160GB each. Ubuntu is on one
and wish install vista on the other one. The destination disc has been
formated in NFTS. Afraid there is no recovery partition.

On 12/15/2011 10:50 PM, LinaPorras wrote:
> Your question #182021 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/182021
>
> LinaPorras posted a new comment:
> Dou you have Grub installed?
> If you have GRUB you can choose the Windows Vista Recovery partition, did you already do that?
>

Well, I have Windows 7 and Ubuntu installed, when I turn on my laptop, I see some options, can you copy the options here?
And another question do you have Windows Vista CD?

Lets be clear about what you have and what you want.

You have a PC with Ubuntu on it as the only operating system with two hard drives one of which you wan't to put Vista on am I correct?

The problem is that while Ubuntu will happily install allong side Windows. Microshaft don't seem to understand that people might want more than one OS and Windows will likley try to take over your Ubuntu drive.

The options would therefore appear to be.

1. Backup your Ubuntu. Install vista over writing Ubuntu then re-install Ubuntu

or 2. My prefered method buy a copy of boot It from here (about $40 US)

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/index.htm

This allows you you to fool the Windows system into believing that it only has one drive so it won't overwrite Ubuntu.

I have systems which can boot into 8 differnet OSes here as I need to test hardware under numerous different systems.

There is a more straightforward process.
Disconnect the Ubuntu drive and connect Windows one.
Install Windows from Windows Vista installation CD.
Check it works.
Connect Ubuntu disk and make it primary disk (then Windows will not be able to boot).
Install Ubuntu from Ubuntu CD on Ubuntu disk (should be /dev/sda by default).
At end of Ubuntu installation, the Windows disk will be detected and added to boot menu.
When you will boot from Grub (Ubuntu bootloader) to Windows, the Ubuntu disk will be hidden and Windows able to boot (and you will save $40 US).
Don't hesitate to request more help before doing anything.

To verify you don't have a recovery partition, please provide partition table ( https://answers.launchpad.net/grub/+faqs ).

Hello Delance
Please advice how to disconnect the Ubuntu drive and connect " the
windows drive"

Ubuntu is installed on SDA . SDB is empty, formated in NFTS and not mounted.
Thanks for your offer of more help!

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [Question #182021]: Reinstall windows Vista
Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:55:53 -0000
From: delance <email address hidden>
Reply-To: <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>

Your question #182021 on Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/182021

delance proposed the following answer:
There is a more straightforward process.
Disconnect the Ubuntu drive and connect Windows one.
Install Windows from Windows Vista installation CD.
Check it works.
Connect Ubuntu disk and make it primary disk (then Windows will not be able to boot).
Install Ubuntu from Ubuntu CD on Ubuntu disk (should be /dev/sda by default).
At end of Ubuntu installation, the Windows disk will be detected and added to boot menu.
When you will boot from Grub (Ubuntu bootloader) to Windows, the Ubuntu disk will be hidden and Windows able to boot (and you will save $40 US).
Don't hesitate to request more help before doing anything.

--
If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
know that it is solved:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/182021/+confirm?answer_id=4

If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
following page to enter your feedback:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/182021

You received this question notification because you asked the question.

Assuming these drives are separate real drives i.e. Mot partitions on the same drive. Having unplugged your PC from the mains carefully open your PC and unplug one of the drives. Reconnect the mains and switch the computer back on. See if Ubuntu boots and works OK. If yes then turn the computer off and reconnect the drive you disconnected previously and disconnect the other. Switch back on and the system should not boot.

The drive with Ubuntu on it is now not connected so installing windows will not affect it. You can now install Vista. Once its installed switch the computer off and reconnect both drives. Switch back on. If Vista starts then Vista was the primary drive so you need to switch off and make it a secondary drive and Ubuntu the primary. This may be a small switch on the drive but is more likely to be a link.

This solution will work but requires you to open up your PC. Alternatively you can go for the solution I suggested earlier. It cost a little but does not require you to open up your PC and will work even if the drives are not drives but partitions on the same drive. The choice is yours.

Great suggestion to physically disconnect the Ubuntu holding drive !!
Have effectively installed Vista and seems to be working fine.
Had some difficulty to get Ubuntu to boot again after reconnection. But I got it and Ubuntu works fine again.
HOW CAN I NOW START VISTA ? CAN YOU PLS EXPLAIN HOW I CAN BOOT FROM GRUB?

Delance speaks of reinstalling Ubuntu in order to detect the windows disk at boot. Does he mean reinstall over the existing Ubuntu ? What will happen to all my data, settings and so on ? Will Ubuntu recognize the previous installation and only correct so I can choose how to boot?

Many thanks so far. Great way to to support and promote Ubuntu !!

If you have SATA disks, you can probably switch disks at BIOS level.
With PATA disks, sometimes you need to switch a jumper on disks, but most of them can be set now directly from motherboard.

Sorry, you posted during I opened this thread.
You only need to reinstall Grub2 from Ubuntu CD, not whole CD : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2#Reinstalling_GRUB2
"Will Ubuntu recognize the previous installation and only correct so I can choose how to boot?" Yes.

Thanks for your prompt reaction. Highly appreciated!
I have got 2 ATA discs.
The Ubuntu 11.10 was updated from the 10.10 version. I have no CD 11.10. Can I reinstall Grub 2 from the 10.10 CD?

Disconnecting and reconnecting the discs did the trick. Vista is up and running.
I also installed GRand which gave me the window "univers of Debian " wherein you can choose which OS to start.
So far so good !
However after reconnecting both discs, I lost the Broadcom STA wireless driver. Wireless is my only internet connection.
I now try to install 10.10 next to 11.10 in order to be able to connect to the net again. In the worst case I can transfer Home files into the newly installed OS.
Should a simpler solution be available I would love to know about it.
Great this kind of help !!

Thanks delance, that solved my question.