uncertain about re-install

[ionbasa]

Okay so I need to reinstall my Windows 7 Ultimate x64 bit after having issues wityh windows update and SP1.

So here is my problem:
I have a 500GB hdd partitioned as follows:

Basicly I have:

• Windows 100MB emergency partition
• Windows 7 "C" drive 425GB
• 20.66GB extended partition, did not exist until this morning
• 19.13GB to Ubuntu 10.10
• 895MB Swap space(Ubuntu)

My first problem:
The 20.66GB extended partition, the green one wasn't there until this morning:sarc: and should not be there.
I cant delete this partition from Disk Management at all. It comes up with this error:


Now: I can delete my Ubuntu partitions easily, I have PartedMagic on hand, but I run into an dilemma, I am using the GRUB 2 boot loader to boot into Ubuntu or Windows, the Windows boot loader is still present but is being chain loaded:


Ubuntu<------Grub 2 loader---->Windows loader---->Windows 7

now, if I delete my Ubuntu partition I risk running into boot problems. Also, I have about 100GB of data that I cant move because this is in a laptop. This means I would need to uninstall all my application and shrink my current "C" partition. Then re-install windows with the 100MB emergency partition all with leaving the shrunken partition intact with my data.

Then after reinstall I can move my data to the new windows "C" partition, delete the old shrunken partition, and extend the new partition.

Complicated, maybe.

So any thoughts, just want to make sure there are not any mishaps during re-install.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello ionbasa.


The best way to accomplish all this is to use the Partition Wizard boot disk, dl the ISO file from this link below and burn it to a CD.

Partition Wizard Free Bootable CD


I would suggest you do partition-specific wipes to everything first before you delete it so all the data will be over-written and when you do the Grub-stuff there will be no chance of corruption to FUBAR Windows 7.

See Option Three of this tutorial at the link below for an outline of the process.

Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

Use Partition Wizard to wipe first and then delete everything except the 100MB partition and the Windows 7 partition to create unallocated space to the right of C: and wipe Linux.

Tip: I would do a wipe of the 100MB partition and then reformat it using PW to make sure there is nothing there to complicate things before I did the step below.

Now using Partition Wizard, mark the 100MB partition as Active and then restart the PC and do the 3 separate startup repairs with the restarts to create a set of "System" boot files to the 100MB partition.

See this tutorial for some relevant information.

Startup Repair - Run 3 Separate Times

Now when Windows 7 is booting good all on its own and there is nothing but (wiped) unallocated space to the right of the C: partition, you can create a partition to move the data to and proceed from there.

 

[gregrocker]

I would use free Partition Wizard bootable CD to rightclick>Wipe the Free Space and the last 2 partitions, then shrink the OS partition to make just enough total space to store your data at the right end of the drive.

Then rightclick>create a new data partition there and copy your data into it.

Now boot PW Cd again to rightclick>Wipe the 100mb and C partitions.

Boot the Win7 DVD to create New partition in the space, Format and Custom install following the tips here to get a purrfect install which apply: http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/125874-re-install-windows-7-a.html#post1086729

 

[ionbasa]

okay, so last night I managed to back up my data on another computer. Afterwards I used Darik's Boot And Nuke to do a quick erase of my HDD.

Now I have the 100MB partition and the "C" partition. I should be able to delete the 100mb partition and then re size my partition to allow about 25GB for Ubuntu correct?.

Also when installing Ubuntu it uses GRUB 2, should I overwrite the MBR?