Windows - Add MS Windows to Your System76 Machine
From Knowledge76
So a Virtualized Windows just won't cut it?
This is an advanced tutorial, and should only be attempted at your own risk. If you need to use Windows on your System76 machine, it is recommended to Virtualize Windows instead.
IMPORTANT!!
This process can result in DATA LOSS. Make sure to backup your Home directory before proceeding.
Also, these iinstructions are fairly specific to System76 machines. The basics can be applied to any Ubuntu computer, but you almost certainly will need to modify them slightly to get them to work for you.
Re-size Your Partition
First we need to make space for Windows. We will use the latest Ubuntu installation CD to do this. Download the Desktop Installation CD here. Make sure to get the same edition (32-bit or 64-bit) as what came on your computer originally.
Burn the .iso Image to Disk
Insert a blank CD-ROM. When prompted if you want to create a data or audio CD just click Ignore
Browse to the folder where you saved the .iso file, right-click on it and select Write to Disc...
Click Write and wait as the disc is written
Boot from the Ubuntu Live Disk
Insert your new Ubuntu disk into your computer and shutdown
When the machine starts to boot press either escape or F11
Choose CD/DVD as your boot device
Choose Start or Install Ubuntu from the Ubuntu Install Disk Menu
Resize Your Ubuntu Partition
Start gparted to resize your existing Ubuntu partition
Open System > Administration > Gnome Partition Editor
Click on the partition you want to resize (For this laptop it is /dev/hda1)
Click Resize/Move in the toolbar
Change the Free Space Following: to the size of Windows partition you want. For example I will allocate 20 GB to Windows.
Click Resize
Click Apply
Resizing the partition will take a few minutes. Once complete shutdown the computer. Ubuntu will eject the disk. Insert your Windows installation disk and boot from it.
Install Windows
Insert your Windows installer CD and, when prompted, press a key to boot from the DVD. Run through the installation normally.
Reinstall GRUB Bootloader and MBR (Master Boot Record) for Ubuntu 9.10 and Later
Insert the Ubuntu Install Disk you burned earlier, then boot to it. Open a terminal and run the following commands:
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt sudo mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc sudo cp /etc/resolv.conf /mnt/etc/resolv.conf sudo chroot /mnt grub-install /dev/sda
After this, reboot your computer, removing the disk when prompted, and Ubuntu should boot.
Now, there is only one step left to getting your dual-boot set up. Once Ubuntu boots, log in and open a terminal. Run the following command:
sudo update-grub2
And Windows should be added to your boot menu. To access it during system boot, hold the shift key down.
Reinstall GRUB Bootloader and MBR (Master Boot Record) for Ubuntu 9.04 and Earlier
Pop in that Ubuntu Desktop Install Disk and Boot to it again.
Open a Terminal - Applications > Accessories > Terminal (One command per line)
sudo grub root (hd0,0) setup (hd0) quit
Reboot - Grub will now allow you to boot into Ubuntu but not Windows - One more step. Boot into Ubuntu.
sudo gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst
Add the following lines to the bottom of the file
title Windows root (hd0,1) chainloader +1
Reboot and you're all done! Press escape when you see GRUB to boot into your Windows partition.
