Hello,

I have a system with Windows XP. My hard disk has 189 GB NTFS. I want to change the operative system to windows 7, but I want to add Ubuntu as well. As the change might take several days (because I don't have much time) I want to install one system (or Windows 7 or Ubuntu) keeping my windows XP installed in another partition so if something doesn't work in thebrand new operating system installed I can use my Windows XP installation.

So I've thouht about doing something like this:

1. Copy the data I want to keep to an external hard disk.
2. Make partitions enough to install windows 7, keep data in another partition and another one to install Ubuntu.
3. Copy the data I want to keep to the partition I've just created.
4. Install Ubuntu in the partitions for Ubuntu.
5. Check if Ubuntu works fine
6. If it works OK install Windows 7 on the partition of Windows XP (Windows XP will be erased).
7. Reinstall the programs in Windows 7.

So my question is:

• How many partitions do you recommend me to have (and the size of each one and NTFS or FAT32)? The operative system I'm going to use more is Windows 7 (though I love Linux I use many programs which are windows dependant).
• Do you think I should do anything else / change something in the proccess to avoid any problem? I don't know if making the partitions can harm the data I have in the disk.

Thanks.