how install win w/o wiping the disk

[Avi Greenbury]

G. wrote:

> I have ubuntu 12.04 installed on my hard drive and need to add windows
> XP.  Can I do so without wiping the disk and reinstalling ubuntu?

Yeah. Easiest, usually, is to boot into a LiveCD and shrink your Ubuntu
partition to create space for the Windows one. Windows used to insist
upon being the first (leftmost in most partition editors) partition,
but I believe that's untrue as of XP at the latest. 

Simply install Windows into that empty space you created; the WinXP
installer partitioner's pretty clunky so make sure it's set to do what
you really want it to, but it doesn't insist upon using whole disks or
anything.

Having installed Windows you'll find that Grub's been overwritten by
Windows' own bootloader, you'll then need to follow this:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows

Again from a LiveCD

-- 
Avi