Solved Hard drive partition

[ndex477]

O.K. here goes. I'm currently running Home Premium and looking @ dual booting with Linux and I have no clue how to partition my hard drive to boot both systems. A couple of my friends have both on their notebooks and I'm just wondering if anyone can help me with this.

Thanks in advance.

 

[whs]

if you can shrink your C partion by 20GB, that would be ample for Linux - even 10GB will work if you do not load too much into your Linux partition. But best is you post a picture of yout disk management, then we can have a closer look what your options are.

I run Ubuntu in Virtual Box. Works great and has a lot of advantages over a double boot scenario. You may want to look into that alternative.

 

[ndex477]

Here's my disc space.

 

[SIW2]

I think whs meant disk management screenshot - type diskmgmt.msc in start search box to find it.

You may have unlettered partitions not showing in that pic.

 

[whs]

Yeah, SIW is right. You posted a pic of Computer - not very telling. You could have a 4th hidden primary in which case you could not easily create an additional partition.

Also, what happened to your recovery partition. Why is it empty. That could be a candidate for Linux.

 

[ranger72]

Hi There ndex477,

In Windows 7: Click " START" > Click "Control Panel" > In upper left corner of window hover cursor over control panel and click on control panel arrow to open "All Control Panel Items" Click on "All Control Panel Items " in order to see all your "Control Panel Items".

Click on "Administrative Tools" > Scroll down to the second choice " Computer Management" and Double-Click on that.

This opens your "Computer Management" window

Now look all the way left under your "File-Action-View-Help" Toolbar and scroll your cursor down to "Disk Management" and Click to Open your "Disk Management Window"

Now make a screenshot of that open window and post that in your thread.

This is what will help everyone help you further.

ranger72

 

[gregrocker]

Shrink C in Disk Mgmt: Partition or Volume - Shrink

It will create a Logical Extended partition which is fine for your dual boot. Do not accept if offered conversion to Dynamic Disk.

After installing Linux, boot back into Win7 to add the Linux distro using EasyBCD 2.02 Add OS tab, Linux sub-tab. This will help avoid corruption of Win7 from GRUB boot manager which we see a lot here. EasyBCD 2.0.2 - NeoSmart Technologies

 

[ndex477]

Hey thanks you all. Sorry for the delay.

 

[ndex477]

Just downloaded Ubuntu 11.04. The entire disc image file is 150.2 MB now how do I partion my C: drive to dual boot the two? Whs, explain a virtual box. ??

 

[gregrocker]

Virtual Box, Virtual Player or VMWare are freeware you can use to install and run Linux in a virtual environment within Win7. http://www.vmware.com/products/player/

To Dual Boot: Dual-Boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu in Perfect Harmony

Since you already have four primary partitions, in order to add another you will need to convert C to Logical.

This is done using free Partition Wizard bootable CD:

Boot PW CD, rightclick on C to Modify>Convert to Logical, click OK.

Now rightclick C again, choose Resize, slide right grey border to the left to make your space to install Linux, click OK.

Finally rightclick on empty space you created, Create New NTFS Logical partition, OK. Apply all steps.

Now you can boot the Linux CD, follow the tutorial above to install to new partition you created.

 

[whs]

For further details on Virtual Box I refer you to their websites. It is actually pretty easy to use it.

http://www.virtualbox.org/
http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch01.html

 

[ndex477]

gregrocker, I created a 50GB Partition and idid not choose the dynamic disk option. So how do I install Linux into the 50G partition now? The partition is showing as unallocated with no drive letter.

 

[SIW2]

Like this:

Ubuntu - NeoSmart Technologies Wiki

 

[gregrocker]

gregrocker, I created a 50GB Partition and idid not choose the dynamic disk option. So how do I install Linux into the 50G partition now? The partition is showing as unallocated with no drive letter.

Need to see another Disk Mgmt screenshot to advise with confidence, since no mention is made of Extended Logical in the mix yet.

Did you convert convert C to Logical Extended, shrink to add a Logical subpartition?