Windows XP Dual-Boot

[millenium_dare]

Hi,

I recently downloaded Fedora Core 4 (Linux) and I wanted to use it since I heard it was alot more safe. I'm not really used to it yet and I still do have to game on Windows XP. What I want to know is, how do I do A dual boot with Windows XP and Fedora Linux.

[kage]

Before doing anything, I would suggest that you back up anything on your windows partition that you don't want lost.

The easiest way is to install a second slave hard drive, and install linux on this drive. Doing it this way is quicker, as you don't have to partition your windows hard drive, and a little bit on the safer side (harder to accidentally delete your windows partition).

The more economical way is to partition your current hard drive so that instead of having just C:, it will have C:, the linux / partition, and a linux swap partition. (in the linux setup, it will look something like /dev/hda1, /dev/hda2, and /dev/hda3). Doing it this way will most likely mean you have to resize your current windows partition (as it probably fills the entire disk). The best way to do this is using a utility like Partition Magic, partition manager, or partition logic.

http://www.soft32.com/download_151.html
http://www.partition-manager.com/comparison.htm
http://partitionlogic.org.uk/

Once you have free space on your hard drive (at least 10 gigs) then you can boot the fedora disk and start the installation. It will ask how you want to partition for your new linux system, choose to automatically partition the free space (this will create the linux partitions needed out of the free space, and leave your windows drive untouched). Everything following that in the setup should be pretty straight forward.

Hope this helps.

-kage

[millenium_dare]

Thank You so much kage, I try that at once.

-David