New
#1
"System Reserved" - Options to Skip at installation or Create at 200MB
Eventual goal: Windows/Linux dual boot
Intermediate goal: Clean install Windows 7 (upgrade from Vista) using a pre-SP1 Upgrade disk or a Digital River .iso with SP1
I have been reading for days but these questions remain concerning System Reserved partition:
1.) Will the Windows 7 Installer accept and use a [200 MB] System Reserved partition that I myself create at the start of Installation using the diskpart utility - but which it normally seeks to create on its own? I understand that the "select Language" installation step is where to do this.
I will pre-designate it as an *active* 200MB NTFS partition with a System Reserved label. I want it to be 200MB instead of the standard 100MB just to be cautious.
To try to compel acceptance of this configuration, I will create a second NTFS partition over all remaining space and which will be shrunk later (very soon) to make space for Linux Mint.
- Is it an error to pre-designate this as "Active" with diskpart? I saw one comment that the Windows seeks to make "the first active partition" as the System Reserved partition.
- Will pre-designation as "active" cause any dangers at next boot up process? If I don't pre-label it as "active" I worry that the Windows installer might not pick it up as the System Reserved partition.
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ALTERNATE OPTION: (Single C:/ partition for Windows; no SysRsrvd)
2.) If I forego creation of the System Reserved partition -- by using diskpart to create one single NTFS partition over entire disk at the start of Installation -- can a Windows/Linux dual-boot system be successfully configured on a system where the boot files are present on the C:/ drive (Windows)?
- What might be the boot load (Win or Linux Grub, etc.) issues or problems I would meet with a "single partition" Windows OS?
- Is it better to have a System Reserved partition present on a dual boot system?