windows takes up 4 partitions already (dual boot help)

[rowbird]

Hi all, I would like to install Mint on an HP Laptop, but they have taken up the whole disk with 4 partitions. I have removed Linux partitions and made an extended one in it's place creating new UUIDs, but i am worried that windows will not recognize the new partition. What do i do? Thanks in advance.

[GhoS]

Unless you need to read the Linux files in Windows I wouldn't worry about it. I have more than 4 partitions on my hard drive and since I rarely go into Windows it doesn't matter. The files I need to access on both are available to both. You could also delete one of the HP partitions(the one with all the files to put Windows on again if needed).

[oobetimer]

Hi all, I would like to install Mint on an HP Laptop, but they have taken up the whole disk with 4 partitions. I have removed Linux partitions and made an extended one in it's place creating new UUIDs, but i am worried that windows will not recognize the new partition. What do i do? Thanks in advance.

That partitioning is so complicated that it would be easier to make a clean installation to an another hard drive. But if you are like me, you will copy the recovory partition though an external hard drive, and after that resize drive C and copy it to the empty space. Now you can delate former drive C .

After copying partition C you must reconfigure Windows`s bootloader

Code: Select all

bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd

bootrec.exe /fixboot

bootrec.exe /fixmbr

http://www.lancelhoff.com/how-to-fix-vi ... ken-vista/

Now there should be 3 primary partitions and you can make logical partitions and install linux..

GParted is a good tool for copying. It isn´t difficult, but it is time-consuming, so you have to be patient..

You can rezise windows-partitions using its own diskmanagement also. EASEUS Partition Manager is a good tool for winnies.

http://www.download.fi/jarjestelma/kova ... r_home.cfm

[StanTheMan]

If you delete sda2 which is now formatted NTFS , then in its space make an Extended partitiion (an extended partition does NOT have a file system formatted on it)
Then you can create up to 16 Logical partitions in the Extended partition , and format them all Linux.
Windows will see the Extended partition as an empty partition. Be careful that you or someone close to you does not RE-FORMAT that which looks empty.

[Fred]

rowbird,

Full Stop! ... Based on the screen shot you posted:

sda1 is some kind of Windows boot partition. You must have Vista or Windows 7 on that machine.

sda2 is you Windows system proper. Do not delete this partition if you want to keep Windows on that machine.

sda3 is your recovery partition. Self explanatory. Leave it alone.

sda4 is HP tools. It is fairly small so I would use the Mint live CD to put the contents of this partition in a folder on sda2 temporarily. What you call your C drive in Windows.

Then:

1.) With Gparted in Linux delete sda4

2.) In Windows, defrag your C drive at least twice.

3.) In Windows, shrink your C drive down to about 180 GB.

4.) In Gparted in Linux you will see the unallocated space you just freed up in Windows. Should be a bit over 100 GB. Create an extended partition containing all this unallocated space.

5.) In Gparted in Linux create a 100 MB logical partition in FAT32 format.

6.) In Gparted in Linux create a 1.5 GB logical swap partition.

7.) In Gparted in Linux create a 12 GB logical partition in ext4 format for /.

8.) In Gparted in Linux create a logical partition in ext4 format with the rest of the unallocated space for /home

9.) Close Gparted and transfer the contents of the temporary folder you created on sda2 to the FAT32 partition you just created.

10.) Start the Linux installer and choose advanced or manual partitioning when you get to the partitioning part. Assign / to the new 12 GB logical partition. Assign /home to the new ext4 partition that should be around 75 GB.

Continue the install from there and you should be ok.

Enjoy.

Fred

[rowbird]

Thanks all for the help. What I ended up doing was creating a set of recovery disks in Windows, then deleting the recovery partition. Using Gparted, I Shrunk the windows partition, then created an ext4 partition in the empty space. The recovery partition is HP's way of saving money by not giving you an installation disk. Once those disks are made, there is no need for that partition.