Windows 7: Help required for partitioning.

Hi folks!

I have a 1TB HDD and will be primarily using it to store my data AND I want ti install Fedora on it as well.

I will be installing Windows 7 on a sepearte 160 GB HDD that I have with me.

So, I was thinking how should I format my 1TB drive because heres what I want to do:

1) I want to have an extended partition which will have the logical drives which contain my data.

2) About 130 GB of unallocated space remains which I want to use to install Linux.

The trouble is I think there can only be one extended partiton and upto 4 primary partitons.

While installing Fedora - which will obviously done AFTER I have moved my data over to the 1TB drive - if it has to create an extended partition or it needs more than 4 parimary partitons, then it won't get installed.

So, I would really appreciate it if someone can help me figure out how I should partition my HDD as per what I want.

Thankyou for your time!

PS: I want to have 4 partitons on my 1TB HDD which I will use to store my data.

A disk may contain up to four primary partitions (only one of which can be active), or three primary partitions and one extended partition. In the extended partition, you can create logical drives (i.e. "simulate" several smaller-sized hard drives).

In your case I would go for the latter and create three primary partitions with one extended, put linux on one primary then use the other two primary partitions for data and split the extended into two or more for further data use ?

or you could put fedora onto your 160 GB HDD as windows 7 really wont need more than 80gb with most of your games and programs installed on that drive ?

does that cater for what your after ?

Hi ickymay!

Thanks for your reply and suggestion.

After doing some research on the net, I decided to include the 130 GB space in the extended partiton.

Also I have left about 300 MB as unallocated which I plan to use as primary partition for the /boot partition of Fedora.

I hope this works for me! Please let me know if it won't work as I still haven't moved any of my data to the 1 TB drive.

Actually, ickymay, I will be using Windows primarily and Linux would just be off and on kind of usage. Also I want to keep my data and OS on separate partitions. And since Windows would be my primary OS, that's why I want to keep it on my 160 GB HDD.

Thanks again, ickmay.