Ubuntu : blank screen while boooting from Windows XP CD

Question

I have ubuntu installed.

This is the output of

$sudo fdisk -l /dev/sda
**Disk /dev/sda: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x143b143a
   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1        3263    26210016    5  Extended
/dev/sda2            3264       12327    72806580   83  Linux
/dev/sda3   *       12328       17712    43255012+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4           17713       19457    14016712+  83  Linux
/dev/sda5            2778        3263     3903763+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6            1021        1319     2401686   83  Linux
/dev/sda7            1320        2777    11711353+  83  Linux
Partition table entries are not in disk order**

I want to install WinXP

I get a bank screen when I try to install XP by booting from CD.

I don't want to loose any Linux partitions.

I would prefer installing windows on existing NTFS partition.

What partitions do I have ?

Answer 1

I partly agree with pavium. Windows will not overwrite the linux partition till you tell it to do so. But it will remove entries for the boot menu. So once you install Windows over Linux, you will not be able to boot to Linux. The only way is to re install GRUB.

Also Windows XP SP2 does not have drivers for SATA Disk Drives by default. So if you boot your PC with XP, it may not detect your Disk Drive. Is that the issue?

Answer 2

The WinXP install will not overwrite the Linux partitions till you give it permission to either use the entire disk, or to specifically repartition/reformat it. You should be able to install XP on the NTFS partition; the guide here has a couple of screenshots showing the XP option to install to a specific partition.

The XP install will however wipe out your GRUB bootloader, so you won't be able to boot into linux till you restore it. Follow the Ubuntu Community Documentation guide on Recovering Ubuntu After Installing Windows to do this. It is a good idea to read the guide before you embark on the XP install, so you know what you're getting into.

Answer 3

I don't think you'll be happy with the consequences of installing Windows after Linux.

I may be wrong, because I haven't dual-booted for some time, but I expect Windows will ignore the Linux partitions and overwrite them.

It's safer to install Linux after Windows, so the Linux installer can say "look, you've got some other partitions here — do you want to dual-boot?"