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I've enjoyed using Ubuntu 13.04 but I'd like to install Windows 7 over Ubuntu so I have a fresh install of Windows 7 thats use all of my HDD, I'm not new to Ubuntu I've been using it for a few months but I can't seem to find this and I've tried unetbootin and gparted and other applications but it never seemed to workout, anyways I have Windows 7 on an iso and I'd like to put it on an USB and install from there but apparently it's not as simple as it seems.

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    Burn the ISO on a CD. Windows 7 can't be installed" from flash drive. ("at least not that easily)
    – mreq
    Aug 31, 2013 at 15:57
  • You need to burn the ISO into a DVD (CD if it's less than 700 MB). I think this question is better fitted for Super User.
    – edwin
    Aug 31, 2013 at 16:16
  • Go to BIOS and change Boot mode from UEFI to Legacy!
    – user271692
    Apr 20, 2014 at 23:16

2 Answers 2

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Installing Windows over Ubuntu is pretty easy, as Windows takes up the whole disk by default.

  1. First, boot to the CD (you may need to modify your boot order in BIOS to acheive this)
  2. Now, choose your language
  3. Click 'Startup Repair'
  4. Go into Command Prompt
  5. Type format c: (this is required because Windows does not understand Ubuntu's filesystem, so it needs to format it)
  6. You should get a warning. Just press Y.
  7. Wait for it to finish, then install Windows
  8. Profit!
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Boot from the Ubuntu live USB or DVD that you used to install Ubuntu and reformat the entire disk to ntfs format using the built-in GParted partition editor app from an Ubuntu live session. Then boot the Windows installation media and install Windows on the new ntfs partition that you just created.


Boot the Windows installation media by powering up PC while pressing the PC's one-time BIOS boot menu key. If you see a UEFI version of the bootable flash stick or DVD then choose that, as you have the modern UEFI BIOS which is more secure and stable and offers mouse support.

An example of the difference is shown here:

enter image description here

Each boot menu is slightly different. Above shows Windows Boot Manager which should appear as first boot device after a UEFI install.

A UEFI install requires booting the installation media as a UEFI device, deleting all partitions to clear formatting. You may need to turn off Fast Boot in UEFI Firmware to boot UEFI installation media from the BIOS Boot menu. A UEFI install should configure Windows Boot Manager as permanent first device in the Boot priority.

Source: Clean Install Windows 10 - Microsoft Community

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  • If you create a NTFS partition to span the entire drive, I don't think you can install Windows there. In addition to the primary partition where Windows is installed, a typical Windows installation also creates an EFI partition, a recovery partition and a MSR (Microsoft Reserved Partition). This pertains especially to Windows 10 and above which I am bringing up here because you recently marked this as a duplicate question to someone asking about using Ubuntu to prepare the drive for a Windows 10 install
    – Nmath
    Nov 3, 2021 at 8:29
  • However... As long as the drive has a GPT partition scheme, the drive should show up as available for the Windows installer and you should be able to delete the NTFS partition you just created to install Windows to the drive. So creating the NTFS partition is not required
    – Nmath
    Nov 3, 2021 at 8:31
  • Thanks for the tip. I added a screenshot of the menu to start the Windows installer by deleting all partitions to clear formatting.
    – karel
    Nov 3, 2021 at 8:44

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