Multiple operating systems, one computer, no VM. How!

[Legolessed]

I'm going away for a few days and all I have is my laptop but my laptop runs Linux, cause I like it, and some of the things I run on desktop require windows to run when I use them ony laptop. I've tried wine but wine is missing some of the core windows frameworks that some applications require to run. I have a Windows XP or Vista key and was wondering if there was a way to install windows on my computer in a way that would allow me to boot into either windows or Linux. The reason I don't want a VM is because I want to be able to have the full performance potential of the laptop in Windows because a couple of said applications are games. Is there a way to do this? Also if there is a way to get windows 7,8, or 10 for free with a Windows XP or Windows Vista key then I am all ears. Thanks for the help!

[fjdhdhcyfhf]

windows xp and vista are not going to be available. there is not going to be a free legal way to do what you are asking. what you can do is install windows 10 and leave it unactivated. it will work 100% but will have a water mark on the screen. google "microsoft.com windows 10 iso" to get the installation media direct from MS

[vanished]

Yes, it's called dual booting but please for the love of god don't run Vista or XP... Windows XP is older today than Windows 2.0 was when XP released.

[Electronics Wizardy]

You can dual boot.

 

Basically install windows, then install windows.

 

You need a new key, or can just run windows unactivated. THose old keys are useless.

[dalekphalm]

5 minutes ago, Legolessed said:

I'm going away for a few days and all I have is my laptop but my laptop runs Linux, cause I like it, and some of the things I run on desktop require windows to run when I use them ony laptop. I've tried wine but wine is missing some of the core windows frameworks that some applications require to run. I have a Windows XP or Vista key and was wondering if there was a way to install windows on my computer in a way that would allow me to boot into either windows or Linux. The reason I don't want a VM is because I want to be able to have the full performance potential of the laptop in Windows because a couple of said applications are games. Is there a way to do this? Also if there is a way to get windows 7,8, or 10 for free with a Windows XP or Windows Vista key then I am all ears. Thanks for the help!

What you're looking for, is referring to as "Dual Booting". Here's a random guide I pulled off the web:

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_linux_is_already_installed.htm/

 

You may wish to find a guide more specific to what version of Linux you're already running, plus whether you'd prefer XP or Vista (The guide is for Linux + Vista, with Linux already installed). There's a separate guide by the same website for the reverse process (Linux + Vista, with Vista already installed).

 

And no. There is no way to get Windows 7, 8/8.1, or 10 for free using an XP or Vista key. You could of course pirate any version of Windows you want, but I personally never pirate my OS. Windows is quite useful, and worth the price of the valid key purchased from an authorized reseller. Linux is of course free for those who don't want to pay for Windows.

[VolkA]

9 minutes ago, Legolessed said:

I'm going away for a few days and all I have is my laptop but my laptop runs Linux, cause I like it, and some of the things I run on desktop require windows to run when I use them ony laptop. I've tried wine but wine is missing some of the core windows frameworks that some applications require to run. I have a Windows XP or Vista key and was wondering if there was a way to install windows on my computer in a way that would allow me to boot into either windows or Linux. The reason I don't want a VM is because I want to be able to have the full performance potential of the laptop in Windows because a couple of said applications are games. Is there a way to do this? Also if there is a way to get windows 7,8, or 10 for free with a Windows XP or Windows Vista key then I am all ears. Thanks for the help!

I think you can create partition then install both OS in it.

[Legolessed]

2 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

What you're looking for, is referring to as "Dual Booting". Here's a random guide I pulled off the web:

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dualboot_vista_with_linux_linux_is_already_installed.htm/

 

You may wish to find a guide more specific to what version of Linux you're already running, plus whether you'd prefer XP or Vista (The guide is for Linux + Vista, with Linux already installed). There's a separate guide by the same website for the reverse process (Linux + Vista, with Vista already installed).

 

And no. There is no way to get Windows 7, 8/8.1, or 10 for free using an XP or Vista key. You could of course pirate any version of Windows you want, but I personally never pirate my OS. Windows is quite useful, and worth the price of the valid key purchased from an authorized reseller. Linux is of course free for those who don't want to pay for Windows.

Do windows 7 and windows vista share most of the same. Add framework. I think it's called a kernel? 

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, Legolessed said:

Do windows 7 and windows vista share most of the same. Add framework. I think it's called a kernel? 

don't run vista. 

 

different kernel.

 

Run windows 10 unactivated, all you get is a watermark and you can't change the desktop pic.

[Legolessed]

3 minutes ago, VolkA said:

I think you can create partition then install both OS in it.

I could just create a new partition in fat format and write a Windows ISO file to it?

[Legolessed]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

don't run vista. 

 

different kernel.

 

Run windows 10 unactivated, all you get is a watermark and you can't change the desktop pic.

But doesn't it deactivate after 30 days?

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, Legolessed said:

But doesn't it deactivate after 30 days?

you can still use it, you just have those limitions. It will work fine.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Legolessed said:

I could just create a new partition in fat format and write a Windows ISO file to it?

You need to perform an installation not "write" iso

[VolkA]

1 minute ago, Legolessed said:

I could just create a new partition in fat format and write a Windows ISO file to it?

Install your Windows ISO to the new partition then every time when you boot up your laptop, you will have to select which OS you wanna boot into. At least that was what I did way back in the past.

[Legolessed]

2 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

you can still use it, you just have those limitions. It will work fine.

It will work fine forever?

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, Legolessed said:

It will work fine forever?

yep

[Legolessed]

1 minute ago, VolkA said:

Install your Windows ISO to the new partition then every time when you boot up your laptop, you will have to select which OS you wanna boot into. At least that was what I did way back in the past.

I know this sounds dumb but when I make the new partition, should I make it fat32 or some other format?

[fjdhdhcyfhf]

3 minutes ago, Legolessed said:

I could just create a new partition in fat format and write a Windows ISO file to it?

do this:

download windows 10

Turn off secure boot and fast boot in BIOS

install it but manually change the partition size to leave space for linux

install linux in spare space.

 

 

[dalekphalm]

3 minutes ago, Legolessed said:

Do windows 7 and windows vista share most of the same. Add framework. I think it's called a kernel? 

They run branches of the same base kernal: Windows NT 6.x

 

However, Windows 7 is a newer version of the kernel. There are core differences, but there's a bigger difference between XP and Vista then Vista and 7.

 

As others are saying though, both XP and Vista are quite ancient. I wouldn't be comfortable running either, unless in an offline only environment. XP has been out of support for quite some time now, and as such, receives no security patches. Windows Vista is still in Extended Support, so it does get basic security patches, but that support ends in April 2017, so you'd only have a few months worth of support.

 

If you're just using Windows for a short term period, I'd simply download the Windows 10 trial (Or just not activate it for a while). But if you plan to permanently dual boot Windows + Linux, I'd go ahead and buy a Windows 10 key from an authorized reseller.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Legolessed said:

I know this sounds dumb but when I make the new partition, should I make it fat32 or some other format?

Create a new partition during Windows installation as it works best that way

[dalekphalm]

3 minutes ago, Legolessed said:

I know this sounds dumb but when I make the new partition, should I make it fat32 or some other format?

If you're planning on Installing Windows 10, you won't really have a choice but to format in NTFS.

 

When prepping your laptop, don't bother formatting the new partition. Just shrink your existing Linux Partition, leaving enough unpartitioned space to allow for Windows 10 (However much space you want to give it - I'd recommend 100GB minimum, if you're planning on installing programs and keeping files/documents on the Windows Partition, but you can go smaller if need be).

 

When you run the Windows 10 installer, it will partition and format the free space for you. Here's another guide as example:

http://www.linuxdeveloper.space/install-windows-after-linux/

[dalekphalm]

5 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

do this:

download windows 10

Turn off secure boot and fast boot in BIOS

install it but manually change the partition size to leave space for linux

install linux in spare space.

 

 

He already has Linux installed - presumably, he doesn't want to blow it away (and he shouldn't necessarily have to anyway).

[Droidbot]

download win10 insider. builds are pre activated as a gift from ms but idk about upgrading on a dboot setup

 

Install Windows, then install Linux. ezpz dualboot

[fjdhdhcyfhf]

1 minute ago, dalekphalm said:

He already has Linux installed - presumably, he doesn't want to blow it away (and he shouldn't necessarily have to anyway).

then resize linux partition. install windows. go through the trouble of reconfiguring grub using a linux live cd

[dalekphalm]

1 minute ago, SCHISCHKA said:

then resize linux partition. install windows. go through the trouble of reconfiguring grub using a linux live cd

Indeed, I already linked him a how-to guide (actually, several, since my first post way above had a different, older guide for Vista).

 

Blowing away the entire HDD and installing Windows first is likely easier, but I don't know how committed the OP is to his existing Linux install.

[Legolessed]

I have a slight problem. In hparted in Linux mint it won't let me alter the size.of my.main partition. I think because I'm using it to run Linux mint. I left no spare room for other partitions so I can't make a new partition because my main partition is taking up the whole disk. If I just put the Windows ISO on a USB drive will it let me realize the partition and let me install windows on that separate partition so I don't lose me Linux partition?

29 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

If you're planning on Installing Windows 10, you won't really have a choice but to format in NTFS.

 

When prepping your laptop, don't bother formatting the new partition. Just shrink your existing Linux Partition, leaving enough unpartitioned space to allow for Windows 10 (However much space you want to give it - I'd recommend 100GB minimum, if you're planning on installing programs and keeping files/documents on the Windows Partition, but you can go smaller if need be).

 

When you run the Windows 10 installer, it will partition and format the free space for you. Here's another guide as example:

http://www.linuxdeveloper.space/install-windows-after-linux/

 

28 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

He already has Linux installed - presumably, he doesn't want to blow it away (and he shouldn't necessarily have to anyway).

 

26 minutes ago, SCHISCHKA said:

then resize linux partition. install windows. go through the trouble of reconfiguring grub using a linux live cd