Find solution
How can I copy file from Windows to Ubuntu?

How do I switch from Ubuntu to Windows?

  • I have Ubuntu 9.10 installed on my laptop and I want to install Windows, preferably Windows 7. Unfortunately, I don't have the CD drive, so I have to use my USB ports, which is pretty easy: I just need to copy the Windows 7 installation content from a DVD to my flash stick using another laptop or PC with a CD drive. But here comes the tricky part... When I try to run the installation file from a flash stick (using Wine for Ubuntu), it all starts normally, but when I choose the option from the autorun screen to install Windows 7, I get an error, can't remember what it said, but I just know I couldn't run it, that is - the installation itself couldn't be run. Also, when I choose the option to run the system from a flash stick (when the laptop is starting), the system reads the flash stick constantly without any progress, with an underline flashing on a black background. And then it restarts itself. What do you suggest? What else could I do to install Windows 7 or any other Windows on Ubuntu?

  • Answer:

    You won't be able to install an operating system from within another operating system. You will need to reboot your computer, set your boot order so that it boots from the flash drive first, then plug in the flash drive and reboot again. Assuming the flash drive has the same info on it as the Windows 7 installation CD, it should boot up into the Windows installation program, and from there you will be able to install Windows. But the easiest option would probably be to get a cheap external CD drive and set the boot order as above.

Boris Jakovljević at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

You could buy an external cd/dvd drive, wallyworld has them for less than $50. If your laptop is a netbook most Windows 7 packages will run very slowly, the "Starter" package will be your best bet. Windows XP, on the other hand, will perform rather well.

"When I try to run the installation file from a flash stick (using Wine for Ubuntu)" That's your error. You have to boot from the installation medium - the flash stick in your case. If it's not bootable, you didn't create it properly. (Just copying the files from the DVD to the flash stick won't do it.) Connect a USB DVD drive. Set the BIOS to boot from the USB drive before it boots from the hard drive. Put the Windows DVD in the drive and restart the computer. Make sure, first, that you can get Windows 7 drivers for that computer. If you can't, you can't run Windows 7 on it. (Look on the computer manufacturer's site for the drivers. If they're not there, they don't exist.)

NO. you can't install windows7 directly from a flash drive. Instead of copying the contents of the DVD to flash drive copy them to harddisk create a folder or create a small partition and copy the files from the DVD and them start the installation it should work.

What laptop do you have? If it is a netbook, then it's probably not going to be able to handle dual booting for two different operating systems. You'll need about 25 GB just to install both operating systems. If your hard drive is under 80GB, then don't try to use both operating systems. FIRST, go to the upgrade center and see if the laptop can use Windows 7. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx You need to enter the BIOS of your computer during startup and change the boot order to boot from the USB hub first. Then plug in your stick containing your Windows Operating System (not an upgrade, mind you) and restart the computer and follow the directions. It will erase everything on your hard drive. So backup any files you need to keep.

You can't install Windows within Ubuntu, it's not just like a program. You have to install it side by side with Ubuntu on the disk. They're both operating systems and therefore can't be run within each other without something like a virtual machine. A virtual machine will allow you to run an OS within another seamlessly. A program for this is Virtualbox or Vmware. The problem with installing Windows along side Ubuntu, is often that Windows will overwrite the bootloader for Ubuntu and you'll have to rescue grub after that (it can be fixed pretty easily with a live cd).

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.