<div>On 9/27/07, <a href="mailto:rosemurgy@googlemail.com">rosemurgy@googlemail.com</a> <<a href="mailto:rosemurgy@googlemail.com">rosemurgy@googlemail.com </a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">A few months ago my desktop pc died and I replaced it with a cheap laptop (windows XP) and even cheaper desktop (no OS installed). I replaced the OS on the laptop with ubuntu 6.10 and it's been great. So much so that I never got around to doing anything with the desktop at all. So now I'd like to put ubuntu onto the desktop and give it to my mum. She's a complete computing novice but as I'm going to be helping her & I think she'd be better off learning to use ubuntu than windows. I'd like to also install XP 'just in case'.</blockquote><div> 'Just in case' of what? :) </div> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> I thought I'd install XP first (the online tutorials I've found seem to assume that windows is installed before creating a dual build machine - which is logical enough as so many are sold with it pre-installed) and create partions on the single hdd as follows: an ntfs partion (for XP) a system partion for ubuntu a swap partion for ubuntu a small fat32 'shared partion' in case I want to move any files between. If anyone can see a flaw with this thinking or has some other advice it would be much appreciated.</blockquote><div> No, there is no flaw in your thinking. The easiest way to set up a dual-boot is to install Windows first. If you do it the other way around, Windows will 'take over' (surprise surprise) and you will not be able to boot into Ubuntu without repairing it. Ubuntu on the other hand will detect that Windows is installed, and add it to the boot menu for you. As for the FAT32 partition, I used to use this, and it worked fine. </div> Hope this helps, Matthew. </div>