TKC (The Killing Committee) Forum

Hey, I have a computer which is only used for school and can not run games. It is a HP Probook 6450b with the lowest configurations possible. I want to use Ubuntu instead of Windows, but I wan to keep all my data and have the possibillity to run Windows if I want to. I will be getting a new HDD to install linux on, and just take out the one with windows. If I install Linux on the other one, will I be able to run Windows again just by switching HDDs?

Help appreciated.
Foffkillz

I think yes, it will run what ever is on the drive you provide it with. If you have two drives hooked up you just have to select what drive you want the computer to boot to. On mine I push the F8 key immediately after bios loads and the drive select window appears. You can also just go into the bios and select what ever boot sequence you prefer but that is fixed until you go back in and change it back. Hope that helps.

if you take out the windwos hdd before installing linux then each disk will have its own bootloader and the bios will just boot whatever hdd is designated in the bios (or first sata channel etc)... you can "dual boot" linux on the second hdd without removing the first, however... during the setup process it should recognize that windows is installed on the other drive and will replace the boot loader with grub (the linux bootloader).. from then on when you power up you will get a boot screen to choose which OS you want to load that looks something like this:


alternatively, if you're just looking to 'try out' ubuntu you can always just boot from a "live cd" or even a "live usb" drive without affecting your windows install.

OR you could use VirtualBox to run ubuntu in a virtual environment within windows and thus not affecting your windows install/bootloader etc. either, even without needing a second hdd.

hth!

Ok, thanks Thrilla, Only one disk will be used at the time because it is only one slot. I was wondering about the bootloaders, cuz I have tried installing Ubuntu on my computer before, and its bootloader has messed up stuff so I couldnt boot Windows... So you are saying that the bootloader is located on the HDD?
If so, are there any possibility that I might mess up my computer?

actually to install linux on the same HDD is simple while in windows put the Ubuntu disk in and go through the guided setup and tell it to use the same HD or different hd it makes the partition and then you reboot into the Ubuntu setup and it install in that partition. GRUB is extremely simple to customize as well

I installed OpenSUSE on my laptop just by partitioning my existing HDD down from 320GB to 150GB and installing it in the remaining space. When I boot it asks me if I want to boot into OpenSUSE or Windows. Pretty simple stuff

ya, bootloader takes up first sector of a hdd, which makes that particular disk bootable.
if you physically pull out the windows drive and install linux on a new hdd and are gonna physically swap the drives back and forth, then there isnt any risk of messing up your windows install. the bios will just boot whatever is on which disk you currently have in that first slot.

Viper is right that if you go through the ubuntu install wizard you can pretty easily dual boot linux/windows on one disk nowadays. So is booting linux from a usb disk now that prettymuch any modern bios supports booting from usb devices.

If i was you Foffkillz i would go with what killa said.

Im a fan of OpenSuSE too, Ive never used Ubuntu, but Crimson is right, its very simple.

I have too, and I am very happy with that. No errors or things gone wrong so far

I really appreciate you guys helping me. Thanks ALOT everyone :D

no problem dood