If the idea is to be as Windows compatible as possible, I agree Linux may not be the way to go. Common sense.

But then, by your reports it seems you have quite severe problems with all OSes on that box:

- Windows 7 struggles with video playback

- Windows XP is "iffy"(?) and has problems with optical port and HDMI audio, and it was quite hard to install in the first place, requiring a separate custom installation CD (I don't even know how to make one, so from my point of view that is far from "user friendly").

- Linux GRUB messes up the multiboot, and can't for some reason mount an external NTFS drive

- OS-X Snow Leopard couldn't use wifi card nor ethernet, and crashed too often

Maybe the HW is somehow at fault here?

For the GRUB problems I can't help, I've never had any problems with GRUB on the various Windows machines where I've installed it on the side. Getting rid of it (ie. "uninstall Linux & GRUB") takes some more work and googling though..

I presume the external NTFS drive partition is not compressed nor encrypted?


There are utilities for Windows to mount and use Linux (ext2/3/4) partitions (google helps). At least some of them support only reading the partitions, but some solutions suggest also writing ability. I don't know how well they work in practise.

I am not surprised they exist because we are not talking about a proprietary file system there. Enabling proprietary NTFS support in non-Windows systems is a much bigger technological achievement.

EDIT: One example:

http://www.webupd8.org/2011/08/access-ext4-ext3-or-ext2-partitions-in.html

Sorry I've gotten mixed up but to explain it a bit better. Windows XP doesn't support SATA unless in IDE mode which isn't an option in theBIOS (think that's been patched now in a BIOS update though.) and had to have some additional controllers injected if I remember rightly.

OSX is very hardware limited as it's the Macintosh OS so will only work with hardware present in Macs (if I remember rightly.)

7 struggles because of the low hardware specs of the box vs 7's requirements, even with everything scaled back. I could overclock it but to make the htpc near silent I've removed the cpu /gpu heatsink & fan and replaced it with just a bigger more efficient heat sink so it's only passive cooling.

The drive wasn't encrypted & yeah it's just one NTFS partition & isn't compressed. It's 1tb so I can't really use a FAT file system on it comfortably, which is what I used to do in the past when I wanted Windows & Linux to access my files.

I have now found a long runabout way of getting the files I want transferred over now but it's meant messing about with the sharing options in windows 7 on my gaming pc, hooking up the usb hard drive to my gaming pc & transferring the files over the local network via filezilla. At present though I only have XBMC live installed and as I'm struggling to get firefox to open inside, I might resort to putting Ubuntu on again (XBMC does use Ubuntu but I don't want to clog it up by installing Gnome etc on it as it runs happy so far and Ubuntu 11.10 was a bit slow freshly installed).

Ubuntu isn't too picky about AHCI or IDE mode and it'll always load the drivers that fit your BIOS settings. Windows on the other hand needs a fair bit of tweaking to get SATA support. That won't affect a USB drive to my knowledge though.

You haven't got an ATI card have you? If so, that might be your speed bottleneck. Try this video's suggestion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dv4xWLredGE

Hurt my feelings? Why? Sorry, but i don't even care about you. And also you can take that "diddums" and shove into your appropriate places.

I told you try metaphorically, as an example, to make you understand. Why things are that way. But unfortunately you didn't.

I have used Window at least 8 years. Includes Windows 95, 98, 98 SE, ME, 2000, 7. And i am using Linux for 5 years.

Everyone's experiences varies. And though i don't give a shit what anyone uses, when you declare something "universal" it seems to be absurd. Cause my experience with Linux was magnificent. Let's give a simple example. Only 2 weeks ago i installed both Windows and Linux on the same machine without CD-ROM.

Linux was like, copy the ISO to USB, make bootable and install in 20-30 minutes. And everything works out-of-box. Sound, video, ethernet, wireless, bluetooth... Tons of great software already installed. You are ready. No-virus, no-malware, no slow-downs with time.

Then try Windows. Copy to USB. Try to boot. No. Copy again. Try, no. With another tool. Try, no. Hours later...Ok it works! Now install. Installed but no ethernet, no wireless, no sound, no video driver, no bluetooth, nothing... Search and find drivers, and by the way for some devices there are multiple drivers and it does not clarify which one you will use. OK. Install a driver, no doesn't work, install the other, oh that's ok.... And install at least 10 drivers to make your machine workable for hours. And still some USB ports doesn't work properly....

If you come around for asking help, try not spreading FUD or whine. Just tell your problem and give specific details. Your Ubuntu version, your kernel version, your desktop environment. Linux community is helpful. They don't care if you don't like Linux, but at least be respectful.

Nah it's an Nvidia Ion chipset a 9400m if I remember rightly.

Thanks for the help & input though everyone.

Did you give up?