Win7 Pro 64 / Linux Mint

[MikalE]

My T520 is set up with dual physical drives and I can boot to either upon startup.

If instead of overwriting the Linux drive, I just want to remove it and install a blank drive for increased storage, will I mess up the boot loader?

What I mean is, will I have to reconfigure the boot loader if I reinstall the Linux drive, or will the bootloader automatically re-detect the re-installed Linux drive and continue to offer which O/S I wish to boot to?

[bit_twiddler]

Depends where the boot loader is.
What I usually do is to boot off a drive in the Ultrabay.
When I install an OS, I remove all other drives from the computer.
If you have Windows installed on your internal drive bay,
you can copy it to a drive in the ultrabay with Macrium Reflect.

[MikalE]

I can't be certain, but I believe when I followed the video instructions on how to set this up it is stored in the MBR on or before the first sector on C:, the Windows7 drive.

EDITED: It is not on the Windows drive. I just rewatched the video and the bootloader was installed on the Linux drive.

I should be able to reconfigure the bootloader using Easy BCD as I did when I installed Linux to the second drive.

Thanks for looking.

[Cigarguy]

Drives are cheap, even a modest size SSD. I used to dual boot Linux and Windows from 1 physical drive. Nowadays I simple load Windows on 1 drive, Linux on another and physically swap drives or on some system simple choose which drive to boot to by hitting F12.

[MikalE]

The question was would I mess up the boot loader if I removed the Linux drive on a dual drive/dual OS T520? The bootloader is on the Linux drive. But, Easy BCD is on the Windows drive so I can reconfigure at a later date if necessary.

[MikalE]

Just a short update, since removing the Linux drive and loading Win 10 Pro, I'm still asked upon startup if Windows 10 is the OS I wish to load, even though it is the only OS on the drive.

[dr_st]

Just a short update, since removing the Linux drive and loading Win 10 Pro, I'm still asked upon startup if Windows 10 is the OS I wish to load, even though it is the only OS on the drive.

Asked by which boot loader?

[MikalE]

Beats me. It seems to be a left-over from when I set up the dual drive, dual OS configuration. It must be residing in the MFT. Or, ???