Solved Dual Boot Windows 7 Linux: Partitioning with Linux disk tools problem

[Wheelman]

Goal: Dual boot Windows 7 and Linux and have an NTFS partition for both OS.

Problem: When creating Logical Partitions with any Linux partition tool(Gparted, cfdisk) the Linux swap and ext 4 partitions shows up on Windows 7 as primary partitions outside of the Extended partition while the NTFS partition shows up inside the Extended partition as logical drive. Disk management shows 5 primary partitions and 1 logical drive inside an extended partition.(As seen in Disk1.jpg attachment) I'm using MBR.(not UEFI)

I can create the partitions in Windows 7 disk management and choose not to format the two logical partitions used for Linux. I can then use the mkswap and mkfs.ext4 command to format the partitions.(See Disk2.jpg attachment)

Questions:
Why is Windows 7 disk management not showing my partitions correctly when I use a Linux tool to partition the disk? Will this cause any problems with Windows 7? I'm afraid of making Windows 7 unbootable.(although it booted just fine I do plan on using EasyBCD to add an entry to load the grub bootloader for Linux)

If I partition my disk with Windows 7 disk management(as seen in Disk2.jpg) will that cause any problems for Linux?

What is the recommended way to handle this? What are the downsides to each way?

Note: I'm a bit of a linux noob.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
I never had luck installing Linux in dual boot win-7 when have the 100mb system reserved partition
Seems Linux can not take control of the boot loader unless it's on the C drive with windows

Another problem is you have a 15gb partition in front of the 100mb partition too :/

Personally if you really want to do a dual boot you'll need to integrate the 100mb partition onto C drive
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71363-system-reserved-partition-delete.html
Easier to do with a clean install just don't create any install partitions to install win-7 on and also do not have any partitions at all until after 7 is installed.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/257048-dual-boot-windows-7-linux.html

 

[Wheelman]

Thank you for your reply.

The 15 GB partition at the front is the Samsung Recovery partition for my N150 netbook.

Reading that guide it says I need to delete the System Reserved partition while also stating it's not recommended if I want to hold on to OEM recovery solutions which I do.

Where do you encounter problems if trying to dualboot with 100 MB partition? Is it something to do with EasyBCD? I want to give it a go anyways and see what happens as long as I don't break the current Samsung recovery/Win 7 configuration. I want to use the Win 7 bootloader and chainload into grub2 for Linux.

What is your opinion of Disk management showing 5 primary partitions despite any linux partitioning tool showing the correct configuration of 3 primary partitions and an extended partition(with 3 logical partitions). Will that cause problems for Windows?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Well the problem I had was it just didn't work
The only option Linux gave was install along side of 7
Not at all the same thing
And I thought that was just too freaking cozy of a relationship with windows seeing viruses..... might not effect Linux but do indeed effect windows and there isn't even a separating partition for the two :/

So ultimately what I did was use a dual ssd ez swap instead and installed Linux on it's own ssd
Now I just shutdown and swap out ssd's
7 on it's own and Linux on it's own
This is the best thing I have ever bought
Amazon.com: Vantec 2.5-Inch Dual Bay Trayless SATA III - 6G Mobile Rack (MRK-225S6-BK): Computers & Accessories

 

[Wheelman]

Just wanted to give an update.

Even though Disk management shows the disks incorrectly(disk1.jpg) if you go into cmd.exe and run the diskpart utility and enter the command:

list partition

It will show the disks correctly.

I managed to dual boot Linux and windows 7 successfully while keeping the partitions as shown in disk1.jpg. I just installed grub onto the Linux partition instead of the MBR. I then used EasyBCD to add an entry for the Linux partition. So basically I chainload into grub. System recovery partition from Samsung works too.

I did not use an automated installer. I installed from commandline. I'm running Arch Linux. I hope this helps someone!

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Thanks for the update
Yea grub well from what I've read grub is very difficult to get rid of = I don't know that for sure but I have not dual booted on the same drive again since installing along side as I describe earlier
I very much prefer on separate drives for each os they play with each other so much nicer
Cheers.