I want to get Ubuntu, but I have some things on my Win7 that can't be replaced or saved in another place. They aren't vital, but I just don't wanna lose them just yet (just a couple programs I don't have the CDs to).

Is there any way to get Linux working without changing my windows at all? I have an external drive, but it also has TONS of music/video that I don't have any space for elsewhere.

I'd leave the Windows 7 partition alone, and just boot off a Live CD... or use a separate Drive.
You know what happens, you set EVERYTHING up wthe way you want it 9two Parts, Dual boot, sweet x2)

thenm a Windows update blows everything up. Or the HDD fails. Or you turn into a zucchini.(HATE when that happens)


or maybe I'd buy another External (networked or RAID or whatever) and keep that data separate from the OSes...

Why don't you just set up virtual machines?

http://download.cnet.com/VM...784.html?tag=mncol;3

[This message has been edited by Doug85GT (edited 04-14-2011).]

quote Originally posted by theBDub: I want to get Ubuntu, but I have some things on my Win7 that can't be replaced or saved in another place. They aren't vital, but I just don't wanna lose them just yet (just a couple programs I don't have the CDs to). Is there any way to get Linux working without changing my windows at all? I have an external drive, but it also has TONS of music/video that I don't have any space for elsewhere.

Any modern distribution has a partition editor that will shrink your windows partition to make space, if you have the room that is.

[This message has been edited by Nurb432 (edited 04-14-2011).]

With Ubuntu use "Virtual CD" as mentioned above, its Ubuntu without installation on the HD at all.

quote Originally posted by htexans1: With Ubuntu use "Virtual CD" as mentioned above, its Ubuntu without installation on the HD at all.

And slow as the creeping crud.

quote Originally posted by Nurb432: And slow as the creeping crud.

My bad, I forgot to mention that. LOL!!

Install it on a USB drive
http://www.tuxradar.com/con...inux-usb-flash-drive

Sure its not going to be as fast as your hard drive but it will be a lot faster than a CD.

Ubuntu has a partition manager built into the installer that can adjust your partitions without destroying windows. I installed Ubuntu alongside a Vista installation, and it resized the partitions no problem. The next time I booted vista it ran a disk scan of some sort and everything adjusted fine.

I did however, have to manually install and configure the Grub bootloader, for some reason the installer failed to do so.

Okay.

Linux is awesome.

quote Originally posted by Doug85GT: Why don't you just set up virtual machines? http://download.cnet.com/VM...784.html?tag=mncol;3

I second the VM idea.. but if you can't afford VM Ware.. take a look at Virtual Box..

http://www.virtualbox.org

quote VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2. See "About VirtualBox" for an introduction. Presently, VirtualBox runs on Windows, Linux, Macintosh, and Solaris hosts and supports a large number of guest operating systems including but not limited to Windows (NT 4.0, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Windows 7), DOS/Windows 3.x, Linux (2.4 and 2.6), Solaris and OpenSolaris, OS/2, and OpenBSD. VirtualBox is being actively developed with frequent releases and has an ever growing list of features, supported guest operating systems and platforms it runs on. VirtualBox is a community effort backed by a dedicated company: everyone is encouraged to contribute while Oracle ensures the product always meets professional quality criteria.

If you are a student and/or have a .edu email address, you can download MS Virtual Machine (along with a lot more other stuff) for free:

https://www.dreamspark.com/default.aspx

I just put it on my hard drive. CD was too slow for me... VM would have been too slow so I didn't even try it. I tried my external but I didn't want to download the portable version because I'd already downloaded the desktop version and... well I'm lazy.

It's SO fast. I mean I have Win7 on here as well and that's fast. Really fast... but this is awesome. The internet especially is just BOOM there.

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I'm young, impulsive, and naïve; but I'm learning.

‎"Of all the illusions that beset mankind none is quite so curious as that tendency to suppose that we are mentally and morally superior to those who differ from us in opinion."
- Elbert Hubbard