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I have a W7 64-bit laptop w/ external monitors. Wanted a clean W7 reinstall, and wanted to add ubuntu 14.04 to make it dual boot machine to try it out.

I thought it might be dicey but doable myself. But I botched the W7 install from bootable CD and lost the windows partition. I used a bootable CD of 64-bit ubuntu 14.04 and got the machine working (single boot).

I couldn't restore W7 w/o the old partition, so I had a local shop (1) do that and (2) set up ubuntu 14 for the dual boot.

I can pick the OS I want, and W7 works ok. W7 device manager says that the non-Windows (ubuntu) partition is the primary boot partition. But ubuntu won't remember dual monitor settings. Another app I'm trying to load won't display correctly after multiple methods of installing both it and java, based on web articles and (old) documentation for the app.

When I enter command file /sbin/init, it responds with ...ELF 32-bit LSB..... This means the shop put 32-bit ubuntu on my machine -- RIGHT?

The creators of the other app sent new instructions (similar but different). Questions before banging my head against the wall some more:

  1. Can it cause problems to have 32-bit ubuntu on 64-bit hardware?

  2. If I run my 64-bit ubuntu CD, WILL this:

    • simply replace the current ubuntu -- or do I need to uninstall the 32-bit version? If so, how do I do that?
    • put the 64-bit version in the current ubuntu partition?
    • keep the boot priority?
    • and leave W7 alone and working?
Lew
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2 Answers2

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You can simply replace the current ubuntu installation. You do not need to erase or uninstall it.

Back up your personal files first as this will replace your Ubuntu installation.

  1. Download the 64 bit (amd64 version). Burn the iso to a disk (do not copy/paste right click on the file and select burn to disk).

  2. Go to your bios settings and make sure the dvd drive is set to boot first on the list of bootloaders.

  3. With the disk in the drive, reboot or boot the computer. If you need to set up an internet connection, select "try ubuntu without installing" and set up the internet connection. Then, select install ubuntu.

  4. When you get to the part of the installation that asks you if you want to install ubuntu "along side" or whatever, go down to the bottom of the screen and select "something else".

  5. Right click on the Ubuntu partition, select to format as ext4 and set the mount point to "/". Exit the menu, place a tic in the box to reformat the partition and scroll to the bottom and select continue or apply changes or whatever. Then continue with the installation.

mchid
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There should be no issue running 32bit on a 64 bit system, except if you have a bunch of ram. 32 bit only going to see/use 2gigs, so if you have more you might want to put Ubuntu 64 on.

In Windows, go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Computer Management and then Disk Management.

Delete the ubuntu created partitions. Usually if it was created by Windows it won't even give option to delete. Your going to want to delete the ext file system and I think it grub (real small partition).

To delete just right click and delete. Be careful not to delete the 100mb System Reserve, Windows partition or any recovery you may have.

Now that these partition are deleted you are left with a chunk of unallocated space (where ubuntu used to be)

Now just restart with installation media and go through prompts. When get to partitions make sure to choise boot alongside windows 7.

Option 2

Again in disk management (in Windows) after delete non Windows/non recovery partitions merge the unallocated space back to C: right click and extend then just keep going next. Now you have one, unseparated C drive

Again boot install media, again choose install alongside Windows 7,only this time its going to show you a slider with Windows on one side and Ubuntu on other. From here you can use the slider to adjust what size partition for Windows and Ubuntu will be

P.S - you can also use uname - a to determine what bit version you have.

geoffmcc
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