Installation overwrote windows installation too easily

[Derek Broughton]

Karl Larsen wrote:

> Ashley Benton wrote:
>>
>> Effectively I didn't know anything when I came from Windows but it is
>> very difficult to delete Windows by accident with the live cd. If you say
>> write to the entire hard drive and read the answer it tells you that
>> everything will be deleted. If you use only part of the hard drive you
>> can't leave less than the minimum space for Windows.
>> If you look at the opposite and have to reinstall Windows it doesn't
>> leave you a choice completely delete everything. You don't have the
>> option of leaving Ubuntu on the partition (at least not when you don't
>> use a partitioner to reinstall, and that I still don't know how to do),.
>> My point is if you get a virus in your windows partition and reinstall
>> from the Windows cd Ubuntu will be removed without other visible option
>> but if you have a problem with Ubuntu usually Windows is safe as long as
>> you read before to press OK.
>>   
>     In the usual case the LiveCD of Ubuntu Hardy you do muddle through
> and get a dual boot of Windows and Ubuntu. Both work fine and you are
> happy.
> 
>     If you have to re-load Windows it is difficult because Windows
> writes it's boot loader over the Grub one.

But it _only_ overwrites the boot sector.  In fact it _won't_ interfere with
your actual partition.  This is a bit different from my memory of
installing Ubuntu, where it won't automatically just use an existing Ubuntu
partition - and that's not really surprising.  Windows simply assumes that
any partition that isn't FAT or NTFS can't really exist, and it ignores it,
and overwrites the first partition that it can.  Linux has to assume that
all partitions are really valid, because it's not unusual for us to
actually install multiple copies of the _same_ system.

> But by then, if your curious, 
> you have learned how Grub works and you can cover the Window loader with
> the Grub and your back in business.

Exactly.
-- 
derek