Installing Windows alongside of Linux

ICEyun · #1 September 11th, 2006, 06:44 AM

I have a desktop computer with simplyMEPIS Linux on it. I want to install Windows XP Home Edition on it, but whenever I try to execute the setup.exe file, it asks me what program I want to open it with, and then I have no idea what to do!

My desktop computer is:

512MB RAM
1.30 gHz

That's about as much as I know... ^^;

**kage** · #2 September 11th, 2006, 08:18 AM

When you install Windows, you don't run the setup.exe from within an operating system, you boot the computer from the installation cd.

Also, since you want to run Windows alongside of Linux, is your drive partitioned with the free space required to install Windows? If not, you might try using gparted to resize your Linux partition, making room for the Windows install.

sheldondsouza · #3 September 11th, 2006, 11:59 AM

binarybloke · #4 September 26th, 2006, 05:56 PM

When I tried this I used an app called "Partition magic" included was "Bootmagic" (it was a while ago, I gave up on linux ) so the disk was partitioned, on boot up a menu would appear and give the user a choice of os to boot, in fact I used it the other day to partition a disk for win 2k installs. Anyway I bought that some time ago, its useful if you can get hold of it.

jmtjet · #5 September 29th, 2006, 02:08 PM

If you want a dual boot setup it's necessary to install Windows first then Linux. If you try to install Windows after Linux, Windows will over write the MBR and you will not be able to boot into Linux. Windows does not play nice with Linux anymore.