SOLVED! Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

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jjconstr
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SOLVED! Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by jjconstr »

GParted resized Win 7 partition successfully, creating 105GB unallocated space. But what to do with it now is a mystery. Partition menu items mostly greyed out. My laptop is an Acer Aspire 5733Z-4851, 64 bit, 4GGB DDR 3 Memory, 500 GB hdd, Intel Pentium P6100 CPU.

Clicking Partition/New says I should create an extended partition and may have to remove one existing primary partition to do it.

I read this partition work may need to be done from another drive. Does that mean Win 7 or from a thumb or dvd drive? The hard disk is even more confusing in DiskMgr.

Or do I start the Win 8.1 install, choose the unallocated space and let her run? Your expertise will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry about the screenshots. They didn't show/look like they were importing/pasting. Now they aren't deleting.

Your expertise is greatly appreciated.
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GPartedFileSystem 2021-04-09 08-58-28.png
GParted 2021-04-09 09-35-28.png
GParted 2021-04-09 09-35-28.png
Last edited by LockBot on Wed Dec 28, 2022 7:16 am, edited 3 times in total.
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JoeFootball
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by JoeFootball »

jjconstr wrote: But what to do with it now is a mystery.
I don't use Windows, but it's my limited understanding that the Windows installer will use the entire disk by default, and therefore why it needs to be installed first, and then Linux thereafter.

With that in mind, I'm not sure that multiple instances of Windows could exist on one disk. :?

Edit: Hard Disk Partitions Explained
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AndyMH
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by AndyMH »

The error message is telling you what the problem is.

You have an msdos/legacy partition table on the drive. You are limited to four primary partitions or three primary partitions and one extended partition. You already have three primary partitions and an extended partition, so have hit the limit. The 105GiB space is unusable where it is. What you need to do is extend your extended partition sda4 into the unused space. You will then be able to create additional logical partitions within the extended partition.

If you are trying to install win8 alongside win7, I suspect it won't install into an extended partition, this suggests not:
https://windowsforum.com/threads/window ... on.188196/
In case you didn’t know or had forgotten, I would like to remind you that Windows can only be installed on a logical drive if the boot files are located on a primary partition.
You have used up all your primary partitions so this is a non-starter.

Your only option is either another drive or overwrite win7.
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bodge99

Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by bodge99 »

Hi,

If this system can use UEFI, then you could convert to this... this will allow you to use more partitions. (drive conversion work would be required..)
or
If you have a DVD drive fitted that you don't use, then you could fit a second drive into a DVD caddy.

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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by LogMan »

AndyMH wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 8:44 am
You have used up all your primary partitions so this is a non-starter.

Your only option is either another drive or overwrite win7.
Not exactly true as there is another option, although I doubt the OP would use it.

The other option is BootItBM from TeraByte Unlimited, which I've use for years.

With it you can have unlimited primaries in Legacy mode and multiple installs of any OS.

One of my computers has WinXP, Vista, Win7, 3 Linux Distros, and Ubuntu on 1 HD.

This computer is running Win10, Linux 20.1, Linux 19.3, Ubuntu 20.1, Ubuntu 19.03 all on one Nvme drive in Legacy mode.

Just a FYI :-)
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by AndyMH »

LogMan wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:20 am The other option is BootItBM from TeraByte Unlimited, which I've use for years.
Interesting, I'd never heard of it, but, looking it up, not free and non-standard.

Given there is only 66 bytes available (512 - 446) in the first sector of a drive for a legacy partition table it must be doing something weird, like defining the whole drive as a single partition and then pointing at somewhere else for an 'enhanced' partition table. I wonder if linux image backup utilities like clonezilla can cope with it. I wouldn't use anything that is fundamental to booting that is proprietary and closed source in linux.
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by LogMan »

AndyMH wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 10:13 am
LogMan wrote: Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:20 am The other option is BootItBM from TeraByte Unlimited, which I've use for years.
I'd never heard of it, but, looking it up, not free and non-standard.

Given there is only 66 bytes available (512 - 446) in the first sector of a drive for a legacy partition table it must be doing something weird, like defining the whole drive as a single partition and then pointing at somewhere else for an 'enhanced' partition table. I wonder if linux image backup utilities like clonezilla can cope with it.
Never said it was free or standard, was just pointing out that there are other options to circumvent the 4 Primary limit in Legacy mode.
It can use UEFI mode , I prefer to use Legacy mode even though I have a UEFI computer.
It comes with it's own imaging program, and you would not use programs like clonezilla etc, as there could be a risk of data loss when using the unlimited primaries option.
It uses it's own boot manager on it's own Primary partition to control which OS you want to boot into.
So if I boot into Linux, it hands off to the grub menu in the Linux partition.
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by JerryF »

Another option is (if you think that you'll never want to return the whole system back to its out-of-the-box state)

Using a live USB/DVD:
  • Delete the first partition, (sda1) labeled PQSERVICE (this is the partition that is used to restore the computer back to its out-of-the-box state)
  • Move the second and third partitions to the left most area (sda2 and sda3)
  • Create the NTFS partition in the unallocated space
WARNING: It is possible that the system might not boot. Doing the above does come with risk. I have done the above without issue.
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by JerryF »

P.S. Windows 7 is no longer supported since 2020
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by jjconstr »

I appreciate everone laying it all out for me. Being such a noob It overwhelms me at this point. Risks, unknowns and my limited time force me to look for another way. Obvious to you of cource is something I just thought seriously about today. I hadnt wanted to get another computer, but today I dragged out an old Dell Inspiron 1200 with 25 gb Fujitsu hard drive running XP Home SP3, 1.3 GHz processor, 1.24 GB Ram, DVD CD ROM, we've not used in ten years, since it overheated and ran so slowly we gave it up. It didnt speed up after cleaning out the dust. Kept it for the data just in case.
It fired up and was able to copy out the data.

I would load Win 8.1 on it if 25 GB drive is large enough. My goal is to load Turbotax which wont load on Win 7. Thats all I want it for. I hope Win 8.1 and this old laptop will support online filing. We use a VerizonJetpak 6600L by USB. Might it work?
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by AndyMH »

Extend your extended partition into the unused space and expand your / partition (sda5), that would give linux a further +100GB. You would then have enough space to install virtualbox and run win8.1 in a VM.

Depending on which version of turbotax, wine might be an option:
https://www.codeweavers.com/compatibili ... r/turbotax
Crossover is the commercial version of wine (I think it's worth it).
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jjconstr
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by jjconstr »

Jerry, I may end up trying your last suggestion. Loading Win 8.1 over xp on our old Dell Inspiron 1200 is not going well.
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by JerryF »

jjconstr wrote: Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:20 am Jerry, I may end up trying your last suggestion. Loading Win 8.1 over xp on our old Dell Inspiron 1200 is not going well.
My question is: do you really need Windows 7? As you stated,
My goal is to load Turbotax which wont load on Win 7.
If that's the case, I'd upgrade Windows 7 to 8.1---just run the 8.1 disc while in Windows 7.

P.S. Just a suggestion: there's lots of wasted space on Windows sda3. I'd shrink that, upgrade, then resize the Extended Partition (sda4) to the left to take over the unallocated space, and then resize the Logical Partition (sda5) to fill up the Extended Partition.
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by jjconstr »

If running 8.1 while in 7 preserves my data and downloaded programs, id be for that. I rarely use 7, only when a program wont r un on mint.
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by JerryF »

It should keep your data. I upgraded from 7 to 8.1 some years ago and had no problem.

As a rule: backup important data just in case.
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by jjconstr »

Thanks Jerry, 8.1 over 7 sounds great. And of course back up my data.
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by Reddog1 »

If you only need to run a tax program, install VirtualBox in one of the other OS and then install Windows 10 as a virtual machine. I can't say that TurboTax will run, but H&R Block tax software definitely works perfectly in a Windows 10 virtual machine with a Mint 20 host. You don't have to mess with your partitions, but you do need free space inside the partition of the host machine. You will need 25-30GB free. I believe you can use your 8.1 registration number to download 10. Don't be surprised if next years tax software requires Windows 10.
jjconstr
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by jjconstr »

Thank you all!

My laptop is now loaded with Win 8.1 64 bit. I bought the disk and product key from amazon. Resized my Win 7 partition, loaded Win 8.1 to replace it. Installation took a few tries but finally finished. I appreciate all of you that weighed in. It isnt ideal as you would have done it, but its what I could do. Many thanks! You guys are great!
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Re: Create partition in new unallocated space to install Win 8.1 alongside Win 7 and Linux Mint Mate 19.3

Post by JerryF »

When you have the chance, please edit your ORIGINAL post and add [SOLVED] to the beginning of the Subject Line. It helps other members know that it has been solved when browsing posts.

Thanks, and glad it worked out for you!
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