Can i re-install windows vista if i install Linux????

Question

i want to try out Linux, but if i dont like it i want to know if i can take me system restore cd i got with my laptop and re-install windows vista???

Answer 1

You Can try a Live CD First.All You Have to Do is Download a Live CD.And Burn it to a CD.And Reboot Your Computer off the CD.Here are some Links to Some of the More Common Live CD's.knoppix From http://www.knoppix.net/ or backtrack 3 From http://www.remote-exploit.org/backtrack_... This way You can test Linux and See if Linux is for You or Not.Back to Your question.Yes You Shouldn't Have any Problems doing That.Hope This Helps You out.

Answer 2

yes. if you install linux, you can use your restore cd to put vista back on the machine.

ubuntu or mint would be a good beginner's distro. mint particularly as it has all the cosedc pre-installed and is based on ubuntu

Answer 3

Dual Boot and you don't have to worry. It's simple with Fedora and Ubuntu, and I assume with other distributions as well...(I've only installed those two). Ubuntu does it automagically for you. Fedora has an option at install time for the "Unknown" operating sytem. Rename it to Windows and you're good. At boot time it will ask you which system you wish to boot.

You can't create a Vista install CD from your existing system. If you don't want to dual boot--hard drives are CHEAP! Just swap out the old one and pop in a new one to install Linux on. Then if you want to go back just put the old one with Vista in and Bill Gates will never know that you have strayed...It will boot as it does today without issue.

Answer 4

Yes but I don't necessarily even recommend dual-booting.  Most distros, whether Ubuntu, Fedora or Saboyan, come either with livecds or with livecds on the install disk -- which means, potentially, you can run it from the CD without installing anything to your hard drive.

Ubuntu: just go to Ubuntu.com and get the install disk.

Fedora: http://download.fedoraproject.org/pub/fe...

Debian http://www.knoppix.com or http://live.debian.net/debian-cd/current...

Mandriva: http://www.mandriva.com/en/download/free

OpenSuse: http://news.opensuse.org/2007/11/02/open...

I won't tell you about Slackware though Slax is great because Slackware is not for n00bies and while Slax is it definitely takes getting used to.

In addition you can install Ubuntu on top of your Windows Operating System, so while it is installed you have your choice of booting in Linux or Windows.  Go to http://www.wubi-installer.org and you can download Wubi, which will do all the work for you -- except it won't repartition your hard drive.  It will install itself on your Windows partition and you can access it through Add/Remove programs.

Trying out Linux sounds like a good idea to me.  Messing with your Vista installation doesn't.