iphitus Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Hi Ok, i know i'm very offtopic here, but there's not really anywhere suitable for my post. Offtopic maybe but that's a bit of a chill out, relax/flame zone. I need to format my windows partition (FAT32), resize it and reinstall windows on the shrunk partition (it'll be the first on the drive). I need to do this because there are some problems on my windows partition (apart from the presence of windows) and it won't resize. DrakDisk( i think it's called) in MCC and Partition magic both refuse. M$ Scandisk might fix the problems but it also supposedly has habits of damaging linux partitions. Are there any precautions i need to take?? I don't want to lose my Linux MDK 9.1 partition or anything on it. After Unmounting, Formatting, Resizing, Formatting my Windows Partition (FAT32) are there any precautions or extra steps that need to be taken with the windows install?? Thanks James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paleo Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 the bootloader comes to mind. I think you'll lose it so have a bootfloppy for linux ready so you can reinstall lilo or grub afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphitus Posted June 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 I can boot from the MDK CD and restore it there. You might want to know why i still need Windows. My father wants windows on it so he can still use it if needed. I can't persuade him otherwise. Also my brothers want to use it for homework. I have no choice. I'm just resizing the partition so i can have space to make another partition for a Linux From Scratch install. My hard drive is tiny, about 6gb. I survive easily Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daveleh Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 HiOk, i know i'm very offtopic here, but there's not really anywhere suitable for my post. Offtopic maybe but that's a bit of a chill out, relax/flame zone. I need to format my windows partition (FAT32), resize it and reinstall windows on the shrunk partition (it'll be the first on the drive). I need to do this because there are some problems on my windows partition (apart from the presence of windows) and it won't resize. DrakDisk( i think it's called) in MCC and Partition magic both refuse. M$ Scandisk might fix the problems but it also supposedly has habits of damaging linux partitions. Are there any precautions i need to take?? I don't want to lose my Linux MDK 9.1 partition or anything on it. After Unmounting, Formatting, Resizing, Formatting my Windows Partition (FAT32) are there any precautions or extra steps that need to be taken with the windows install?? Thanks James I think you'll find that when you come to re install Windows it will see and grab the whole drive and not just the partition it was originally on. That's what you get with an arrogant OS. Correct me if I'm wrong people please. One option that you could try is to use MondoRescue and make a complete backup of your Linux partitions, re install Windows, resize it, and then restore your Linux partitions from Mondo. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bvc Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 bkup ML9.1 with partimage. If it is a windows partition prob and not something 'in' windows, have you tried parted to see if it can fix it? Parted is on the cd's. [EDIT] I think you'll find that when you come to re install Windows it will see and grab the whole drive and not just the partition it was originally on.Happened to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphitus Posted June 20, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 where do i back it up to?? i don't have a CD burner or network connection. Is there a way i can run m$ scandisk to fix the problems without it stuffing Linux?? Is there an alternative program? James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daveleh Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 where do i back it up to?? i don't have a CD burner or network connection.Is there a way i can run m$ scandisk to fix the problems without it stuffing Linux?? Is there an alternative program? James Hmm, that's a problem. If you use MondoRescue it will take one or two CDRs. I think you can back up to floppy (or should I say floppy mountain :D ) with MOndo but I have always used CDRWs myself. Sorry I can't be of any further help :? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Which windows are you using, and what is your exact current configuration? XP will attempt to over write the entire drive, as will me. 98 behaves better. You must make a specific partition for windows to see and use, so that it does not mis-behave. I have wiped out my linux before, doing it wrong. But, it can also be done correctly. Basically, make a fat32 partition, and then use the rescue cd to remove lilo or grub. After windows is installed, use the rescue to reinstall the bootloader. That's a quick summary. There is always a risk of losing your data. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bvc Posted June 20, 2003 Report Share Posted June 20, 2003 Well, you haven't defined the prob. If it's windows, I don't know, but I'm sure there's some kind of app, though it's probably from a bootfloppy/DOS.. If it's the partition, like I said.....parted. Have you tried the PM bootdisk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphitus Posted June 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 I'm using Win98 (FAT32) My drive is currently about | 3.2GB Windows | Linux 2.8GB | Linux Swap 200mb | Not formatted 160mb | Edit: The above is approximate, should be nearly accurate I want to resize my windows partition so i can make space for a Linux From Scratch install. But DiskDrak in MCC and Partition Magic both refuse to resize it because it supposedly contains errors. These errors are probably fixable in M$ Scandisk but i have been told that Scandisk can stuff up my Linux Partition. There's my problem. I thought of formatting my Windows partition to be blank and then resizing it and install Windows again. Obviously not so easy. There's my conundrum. What can i do? James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted June 21, 2003 Report Share Posted June 21, 2003 Win98 scandisk will not see the linux partitions. Even if it did, you tell it which partition to scan, so still no problem. Use a scan and a defrag on your win98 partition, and there should be no problem after that. The mandrake installer can handle the resize. Note: Remove the boot loader and restore the windows boot sector with the install cd before you do all of this. Scandisk may try to fix your boot sector if you don't do thid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphitus Posted June 22, 2003 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2003 Thanks Ixthusdan That worked. I've now got my hard drive as follows: | Windows Fat32 2.8gb | Linux Ext3 2gb | Swap 199mb | Linux Ext2 /lfs 967mb | All works fine except my swap, it won't mount. See here http://www.mandrakeusers.org/viewtopic.php?t=5970 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nhaughton Posted June 24, 2003 Report Share Posted June 24, 2003 I think you'll find that when you come to re install Windows it will see and grab the whole drive and not just the partition it was originally on. That's what you get with an arrogant OS. Correct me if I'm wrong people please. PMFBI, but you're wrong. I have done this several times. The Windows installation expects partitioning to have been done beforehand and uses what it finds. Just reinstall Windows (I assume 9x) as normal - it will only see the FAT32 partitions. I have 9 partitions on my drive, with FAT32 1st and last and the linux stuff in between, and reinstalling Win98 is no bother. You lose LILO from the MBR, but the Mandrake CD allows you to reinstall LILO with no pain at all - just insert the CD , hit F1 and enter 'rescue', then follow your nose. Actually I have moved my Windows D: partition around across drives and back, and Win98 finds it without fuss every time. No need even to edit an fstab file or anything! Win98 isn't entirely bad, whatever its faults. HTH Neil Haughton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cannonfodder Posted June 25, 2003 Report Share Posted June 25, 2003 Try inserting a 3rd partition between C and D and see if it still finds it or does it become E: :) ------------- After redoing your windows partition will diskdrake work with it? I'm wondering if your partition table is goofy now? ------------- You might want to consider buying a new/used hard drive so you can put backups or linux on the second drive and leave your windows on the first.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted June 25, 2003 Report Share Posted June 25, 2003 You might want to consider buying a new/used hard drive so you can put backups or linux on the second drive and leave your windows on the first.. Really, writing anything to the partition table is always risky. All sorts can go wrong from electrical surges/powercuts .....to userr error anf typogdjfgic mistakes. Since you don't have a backup right now I'd think carefully about it. Beg, borrow .... maybe find a friend with a backup device and borrow it or a spare drive..... On the windows install...... There is no standard. It depends which release and if it was an oem version etc. Some want an empty FAT partition, others want a bare drive and will assume if they can't read it it is bare. "This system already has an operating system installed, $PROFANITY and buy another version ofWindows" or the opposite, "This is an upgrade for Windows and since it crashed and $PROFANITY itself up we want you to go and buy the FULL retail version we no longer sell. Alternatively Install DOS 1-2-3-4-5-6/Win3.1/95/98 in that order." Ugggh, don't trust em, its your data ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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