vista-->XP, keeping Suse

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hello there,

I need to refresh my system [500 Gb HD on a Samsung Laptop]. Vista was preinstalled as I decided to move to Suse 11.1. adding it in parallel. I need now to get rid of vista and put XP instead. My big concern is to keep Suse installation undamaged.

I backup /home, /boot/grub, /etc as suggested here
Upgrade Linux versions: /home - openSUSE Forums

before instaling xp, I will format sda1 and sda 2, keeping sda3 (my D drive -ntfs- also used from suse to output some results from calculations) and of course sda6&7 (Suse)

Q1: after safely installing XP on sda1, what to do in order to get a usuable dual-boot system XP+Suse ???
I have already a suitable /boot/grub/menu.lst (for the old dual boot Vista+SUse )
Will XP prevent the system to read it?

Q2: Can I use Suse installation DVD to assign more space to sda3 (D , ntfs) after installing XP?

Many THANKS!
Alex

Here are my partitions (there is also and external 1TB drive) :

linux-yqvg:/home/adz # df -Th
Filesystem    Type    Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda6     ext3     20G   14G  5.6G  71% /
udev         tmpfs    2.0G   16M  2.0G   1% /dev
/dev/sda7     ext2     72G   26G   43G  37% /home
/dev/sda2  fuseblk     59G   53G  6.1G  90% /windows/C
/dev/sda3  fuseblk    134G  110G   24G  83% /windows/D
/dev/loop0 iso9660    249M  249M     0 100% /mnt/Origin
/dev/sdb1  fuseblk    932G  489G  443G  53% /mnt/1TB
linux-yqvg:/home/adz # cd /home/adz
linux-yqvg:/home/adz # fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0201ff32

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1        1306    10485760   27  Unknown
/dev/sda2            1306        9139    62918572    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3           31038       48416   139589900    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda4   *       48417       60801    99482512+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5           48417       48678     2104483+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6           48679       51289    20972826   83  Linux
/dev/sda7           51290       60801    76405108+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/sdb: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x33bc034a

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1      121601   976760001    7  HPFS/NTFS
linux-yqvg:/home/adz #
2

Install Xp then
Just follow this:
Re-Install Grub Quickly with Parted Magic - openSUSE Forums

3

many thanks for the quick answer!

Just one doubt about the first step (Vista removal):
people here suggest to make dos cd, boot from it, R->repair, than
fixboot C:. in order to remove vista.

Q3a:is it ok or will this damage the grub?

Q3b: formatting sda1 and sda2 after booting from Parted Magic will be enough in order to proper install XP?

4

If you just format sda1 and 2 to ntfs with Parted Magic it will delete everything in those partitions.
Then boot with the XP CD
Install to either sda1 or 2
The boot flag (*) on sda4 will get shifted to sda1 and you will loose grub. But once windows is booting, use parted to switch the boot flag back to sda4, this probably will not be enough to get SUSE back, you will need to follow my guide to re-install grub.
Re-Install Grub Quickly with Parted Magic - openSUSE Forums

That’s it