Arch Linux

rose

Member

Registered: 2005-02-09

Posts: 64

How can I install linux without breaking windows?

I have a 20GB drive with Windows 2000 installed on it (whole drive as one partition). Is it possible to install Arch Linux without destroying the Windows partition?

tmadhavan

Member

From: Wales :D

Registered: 2004-03-26

Posts: 441

Re: How can I install linux without breaking windows?

I'm sure you could resize the partion with something like Partition Magic, or maybe some linux tools.

Probably be at least a bit dodgy I would have thought (and why do you need Window?!) though I'm not really an expert on the matter.

T

FUBAR

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2004-12-08

Posts: 1,029

Website

Re: How can I install linux without breaking windows?

Partition Manager should be able to resize the partition without loosing data. However it's always possible something goes wrong and your data is lost. Whenever you try to change something about your partitions, it's best to make backups before you start.

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tmadhavan

Member

From: Wales :D

Registered: 2004-03-26

Posts: 441

Re: How can I install linux without breaking windows?

Now don't you just WISH Windows had that /home directory on a separate partition

alterkacker

Member

From: Peoples Republic of Boulder

Registered: 2005-01-08

Posts: 52

Re: How can I install linux without breaking windows?

The Linux ntfsresize utility should be able to help you if you can boot from a floppy or CD based distro. Check out this URL for more information: http://mlf.linux.rulez.org/mlf/ezaz/ntfsresize.html

But I second FUBAR's caution - backup first if at all possible.

skoal

Member

From: Frequent Flyer Underworld

Registered: 2004-03-23

Posts: 612

Website

Re: How can I install linux without breaking windows?

If by some small chance you formatted your 2000 partition using fat/fat32, use "parted".  However, it doesn not support ntfs.

If you use "ntfsresize", unless something has changed recently, don't forget to go back and run fdisk again.  That last step is the important one since it uses a "trick" to recreate the partition table.  I had to use a similiar "trick" recently to restore my partition tables.  I simply deleted all my partitions and recreated them in the exact same spots. 

You will pretty much be doing the same with "ntfsresize".  Once you resize your Windows partition (to say 10000 MB = 10GB) with "ntfsresize", you go back and use "fdisk", delete the windows partition, then recreate it from 1 to +10000M, change the filesystem to NTFS, and then make it bootable.

That should be about it.  Check the docs though, that last step may not be necessary anymore.

tomk

Forum Fellow

From: Ireland

Registered: 2004-07-21

Posts: 9,839

Re: How can I install linux without breaking windows?

ntfsresize worked perfectly for me. It's included in Knoppix, SystemRescueCD, and probably others. Best to run qtparted as a frontend for it, IMO - and I didn't have to run fdisk after the resize.