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Disk Management

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Disk Management

Please can someone give me a bit of advice? Started off with 160GB hard drive unpartitioned. After a Linux experiment (OS now removed and booting straight into Vista) have ended up with 113GB primary partition and 33.33GB free space. Prefer to reinstate it to how it was but would be OK with leaving the smaller part as a simple volume.
Problem is, when I try to make the 33GB into a simple volume it keeps coming back with not enough disk space despite the fact that it says it as between 8/34000 mb.
Can't delete this as it says it will become inacessible.
Would be v-e-r-y grateful if someone could help me sort this out.
Forgot to add that when I put in the recovery/reinstall disk it shows up the two parts of the HD to ask me which one to install it to. I think that i have the option there to delete the smaller part but don't want to lose the space.
7 REPLIES 7
samuria
Grafter
Posts: 1,581
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎13-04-2007

Re: Disk Management

If you are just going to re install then you should be able to delete all partitions at the start both the free space and the main one. You can then install to a full drive. You cant loose the space it wont go away. If you dont want to reinstall you should be able to delete the small parition with disk manager and then create a new one that can be used by windows. Dont worry about deleting it its ok it may be a linux partition which is why windows is complaining
Not applicable

Re: Disk Management

Thank you for the reply Samuria. I had surmised that the free space was from the Ubuntu partition but didn't know that this is why Windows wouldn't recognise it.
Anyway, I got a bit fed up with the riddle and went ahead with my first intention which was to use the computer as a single Linux system - I was being a bit precious with the Vista OS although I already have this on another computer.
I have installed Kubuntu using the full disc so am now in the middle of a steep learning curve.
First problem is how to install Linux drivers for my wireless card - have located same but don't know how to install them so there's lots of googling to be done!
SteveA
Pro
Posts: 1,847
Thanks: 106
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎17-06-2007

Re: Disk Management

Which wireless card is it? I've never had to install a driver for a network card under Linux, certainly not under Ubuntu, they've just worked.
Strat
Community Veteran
Posts: 31,320
Thanks: 1,609
Fixes: 565
Registered: ‎14-04-2007

Re: Disk Management

So you're the lucky one. I think it depends largely on the age of the hardware.
Windows 10 Firefox 109.0 (64-bit)
To argue with someone who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead - Thomas Paine
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Re: Disk Management

Thank you for your interest SteveA. It is an Atheros and there is a Linux driver for it - madwifi has it but this is where I have come unstuck with Linux in general and I am now retiring from my experiment as alas I don't have what it takes to persevere with it.
Tried to download the thing and wasn't successful - would have taken a couple of minutes with Windows.
I decided to scotch the Kubuntu install and put back Vista but of course couldn't because the disk needed reformatting to NTFS. Managed this as happily I have an XP disk so put this on and then set it back up with Vista - all fine now except that I have ended up with a Windows Old folder which was there before anyway so not sure if it is from the original Vista recovery disk or the XP one. Will need to google it to see if it can be deleted, unless anyone knows whether it is possible?
Wondered if I could have removed the XP disk at the point where it finished reformatting and then stuck the Vista disk in.
Ended up with a total disk size of about 145GB so not sure where the rest is but hey - it's all working so can't grumble.
Maybe I should have tried a bit harder with Linux but I really just want to enjoy my computer and this was doing my head in!
Sad
SteveA
Pro
Posts: 1,847
Thanks: 106
Fixes: 3
Registered: ‎17-06-2007

Re: Disk Management

Sorry to hear of the problems Poppy, especially with the Atheros card as its drivers are open source.
I've never done and XP to Vista upgrade but I think it should be OK to get rid of the windows.old folder. I suppose the thing is to try it now before you load too much stuff on !
Strat: I'm using the Intel Wireless that ships as part of the Centrino 2 chip set and it just worked, as did the one with Centrino (1)  and my old Netgear PCMCIA card.
Not applicable

Re: Disk Management

Thanks Steve for your interest.
If I had dual-booted with my Dell I would have been fine with the wireless connection because when I tried the live CDs they connected instantly with the Intel Pro card that is in it. Trouble is, I have recovery files on the D partition.
However, I had a live chat with Dell a few days ago and they said that it would be OK to delete these files as I have the recovery disk. The chap said that it was just a quick way to recover in the event of problems. I don't store anything on the computer as I put everything on my external drive+USB flash drives so there's nothing to lose and oodles of space.
Other forum users who have been pestered with my queries will no doubt be pleased to know that I have had my little experiment and plan to bin the CDs. Have learned quite a bit from it though so all is not lost.
If I have the urge to play with Linux again will probably go and lie down until the feeling wears off!  Embarrassed
BTW - I googled the .old Windows problem and it turned out to be dead easy - you just do it via disk cleanup - took a couple of minutes and regained over 1GB.