partioning

[Guest lantern20]

i am trying to install microsoft on my computer along with linux mandrake, but i obviously need to partition the hard drive. So how would i start that and eventually finish it, so that windows is partioned its own space along with linux ? Thn the children will play nice.

 

[moved from Software by spinynorman]

[santner]

I am assuming a new, unpartitioned hard drive.

 

Boot into DOS with a floppy(such as Windows ME boot floppy, you can google for it), then type fdisk. Create your Windows partition(5 GB should be plenty). Next, insert Windows install disc, XP and 2000 ask you if you want to use the space you just partitioned for the install, you do. Windows will install from there on the partition you just created. Then, insert your linux install cd's, and they will finish the partitioning for you automatically and then install linux.

 

If you just bought a second hard drive, the story is a little different.

 

Have fun. :D

[sitor]

From how I interpreted the initial post, Mandrake is already installed on the machine.

 

Mandrake has a very nice graphical UI to do partitioning:

simply go to Mandrake Control Center -> Mount Points -> Partitions.

 

It makes you clear what you are doing and it always worked great for me.

 

Oh yeah, if you are going to install Windows while mandrake is there already, you will break the bootloader (Windows doesn't like other OSses to be present). You will have to restore it afterwards (I think that you can do that using the MDK install CDs, but I'm not quite sure, there are threads on the forum here that have discussed that before, so just do a search, you will find an answer somewhere). But there is no need to reïnstall Mandrake completely, only to restore the bootloader.

 

In case Mandrake is not present yet after all:

First run the MDK installer up to the point you can do partitioning. The installer gives you the same nice GUI partitioning tool as mentioned above. Go up to the point where you create your partitions (custom partioning) and then abandon the MDK installer. Then install Windows on the partition you foresaw for it (take care not to use the whole drive, otherwise you will have to repartition later). Then use the MDK installer again to install MDK. It will set up dual boot for you.

 

Ciao,

 

Sitor

Edited July 30, 2004 by sitor

[spiedra]

Or if it's a clean HD, Install Windows first after fdisk, then Install Mandrake. Resize your Windows partition and create your Mandrake partitions during the Mandrake instalation.

[Ixthusdan]

For any version of the virus known as windex, make your partition first, and then only allow windex to install to that space. If you contain the virus, it will play nice.

[Guest lantern20]

thanks for the help, but i dont want to partition another hardrive anymore ive decided the most efficient thing is to let windows use an already existing harddrive, so how would i tell windows xp to use an already present drive on my computer. this should be very simple, i am thinking it wont be very difficult or shouldn't be.

 

thank you all

[Guest lantern20]

i would like to know if anyone can tell me how to make windows xp use an already existing drive, so i don't have to create a new partition, this shouldn't be difficult so does anyone know how i would do this ?????????????????

[Ixthusdan]

Telling xp to use a drive usually means it will take over the entire drive. If it identifies partitions, it should ask which partition(s) to use. If it does, you're fine. If it doesn't, it will try to take over the drive of you choice (like a virus).

[Cannonfodder]

lanturn20,

 

If I got you right, you have linux on a hard drive and want to put windows on the same hard drive alongside of linux, right? If this is right, then how is your hard drive partitions currently setup? If not sure how to figure this out, then let us know.