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[Figureman52]

As above, but never having used anything but windows (apart from a small amount of dos back in the late 80's) not sure how I would get on.

Having read about WINE, if I partition as a duel boot can Zorin access the windows programs from the XP partition or do I have to reinstall on the Zorin partition.

Please keep your answers simple. 

[Gaffers]

In short, the Windows partition is available but the initial working out of which partition it is can be  little tricky if trial and error.  If you map it once you find it you should be able to refind it easily afterwards.

[Figureman52]

Could you explain how I would map it?

[Kevin Wood]

I'm not sure running XP programs from the XP partition under Wine would be wise, TBH. Best to install them in Zorin and run under wine there, keeping the XP partition as a last resort for booting back to XP when required.

In fact, you'd be much better off finding Linux applications that suit your needs and only resorting to running anything under wine when there is absolutely no other option IMHO.

I have been running Linux only at home since the late 1990's. At first, there were quite a few things that I struggled to find software to do under Linux. I'm now in a position where there's only one piece of software where I can't find an "as good as or better" equivalent under Linux and, in fact, if I switched back to windows I'd probably find that there are dozens where I couldn't find Windows equivalents.

This is all true unless you are a gamer, in which case you might as well stick with Windows, IMHO.

[Figureman52]

What you have suggested was generally the plan I was thinking of.

However last night the *!*?!* PC wouldn't start up

Following previous advice on here and seeing that the power supply fan isn't running I shall be replacing the power supply.

If that doesn't fix it I might be looking at a replacement PC, perhaps picking up a second hand one with XP installed and then switching to Zorin.

[Figureman52]

Installed Zorin 8 this morning as a duel boot with XP.

On restarting the PC it goes straight to windows, giving me no option on which O/S to use.

Where might I have gone wrong and what should I do to rectify the problem?

[Kevin Wood]

Sounds like it failed to write Zorin's boot loader onto the MBR, so you don't get presented with a choice of boot options. It'd be worth checking in your BIOS that you don't have any anti-virus protection of the MBR turned on, at least for the period while you're installing, as that may have prevented your installer from writing a new MBR.

To make zorin bootable again, you probably need to boot from the installation media and select whatever recovery options they give you to re-write the boot sector and MBR. I'm not familiar with zorin's installer, unfortunately.

[Kate]

I upgraded from XP to Vista the other day. I had a copy on disc and I couldn't afford Win 7 or 8.

[Figureman52]

I was perfectly happy with XP and want to use a viable alternative if possible, rather than being told by a multinational company that I must buy their replacement because they have decided it is time that I did.

[Figureman52]

Having restored my HDD from a cloned back up I was about to reinstall Zorin again when I noticed that the original install had gone to my secondary HDD, not the main one where I thought I had put it.

A quick tweak of the BIOS and it's all running.

[Kate]

Having restored my HDD from a cloned back up I was about to reinstall Zorin again when I noticed that the original install had gone to my secondary HDD, not the main one where I thought I had put it.

A quick tweak of the BIOS and it's all running.

Well done.

[tidla]

The only Zorin I have heard of.

http://jamesbond.wikia.com/wiki/Max_Zorin