On Wed, Sep 07, 2011 at 02:33:29PM +0100, steve-ALUG@hst.me.uk wrote:
I'm no expert, but I believe that a HDD set up with a partition table can handle at most 4 "primary" partitions. That sounds like how your laptop has been set up.
Yes, I'm pretty sure that's how it it.
If you change one of the "Primary" partitions to an "extended" partition, then you can add extra "logical" partitions within the extended partition.
I doubt that it is possible to change a partition from Primary to Extended c/w logical partitions without destroying the data on it. That would imply having to backup, repartition, then restore. Also, I don't know how Windows would cope with the new logical partitions. In my previous experience, it can be quite fussy about drive letters etc.
Yes, and sorry, I now realise that I'm asking about Windows, which is hardly fair for a Linux mailing list!
I would also be quite dubious about the "recovery" partitions still working if you change the partition structure that they're expecting to see.
Yes, good point.
I suppose it depends what's on the 2nd partition. Is it just for data? Is Windows on partition 1? If that's the case you might get away with it. e.g.
I believe that Windows is installed on the second partition, but now I'm even unsure about that. I find it hard to understand why Windows would require four partitions.
- Backup partition 2 (whatever drive letter it is).
- Delete partition 2.
- Recreate Partition 2 as an Extended Partion using all the free space.
- Create a Logical partition to restore the windows data onto.
- Create as many logical partitions as you need to need to install
linux. e.g. 2 / (root) and swap 6) Restore the windows data onto the relevant partition. 7) Install linux...
Good luck!
Thanks
And backup ***EVERYTHING*** before you start!!!
Good advice.
Do laptops ever have room for putting in a second hard drive? That would be a better option. I suspect they don't though...
Richard