Install Tinycore if you already have Windows

If you already have Windows installed on a computer, and want to install Tinycore, while keeping Windows, you may use one of the following methods.

Use the latest version of Tinycore. New versions have improvements and additional features.

The easiest way is to install Tinycore on a USB drive, and run it from the USB drive.

For more information, see Install Tinycore on a USB Drive.

Be Aware: Some older computers may not be able to start an operating system on a USB drive.

If a computer already has Windows Vista or Windows 7 installed, while running Windows, and logged in as Administrator, you may defragment the drive, then reduce the size of the Windows partition.

If a computer has Windows XP, or an earlier version of Windows installed, defragment the drive using Windows, then reduce the size of the Windows partition using GParted.

Then create a Linux partition and a swap partition in the free space.

An easy way for new users to partition a drive is using GParted. People connected to the internet may install GParted in Tinycore, and use it for partitioning. Others may download the latest version of Parted Magic, and use it for partitioning.

Experienced users may use fdisk, mkfs.ext4 and mkswap.

For more information, see Partition a Drive to Install more than one Operating System.

Install Tinycore as explained in Install Tinycore on a Hard Drive.

The installer will automatically set up the Extlinux bootloader so you can start either Tinycore or Windows.

Download the latest multicore iso from one of the mirrors, and write it to a CD.

Put the multicore CD in the drive, and restart the computer, so it runs Tinycore with grub4dos.

At the boot: prompt, type

tcg

Click on the Mount Tool.

Click on the CD drive so it becomes mounted. It will be green when mounted.

The CD drive will be something like sdc, without a number at the end. Hard drive and USB drive partitions are normally something like sda1, with a number at the end.

To run the installer, click TC-Grub4DOS in the wbar or menu.

Another option is to click the Run icon, and type

tc-grub4dos

Click OK.

Select Tiny Core.

Select the location of the tinycore.gz file. It will be in /mnt/sdc/boot. If not sdc, use the correct drive

Select Embedded. (Select Embedded when installing Tinycore in the same partition as Windows. Select Frugal when installing Tinycore in a separate partition.)

Select the Windows partition (usually sda1 or hda1).

Click the Forward arrow.

Boot options. Type:

opt=sda1 home=sda1 norestore

If not installing to sda1, change sda1 to the correct partition.

Click the Forward arrow.

Click Proceed.

Tinycore will be installed.

To install from a Hard Drive or USB drive, copy grub4dos.gz to the tce directory (not /tce/optional) of the Hard Drive or USB drive.

Restart the computer for it to be loaded.

install.gz can be loaded from any directory by opening the Control Panel, then clicking Load Starter Pack.

Experienced users may manually install Tinycore in the Windows partition.

The procedure is described on the GRUB4DOS page.