I am currently dual-booting Windows7-LinuxMint, my windows is starting to fail (freezing and stuff) and I'm considering a reinstall.
On one partition I have windows, on the other I have Linux along with other files.
I have a couple of questions concerning this reinstall.
Since I installed Linux through the Windows installer, will removing windows affect the Linux install. I don't see why it would but I'd rather not find out the hard way.
And is there a way to reinstall windows without a CD?
PS: I know this probably doesn't go here, and I don't really need Logan to answer this question. I'm just posting it where its least likely to be ignored.
The if you install grub bootloader it might save linux, but the last time I checked (years ago) the windows linux installer created a logical volume within the windows partition. Thus killing windows will kill linux.
If you download the appropriate ISO for your version of windows, you can copy it to a USB (search google how to do it) or burn it to a CD.
Right so I've played around with this now, its a little different to how I remember it. So cast your mind back to when you installed Mint.
When you launched the installer within windows, did it request you to reboot immediately and then run from a live disk to install.
Or Did it install it all from within windows (asked for partition size and user, password blah blah blah) then restart and you could magically get into mint.
If it is the later of those 2, I have some bad news. As it alters both the windows partition and does not replace the windows boot loader with grub. When launching it effectively starts to boot into windows then switches to linux. Thus windows is required for it to work. As the partition exists within the windows partition (partition-ception) if anything happens to the windows partition, the linux one is going with it.
However if it installed like explained first. Then you will see the grub loader at boot, which allows you to choose between windows or linux (defaults to linux). Then you can go ahead and reinstall windows then just reinstall grub to bring access back to linux.
I have already gotten over losing Linux Mint. But I was thinking that I could have a backup folder in the partition where I installed Linux with the backup files.
If i format the windows partition and reinstall windows on that partition, is there any chance of losing data on the other partition? Is it a lot safer to have it saved externally (which I am trying to avoid since I currently dont have anything but a 16gb pen drive)