Linux Format forums

guy13 · Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2011 9:35 pm Post subject: Windows 77 HDD partitions

Hi all,

I recently bought a new laptop on which I want to install a dual boot (Windows 7 + Sabayon). It has a 750GB HDD so there should be plenty of space. However I'm not sure how to tackle the thing.

The installed OS is Windows 7. Disk management says there are three partitions:
1. a nameless volume with no file system; status: "Active, Recovery Partition"; capacity: 400MB; 100% free
2. Data D; NTFS; status: "Primary Partition"; capacity: 349,08GB; 97% free
3. Windows C; NTFS; status: "Boot, Page File, Crash Dump, Primary Partition"; capacity: 349,16GB; 88% free

I have a few questions I hope someone can enlighten me about.

Q1: do I need to keep the D partition? Though it's 97% free it contains 1 folder with a bunch of subfolders and a file that says the following:

dandnsmith · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 7:35 am Post subject:

Looks like they've been extremely profligate in allocating half the HDD to the D: partition - but is there anything in the documentation to suggest that you shouldn't use the space in it for your own data?.

As to removing those 2 partitions, you'll need a little more information about how they are used - I know that Dell have similar partitions (but better space allocation), and warn that any change to the disk organisation can stop the 'automatic' recovery process (which restores the HDD to the state in which they left it). I can verify that this statement is true, and recently spent quite a while trying to recover a usable OS when a HDD failed. If you have the resources, I recommend a full disk image be taken before you do anything more.
_________________
Derek

towy71 · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:10 am Post subject:

windows7 has some sort of disk management tool which you should use to shrink D:, then create all your Linux partitions in an extended partition using the space left
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still looking for that door into summer

guy13 · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:33 am Post subject:

Thx. Shrinking C: and D: doesn't look like an insurmountable task though it'll involve some fiddling with 'unmovable' files. Thing is, I think I already have 3 primary partitions. Shrinking both would leave me with hundreds of GB's of worthless disk space unless there's a way to move C: and D: into the same corner of the HDD.

Would it be a better idea to just wipe the HDD and reinstall Windows from the recovery disks?

towy71 · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:20 am Post subject:

If you have the recovery disks then that is what I would do, remember that Linux doesn't mind being on extended patitions but windows does mind Rolling Eyes

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still looking for that door into summer

Rhakios · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 9:01 pm Post subject:

Er yes, except that my experience of Toshiba's recovery discs is that they restore the partition table to the factory setting.
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Bye, Rhakios

Ram · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 10:22 pm Post subject:

guy13 · Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2011 11:12 pm Post subject:

Indeed... Just found that out myself: no choice about the partition table. Already deleted the D: and shrunk the new C:
Installed PerfectDisk in order to delete the 'nameless' Q:
Will spend tomorrow reinstalling and tweaking and fiddling but I guess there's valuable lesson in there somewhere...
(o:

guy13 · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 10:10 am Post subject:

Don't know what I was thinking installing a defragmentation tool to delete a partition... Thought I'd seen a button somewhere though. Guess I'll have to do my deleting some other way.
That is if it makes sense cause I noticed something annoying: the 'nameless' 400MB Q: is on sda1. If I delete it, can I turn sda2 (C Smile

into my new sda1 and go from there or am I stuck with the 400MB?

guy13 · Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2011 10:12 am Post subject:

Stupid smiley... That was supposed to be C: between brackets!
Very Happy

guy13 · Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 4:40 pm Post subject:

I thought I had already posted this update (apparently not) but in case anyone is still interested: deleting the nameless Q: was definitely not a good idea. Turns out it is the windows boot partition so I ended up with the proverbial paperweight. My hope that I could then repartition to my own liking when I had to reinstall windows was also in vain: the reinstall automatically uses the same setup.

So eventually I left Q: alone, used PerfectDisc to shrink C: to 100Gb, put /boot on the 3rd primary partition and everything else (/, swap, /home and D:) on an extended 4th of 600Gb. This works... so far.

Thanks again for all your suggestions.