Re-Installing Windows

[SCBrazil]

I am using an Acer netbook, no CD drive and I do not own an external drive.
My HDD is partitioned into three. The first has the XP that came with the PC but it is so infested with virus that it no longer boots.
The 2nd partition holds my media files.
The 3rd runs Kubuntu.
I need to use Windows now and again in order to run AutoCad and other apps so I have decided to re-install a version of Windows Tiny7 from my pendrive.
Do I need to know anything before doing this? I do not want to mess with my media or Kubuntu, just the first partition, overwriting XP with Tiny7.
Is it just a case of booting with the pendrive in place and installing as is the case with Kubuntu or will I encounter some problems?
Thanks for your time.

[oshunluvr]

Re: Re-Installing Windows

This is really a question for a windows forum - but I'd say as long as you don't let the installer reformat your whole drive you'll be fine.

What's Tiny 7?

[SCBrazil]

Re: Re-Installing Windows

A stripped down version of Windows 7 - 700mb

[GreyGeek]

Re: Re-Installing Windows

Before you do the install you may want to create a bootable USB stick containing a LiveCD in case you have to recover or correct grub errors.

[blobfish]

Re: Re-Installing Windows

IMHO Linux installers respect other operating systems were windows doesn't. That has been the case through XP. I haven't used vista or 7, so maybe thats different now. I would take note of your current boot partition as you will have to set that back if windows changes it during installation. Good luck and let us know how it went and what you had to do.

[oshunluvr]

Re: Re-Installing Windows

Yeah - i would have a grub live CD handy myself.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong - but I believe the partition status as "bootable" is not needed by grub unless you are chainloading - which in the case of booting windows you are.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Re-Installing Windows

Windows has ALWAYS been a selfish player, with no respect for ANY other community. If you reinstall any version of Windows it will always overwrite the MBR with its own version, blocking access to any other OS that was running in a dual boot situation. Ergo, that's why you want to have a LiveUSB or LiveCD handy in order to recreate your grub installation.