Thread: Installing Windows 8 over a dual boot PC (W7 and Ubuntu)

I am not sure how the Windows 8 installer will interact with GRUB. I would guess it will overwrite the MBR and load the Windows 8 boot system. If your hard drive has a Windows System Partition marked as active, it should go ahead and install, but I can't guarantee that.

If you wanted, you might use the Bootsect.exe command to change the MBR back to Windows 7 so you system would boot directly to Windows. That would loose your Ubuntu boot, of course, but it would no longer require any Ubuntu involvement. You could then set up the drive the way you want, and make an image of that, in case something goes wrong. Then, you could always re-image your Windows 7 install.

Any chance of booting into Windows and using the snipping tool to take a picture of your Disk Management window. Attach using the paperclip on advanced replies.

Originally Posted by Saltgrass

I am not sure how the Windows 8 installer will interact with GRUB. I would guess it will overwrite the MBR and load the Windows 8 boot system. If your hard drive has a Windows System Partition marked as active, it should go ahead and install, but I can't guarantee that.

If you wanted, you might use the Bootsect.exe command to change the MBR back to Windows 7 so you system would boot directly to Windows. That would loose your Ubuntu boot, of course, but it would no longer require any Ubuntu involvement. You could then set up the drive the way you want, and make an image of that, in case something goes wrong. Then, you could always re-image your Windows 7 install.

Any chance of booting into Windows and using the snipping tool to take a picture of your Disk Management window. Attach using the paperclip on advanced replies.

Thanks! This makes sense. But how command should I use for change MBR back for Windows 7? I tried Bootsect today earlier, but i had an "Access denied" message... I must have done something wrong.

I just went through the process by installing Windows 7, then Ubuntu along side Windows 7 so the Grub loader was used to select the OS. I then installed Windows 8, and after deleting the Linux partitions, and recreating the partition for Windows 8, it installed normally and boots to a menu with either Windows 7 or Windows 8.

Note: I am not using the Windows 8 released version, which I understand is an upgrade. Someone that actually has the Windows 8 Pro Upgrade will have to comment on whether the upgrade will allow you to keep the Windows 7 install, or if it will be sacrificed for Windows 8.

The other problem is that to use the Upgrade Download, you must replace the qualifying OS. Linux is NOT a qualifying OS, Win 7 is. You will most likely either use the upgrade media to replace your Win 7 OS, or delete the Linux junk ahead of time and fix the Win 7 MBR, or purchase the more expensive Win 8 Pro full install, OEM version to replace Linux and keep Win 7.

Edit: you made you last post while I was typing, but my post should answer your question.