How to dual-boot Fedora 14 and Windows 7 FEDORA Part 4

When in the Add New Entry tab, click on the Linux tab as shown. The two entries that we need to tweak here are in the Type and Device dropdown menus. Since Fedora 14 uses GRUB Legacy as the boot loader, select that in the Type menu. Then select the partition you installed GRUB into from the Device menu. In this example, GRUB (Legacy) was installed on the third primary partition, /dev/sda3, which is the /boot partition of the Fedora installation. With those completed, click on Add Entry, then on the Edit Menu tab to see what the new Windows boot menu looks like.

Adding an entry

These are the entries after adding Fedora to the boot menu. Notice that Windows 7 is the default and on every reboot, the computer will boot into Windows 7 after 30 seconds has elapsed. You may want to change the Linux entry from NeoSmart Linux to Fedora 14. To do so, highlight it and click Rename.

Windows 7 default bootloader

This is the edited boot menu, with NeoSmart Linux changed to Fedora 14, and Fedora 14 set as the default. The default boot time is 30 seconds. You may change that to a value that suits you. “Skip the boot menu” is one option you want to keep disabled. Click Save Settings and reboot the computer.

Edited bootloader

Now every time the computer is rebooted, the Windows Boot Manager’s menu will offer the option to boot Fedora 14 or Windows 7. You may now boot into Fedora 14 and complete the second stage of the installation process.

Windows bootloader options

Note that while this method of dual-booting Windows and a Linux distribution solves one problem, I think it creates another one. And that problem, for me at least, is that there is no option to password-protect the Windows 7 Boot Manager. It is a trade of, but one I will never have to make, because I do not use Windows.

Resources: Download a Fedora 14 installation image from here, and EasyBCD from here.