Upgrading OS. Would like to run both windows 7 and Ubuntu. Preferably avoiding formatting HD. Any advice? Thx?

Use the live Ubuntu cd, it will shrink a partition if required to create enough space to install and detect your Windows 7 installation, adding it to the grub2 menu so you can choose on boot-up which OS to use. If you don't like grub2 then install it to another partition and use a boot manager like plop or gag to boot that partition. Its defo worth the effort as you will have an operating system that's secure and with only 4% of virii targetting linux you have piece of mind also.

It should be possible to upgrade xp32 to Win7 x64 if you have a 64bit processor. Pop the intallation cd in the draw when running xp x86 and run the wizard in the launcher.

A couple of months ago I was averse to use Ubuntu, but it's a very good, stable and user-friendly OS.

If you want to use both Os, Windows 7 and Ubuntu, first install Win7, afterwards run the Ubuntu CD installer. There is a step by step guide during installation, you can't go wrong. Let it to detect the other operating systems installed on your PC, and choose to install Ubuntu beside Win7. When you are done and next time you turn your PC on you'll find a so called Grub menu where you can pick which OS to launch, and you can set one of them as default with a 10 sec countdown timer.

You can install Ubuntu within Win7 using a program called WUBI. First install Win7 as the OS. Then install the WUBI program in Windows. When you run this program it creates a virtual computer within windows and allows you to install Ubuntu on this virtual machine. The advantage is that it does not create an Ubuntu partition on the hard disc, so to get rid of Ubuntu you just uninstall the WUBI program. The downside is that Ubuntu will not run as fast as clean install as it is having to run all of the windows baggage in the background.

You could possibly try 'Parallels for Windows' see link. It is virtual machine software which does not need you to partition your hard drive.

On my Mac I currently use 'Parallels for the Mac' which allows me to use Guest Operating Systems Ubuntu and Windows 7/XP at the same time as Snow Leopard.

Hope it helps.

i could advise employing XP , in basic terms evaluate this the drivers obtainable by ability of the hardware manufacture is much extra whilst in comparison with Win7, and the p.c. or the type of corporation laptop remains WinXP. I understand your case being a regulation student you could save quite some preformatted place of work papers. Which employing place of work 2003 will justify, extremely of employing win7 that has place of work 2007 making employing place of work complicated. in spite of the reality that i too could choose to objective Ubuntu 11.04 in my 2nd partition and that i've got a MTS plugin, which Ubuntu 11 fails to recognize peiod. yet libre place of work has one sturdy ingredient it could study HINDI fonts record record which place of work 2007 even fails to study. stick to XP you're no longer behindanything, in case you have the budgetwitch to Win 7 abode top rate extremely of Starters. abode top rate has the alternative of upgrading to WIn 7 maximum suitable, by ability of giving a valid key, i can assist you in that, presented you have abode top rate.

probably not likely because they most likely are compatable but if you install ubuntu it will automatically install on a partition so you wont need too wipe it.

I would love to help you hun ..... but I am only qualified to answer AM I PRETTY ? IS MY FRIEND PRETTY ? RATE US ... questions ... lol