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As a precaution, before proceeding to use any Tips, Programs, or making any changes, from any links contained therein and before opening any Hidden Windows System Settings, it is advisable to perform a full backup of the system even though Windows XP comes with a life-saving 'SYSTEM RESTORE' feature.  Always remember to create a System Restore Point before making any changes to your PC. Once that's done it should be safe to proceed with any tweaking you wish, but you do so entirely at your own risk.

Dual Boot (Linux/Windows)

Windows and Linux can live comfortably on the same computer, even on the same hard drive. The choice of operating system can be made when you power on. This is commonly called a dual boot configuration, and one of the most common questions among new Linux users is how to set it up.

What You Need

Most Linux distributions come with a special tool to allow you to resize or divide hard drive partitions. For most older Windows installations, that should be all. However, if you have Windows 98 or a recent version of Windows 95 with a large hard drive (bigger than 2GB), you may need some additional tools if you are using the FAT32 file system.

Distribution:	Earliest Version with FAT32 support
Red Hat Linux:	Version 5.1 (kernel 2.0.34)
SuSE Linux:	Version 5.3 (kernel 2.0.35)
Debian GNU/Linux:	Version 2.0 (kernel 2.0.34)

Preparing Your Drive

Before you can resize your Windows partition, a few steps must be taken to ensure that the process goes smoothly. First, delete any files from your hard drive that are not being used; for example, any old files in the C:\windows\temp folder, and then empty your recycle bin. Next, check your file system for errors using Scandisk, and compact your hard drive using Defrag. I'll assume you Windows users know how to do this. When running Scandisk, be sure to check the box next to ``Automatically Fix Errors''. Defragmentation consolidates all your data at the ``front'' of the drive to make room at the ``back'' of the drive for your new partition.

When both are finished, it would be wise to note how much space is available on the disk. If this number is less than the amount required to load Linux (check your distribution's documentation for space requirements), you'll need to delete more files or uninstall some software to make room.