HD partitioning

[pe1800]

I am about to install PCLinuxOS alongside Windows 7 on my Toshiba Satellite laptop.

There's a hidden factory installed partition from which Windows can be recovered/restored/repaired in the event of a   serious  problem with the OS. Question:                                   

   When the PCLinuxOS installer partitions the HD to make space for itself, will it leave, as it should, the hidden Windows                                           partition untouched?

Thank you for your assistance,
pe1800

[Just17]

You should create empty space on the HDD by reducing the last Windows partition from within Windows, IMO.

Then point to PCLOS installer at the empty space.

Ensure there are no more than 3 Windows partitions on the HDD so that PCLOS can create an Extended partition and a few logical partitions within that Extended partition.

[agmg]

The following magazine article might provide some extra help.
Move forward to the "installation" part:

http://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/201301/page01.html

[RgnadKzin]

I have a Toshiba Satellite that had Vista installed.  I used a Windoze partition manager to reduce the size of the original installation and created an extended partition with the cleared space.  Into that, I created root, swap, and data partitions.  I formatted the data partition as NTFS so that it could be shared with the Windoze install.  It becomes drive E:.  On the Linux side, I mount the Windoze C: partition to /mnt/windows, and the new data partition to /mnt/windows/data.

On the data partition, I have a Mail directory that thunderbird uses, a Data directory (/mnt/windows/data/Data) in which I have my Documents and Download directories.  I put shortcuts into the ~/Documents and ~/Download to these directories on E:.  That way they are accessible from either Windoze or linux.

btw, I left the Toshiba system partition alone.  Also, there appears to be a small partition between it and the Windoze partition that I left alone as well.

[Ika]

Normally, tthe HDD should contain three partitions: System Reserved, Local Disk and Data. Having this 4th rescue partition I think is a bit complicated since you reached the limit of four primary partitions.
If creating more than these four, all the partitions in the HDD will be settled (and transform these four ones) in dynamic partitions. I had a similar issue in my HP laptop with two HP partitions! So, I hadn't a Data partition, but only a 600+ one for the installes system! I made a mistake and created a Data, so all partitions were transformed in dynamics. I decided to recreate all. As a result, no more rescue partitions, In case, I'm using the rescue image.
There is an other option as RAID (well, don't know much about this... ).

What's your partition table?
Where is that hidden restore partition settled? After the System reserved one or at the end?

In the desktop I have this partitioning table:

1 TB HDD

1. System Reserved - 200 MB
2. C: Local Disk - 175 GB
3. D: Data - 500 GB
4. LVM
    5. NTFS volume - 100 GB (this is optional)
    6. /home - 30 GB
    7. swap - 4 GB
    8. /(root) - PCLOS (32 bits) - 20 GB
    9. / openSUSE (64 bits) - 25 GB
   10. /PCLOS LXDE+XFCE - 15 GB
   11. Free space

*1, 2 and 3 - Windows 7
  6 - shared home partition PCLOS+openSUSE

As you see, I don't have a rescue partition since the HDD the machine came with.
In case, I'm using the repair image I made.

Maybe what I posted will help you to make an idea on what you will decide.
Ika

[Crow]

I have a Toshiba laptop, backed up the drivers, erased all the partitions, installed Windows XP (I have a valid number for that in the back of the laptop) and put the drivers in place. It was faster then since it lacked the "extras".

Recently I installed the Win 7 version from the place where I work in a SSD and the laptop has a new life.

I rarely use Windows but since is my work laptop I have it installed "just in case"

[Ramchu]

I have a Compaq laptop that came with Win7 and it already had 4 partitions on the HD, 1 of which
was a Recovery partition.
I downloaded EaseUS partitions manager, installed it in Win7, and reduced the win7 install to 50% to the
HD space.
I then used EaseUS again and converted one of the partitions to a logical partition.

Then I installed PCLinux onto the free space on the HD that I had created.

Here is the download link for the EaseUS partition Master 9.2.1 Home Edition - FREE
http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

Hope this helps

[Ika]

I have a Compaq laptop that came with Win7 and it already had 4 partitions on the HD, 1 of which
was a Recovery partition.
I downloaded EaseUS partitions manager, installed it in Win7, and reduced the win7 install to 50% to the
HD space.
I then used EaseUS again and converted one of the partitions to a logical partition.

Then I installed PCLinux onto the free space on the HD that I had created.

Here is the download link for the EaseUS partition Master 9.2.1 Home Edition - FREE
http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

Hope this helps

So, yo have 4 primary partitions + 1 LVM?!?

[Ramchu]

So, yo have 4 primary partitions + 1 LVM?!?

This is what I have on the laptop



12.01 GB = /
3.90 GB  = swap
51.91 GB = /home

[Just17]

I have a Compaq laptop that came with Win7 and it already had 4 partitions on the HD, 1 of which
was a Recovery partition.
I downloaded EaseUS partitions manager, installed it in Win7, and reduced the win7 install to 50% to the
HD space.
I then used EaseUS again and converted one of the partitions to a logical partition.

Then I installed PCLinux onto the free space on the HD that I had created.

Here is the download link for the EaseUS partition Master 9.2.1 Home Edition - FREE
http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm

Hope this helps

So, yo have 4 primary partitions + 1 LVM?!?

I then used EaseUS again and converted one of the partitions to a logical partition.

Presumably that means it created an Extended partition with one logical partition in it, in place of the previous Primary partition.

[Ramchu]

Code: [Select]

Presumably that means it created an Extended partition with one logical partition in it, in place of the previous Primary partition.
Yes - Its been over 2 years now,don't remember the exact steps I took
but, Yes basically .

[Ika]

So, yo have 4 primary partitions + 1 LVM?!?

This is what I have on the laptop



12.01 GB = /
3.90 GB  = swap
51.91 GB = /home

Hummm... 150 GB... A bit small the disk...
And the three logical partitions (I supose there are for Linux?) are completely full?...
Hummm...

My suggestion is, if you can:
- shrink a bit more the Win partition to 60 GB
- near it create a DATA NTFS partition - about 40-45 GB. In my opininion it's better for data storage; all files stored there can be accessed from Linux.
- The remaining space can be used for /, swap and /home

It's only a suggestion. YMMV, of course. And someone else might give you another advice.
Personally, all my data is stored in in the DATA partition; the /home one is just temporary. So, 10-15 GB in size is more than enough.
Well, ALL my data is stored in an external drive, of course...