How do I dual boot with Linux using the Windows 7 Bootloader?

Clarifications

You need to free up some HDD space by using a utility like GParted

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php

Then slip in the Fedora Install Disc boot off that and install it to the unused part of the HDD.

Though as you have 7 Premium it would probably be easier to just run Fedora Virtually under 7 as I seem to remember that this version of 7 Supports Vitalization, so if the hardware supports it as well it would be easier to do things that way. ;)

As for the Dell Partitions the Recovery Partition is both the Root of the Drive and the Primary Partition so that Initial Boot Files are stored on that part of the HDD. So what happens is when you start the system after it POST's it looks to the Primary Partition sees the initial files which tell it where to find the OS and starts the Boot Process. If you set the 7 Partition to Active this messes up the Path that the computer looks at to load the OS.

Col

I'm currently running Ubuntu 9.10 in a dual boot setup with WinXP. Upon installing, Ubuntu offered several setup options, one of which was a dual boot with the existing OS. I chose this one and it simply took free space within the primary partition and asked me how much of the free space I wanted to use for Linux. I chose 10 gigs and that was that. Upon rebooting I now have the option of going to WinXP -default- or Ubuntu. Works fine so far for me and I didn't have to manually mess with the partitions at all.