Dual Booting Issue

[Jon_boy1984]

Hi Everyone,

 

I've just got my new work laptop, which I'm trying to dual boot Win 7x64 and a Linux Distro called Backtrack 4 (I'm think of testing the security of some of my networks). Now before everyone says use VM or VPC, I need the Linux distro to have access to the hardware (Primarily the LAN and WLAN devices).

 

I've managed to arrange my partitions how I want them, Win 7 100mb + 75Gb (Not sure why win 7 has start creating this 100mb drive, pain in the rear it is, caused me to have a logical drive!), Linux ext3 15Gb, Linux Swap 8Gb, 200GB Data drive. (I had to use windows in the end to do this, as I couldn't remember my linux shell comands, and the linux gui for this in backtrack wasn't the best.

 

I've also installed backtrack onto this 15Gb partition, and installed the linux grub boot loader onto this as well.

 

I want to use the Windows boot loader, not Grub (Don't ask why, I don't want to start a debate on which is better, I have my reasons and I want to use the Windows Boot Loader), I am currently using the windows loader, I have some software to edit the win 7 loader, but I cant seem to get it to see the linux boot file.

 

Does anyone know how to setup a Windows Vista/7 Boot loader to boot a Linux distro? I think there may be something missing from my linux installation, which is why it cant boot.

 

As you can probably tell I'm a windows person, but I want to start using linux more and the only way I'm going to do this is if I've got a linux distro installed. I don't mind having to reinstall Linux, but I'd rather not have to reinstall Windows.

 

Thanks for any help in advance.

[Jon_boy1984]

Edited March 24, 2010 by Jon_boy1984

[jamesb]

Have a look for something called Easy BCD, it may help.

[Domino]

How To: Add Linux to the Vista Bootloader no good?

 

or this .. How to dual-boot Vista with Linux (Vista installed first) -- the step-by-step guide with screenshots

[Jon_boy1984]

Thanks for your help guys.

 

@Jamesb:I had Easy BCD (Couldnt remember the name of it in my original post ) but after looking at their forums I found that they had a Version 2 in Beta.

 

@Domino: I had googled and found those articles, but they were not working for me, turns out that the Easy BCD, (Current Stable Version) mention in those articles doesnt offer Grub 2 support which is what I was evidently lacking.

 

Quite happily booting into both operating systems now. All I've got to do now is tweak the Linux Distro to recognise my Wireless Card and I'll be well away.

 

Cheers Guys!

[jamesb]

Thanks - I should be getting my new laptop in a few weeks and you've saved me from going through the hunting process myself.