How to Partition Hard Drive and Install / Dual Boot Windows 7?

Hi,

I just built a new computer yesterday and installed Ubuntu on it. I now want to partition the hard drive so I can run either Ubuntu or Windows 7 on it. My hard drive is 1TB so space isn't really an issue as this is a brand new computer. I'm a computer science major and I can get Windows 7 (download, not the disc) for free thanks to the college.

I've never used a dual-boot before so I want to make sure I get this right. Can anyone instruct me on how to go about this??

Thanks

Redundant thread OP can google.

However, suggest begin by downloading and burning SystemRescueCD at 8-10X maximum

Use it to wipe hdd clean of anything; partition a small portion (say 300GB) for Win7; format this to say, FAT32; install Win7.

Use gparted (within the ssysresccd) optionally to create two more partitions (i.e. one 16-20GB Primary for / and a very large Extended partition of which use only about half for a /home and a swap; saving Unallocated both within and without the Extended for another future distro, as desired optionally)

Install linux ; GRUB to /

skittle,
it's obvious you are a Win7 user first and have never used a Slackware distro.-- your answers are simplistic t a fault.

do not question my helpfulness

Just remember installing win7 first >AND on the first partition<, once installed you can make some partitions within win7, install Ubuntu afterwards and the boot loader will take care of booting both OSes, otherwise win7 will wipe out GRUB and you would have to do an extra step to restore it (fairly easy any way) it just seams cleaner doing it this way. If you have Ubuntu already in the first partition it will not do, I would recommend start from zero.

Actually, I don't "want" Ubuntu. I already have Ubuntu. I want Windows 7. So basically I have to get rid of Ubuntu and then start over?

Default ubuntu install does not use any fancy partition scheme or LVM

OP: Please read the guide in the link posted further up. it has detailed instructions for both starting from scratch, and for installing windows after ubuntu.

That would depend which one you use the most and what do you plan to do with each, other wise half and half would do, is also a good practice to separate the "home" folder in a separate partition, solve lots of problems when reinstalling. a strip down win7 can live in as little as 15 gb and Ubuntu even less than 10 but think about the extra software you want in your systems and the amount of data you need in each.

Example: This is what I would do with that amount since I storage lots of pictures/graphics/and ISO images but not for long (I like to archive my stuff in DVDs)

Win7, if this is the one you are going to use the most I would give it around 400-600 (thinking that storage is a must)
Ubuntu I would give about 20gb for the File System and another 400-500 for the Home folder in a separate partition, I would use the rest for backing up important data just to have two copies of the same file (like bank info) in two separate partitions.

Is just a suggestion, everything just boils down to >how< are you going to use your computer, and which OS is going to be used more often, I would change the above values if Ubuntu is the principal one.

In the days I ran dual boot that was the root I took. That way I had a single drive dedicated to my media library that I could access from either system.

What is the concept of listening you speak of?