How to Dual Boot Backtrack 3

Backtrack 3 is a version of the increasingly popular Linux operating system designed for those who work on finding and fixing security flaws in home computers and networks. If you don't want to have to devote an entire computer to this, you could always dual boot. The act of dual booting is when you install two operating systems on your computer and choose which you want to load into when you initially start your machine.

Instructions

1. Download and run the free Backtrack 3 executable file (see "Additional Resources," below, for link). This is a small file that has everything needed to install Backtrack 3 on your computer. Save it to your desktop, and when the file download is complete double click on it to load the installation program.

2. Select "Install Backtrack" from the list of options with which you are presented. Because you are installing from within the Windows operating system, this will automatically take a portion of the free space left on your hard drive and set it aside for the Backtrack installation. This is called "partitioning." During this process your Windows installation and all your files will remain untouched.

3. Restart your computer. After the Backtrack 3 installation process has continued your computer will automatically be restarted. When it does, after a few moments it will prompt you as to which operating system you want to boot into at the moment--Backtrack 3 or your Windows system. Highlight your desired choice using the arrow keys on your keyboard, and hit "Enter" to select.

References

• Backtrack 3