Windows Update doesn't like my Linux-Windows dual-boot system

After reading this article, I sat back and realised how lucky I am to be in a position where I do NOT normally need Windows of any description on any computer in my home. The one example remaining is on a separate HDD with only WinXP on it, it is only activated perhaps once or twice a year and it never goes onto the internet. Runs quite well actually.

Part of the problem I believe, is Microsoft's remaining determination to NOT play nicely in dual boot situations, because of Redmond's underlying assumption that only Microsoft software exists in the PC universe......or at least where the primary OS is concerned.

I wonder if Redmond will ever acknowledge that Linux IS on the desktop and facilitate dual booting ? Can't see it myself until a lot more "Windows arrogance" is discarded.

"Underlying assumption"? Not quite the expression I would use...

"Underlying presumption"? Hmmm... that is slightly better -- but still doesn't quite convey the not-so-hidden agenda...

How about "underlying contrivance"? It might strike some as a bit awkward, or at least novel -- but much closer to the real truth.

Can somebody suggest something even more suited to the case?

Can somebody suggest something even more suited to the case?

Let's give arrogance a shot.

You can do a good dual-boot as long a Windows is already installed, is defragged as much as it can be and then had the HD partitioned so it thinks it has the whole HD to itself and is oblivious to the Linux install in the other part of the HD..

That's all you have to do..in theory that is..;-)

This is my first Windows-Linux dual-boot. The update mechanism for Windows wasn't without pain until now, but this is really too much.

You probably have a partition mapped to /boot or root that has GRUB on it and has the boot flag marked. It might work if you run parted (or whatever your fav partition editor is) and unmark that partition and mark just the Windows partition as bootable. Run the update and then go back and mark the partitions as they were. Not authoritative, just a guess on my part, good luck!

I've gotten this suggestion a few times. Thanks. I will probably try it at some point. For now I'll just continue to avoid Windows. This is a good excuse to strip it down a bit. I had my full development/production environment set up in there (such as it is), but I really don't need that outside of Debian.

My son runs Windows7 and Ubuntu10 on his Toshiba laptop........he has found that the most sure fire way to be certain that he can run either system successfully is to purchase two separate hdd's......He runs Windows 7 on one of them, and Ubuntu10 on the other.......never misses a beat and swaps them over as he needs.......It's also how I have always operated with my infrequent usage of Windows......Keep the "rotten, lousy, schtinken Window system" totally separate from anything else and treat it like a highly infectious disease.......With that always kept firmly in mind, I find my infrequent journeys into the Redmond morass usually are successful.......But I never, NEVER enjoy touching a computer with Windows on it......there is just too much that can go wrong, go wrong, go wrong....and what you do one day on a Windows machine, will often not work the next. Curious.

I don't have any problems with the dual boots on my laptop and media/gaming boxes. The partition with the windows boot files is the one marked active. Grub handles booting of course. The main thing I've found is that Win7's boot partition MUST be a primary partition. The main system partition can be logical though.

I'm sorely tempted to kill off auto updates though..I just haven't bothered yet. I have noticed a time or two when I left the media/gaming box up in Windows overnight and woke up to it back in Linux in the morning due to those wonderful forced reboots for updates.....(not that I minded being back in Linux of course, but forced auto-rebooting is still a massive fail).

Toggling the bootable flag on your linux partitions does seem to be the obvious fix.

Also, don't forget that it's possible to boot the windows partition in a VM. Provided you've got a license that allows for it you can do so fulltime. If not, the virtual hardware it's faced with might be enough to fool it so you can install the update.

Don't you love when legal fol-de-rol makes a bigger mess and gets in your way more than a simple technical problem?