need 2 cents on pclos KDE/lxde netbook installation

[Trio3b]

Been a while since my last pclos install on a Wxp netbook and never done one on W7 netbook.

So let's start with a dual boot with Winxp on Toshiba NB. Best I can remember Wxp has no self partitioning tools under disk management, So have always used default pclos installer to resize  HDD then create a storage partition, then allow installer to auto partition the remainder and all has been good.

1. Winxp has been defragged, ran chkdisk and there are no files to save. Am saving this Winxp install as it may be infected and this will be the perfect opportunity to showcase pclos up against a "normal Windows" install. Later may wipe it all, however, there is a recovery partition and may want to reinstall Winxp if I feel like more self inflicted pain.
2. I believe the diskdrake resize is capable up to the point where Winxp has immovable files. Is this correct?
3. Think I might create a FAT storage partition accessible to both OS's
4 Will not touch the recovery partition.

Am I missing anything here on the Winxp dual boot?


Now the  dual boot with Win 7  on HP mini 110. Win7 has been defragged and chkdisk and no files to save. Again there is a recovery partition. This Win  installation is probably intact and probably want to save it although it is "starter" edition and that's about all it does...
 I believe Win 7 does have disk mgmnt tools.

Questions:

1.Can I trust the Win 7 disk tools? or...
2. Should I rely on pclos drak installer. or...
3 Should I "learn" something new and try Gparted. I have nothing against gparted but it reminds me of cfdisk text based partitioner I used to use but that was years ago and I screwed up a few installs before I got it right. I don't mind learning on an old desktop with a little 20gb empty HDD that I can screw up. I am more reluctant to mess up the Win installations on these two netbooks.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

[Rudge]

I don't do many "dual boot" installs with Windows so this is .02 for sure.

If your installs are truly simple dual boots with Windows, I would just let the PCLinuxOS install do it's thing.

I have never had a problem with the way it works by default.

In fact, I think the install assumes a dual boot environment and has been tailored to set itself up in such a way. 

Do you have change for a Nickel?   Oh just keep it. 

[Just17]

For Win7 it is advised to resize its partition from within Windows, and when done to boot into Win a couple of times .......  it will run check disk or something to finalise the resize when booting.

Also with Win 7 you need to check how many partitions are used.
A lot have 3 partitions, but might have 4 .....  and if there are 4 then something needs to be deleted as they will all be primary partitions 

[dcwbis]

Do you have the install media for XP and Win7?  If so, have you considered backing up your windows installations, blowing out the entire system, installing pclos, and the running the Win systems in virtualbox?

I have to use windows to run the accounting application we use at work.  However, I prefer the virtualbox solution instead of dual booting so that I can run windows but still have my pclos system available for doing all other activity (email, internet, music, spreadsheets, word processing, etc.) 

Virutalbox also gives you the ability to establish a location to be shared between host and guest systems.  If your netbooks have sufficient resources, this may be something to consider.

[Ramchu]

On a laptop that I purchased, that had Win 7on it,it had 4 primary partitions being used.
I downloaded EaseUS Partition Manager Home edition from here :
http://www.partition-tool.com/download.htm
I installed it to Win 7, converted one of the Primary partitions to a logical
partition then shrank the Win 7 install to 50% of the Hard Drive size and then
proceeded with the PCLinux install to the free space created.

[Yankee]

.o2

My XP didn't have a dedicated recovery partition just the internal
recovery feature, so I used http://www.livecd.com to fix a permanent backup.
Expensive sure, but if that recovery partition is removed ?    Then what.
defraggler.exe is a superior program and I use it before every Windows backup
with the above.  Files as well as Directories have zero fragments then.
But this is a Linux Forum what are we talking about this for ?

An ntfs partition is used on my machine for any shared files between
Windows and Linux.

PCL Control Center's Diskdrake is better IMO than Gparted, just works better for me.
Very accurate overall for Linux.

[The Chief]

2. I believe the diskdrake resize is capable up to the point where Winxp has immovable files. Is this correct?

The only reason the files are immovable is that they are in use (by Windows).  If Windows isn't running (as during the PCLOS install), they can be safely moved where ever.  Has worked fine for me with W98, WXP and Vista.  Haven't tried it with W7 - yet.

[Trio3b]

@Rudge - Have always had luck with drakinstall so will do that on the Wxp netbbok

@Just17 - Yes , seem to recall reading  about needing to use Win tools and boot back into W7 to let it check itself - thanks

@dcwbis - no don't have media - will need to proceed with caution although I have never wrecked a dual boot install with MDV or PCLOS drakinstaller. These netbooks have 1-2 gb RAM only so don't know if VB is an option anyway.

@ Ferdes Fides -  good point about recovery partitions .Will look into the livecd.com option.

Truth is haven't used any MS products at all for the past 7 yrs and if I blew these installs away I would shed no tears, however from a "keeping options open for the  family" standpoint am just covering all bases.

Thanks for the tips