Partitions merged for install

[baxters]

i am trying to install on my new laptop, but the installer doesnt detect my partitions properly

my partitions are

- /dev/sda1: 1 megabyte
- /dev/sda2: 208 megabytes (used by Win7)
- /dev/sda3: 583840 megabytes (Win7 install)
- /dev/sda4: 56083 megabytes (recovery partition + tools + blank space)

basically my /sda4 partition is actually 3 partitions, one is the 20gb recovery partition for Win7 (which i dont want to delete), one is a ~100mb recovery tool partition (absolutely never going to delete) and a 30gb blank fat32 partition (which i want to install Kubuntu on). the last partition is fat32 because originally i couldnt even get the installer to let me format the partition, so i changed it to fat32 with the intention of reformatting anyway.

how do i separate these three partitions (on sda/4)?

[dibl]

Re: Partitions merged for install

Your list of partitions does NOT suggest that there are "actually 3" on /dev/sda4. "/dev/sda4" defines one partition.

It may be that there is a Windows-proprietary means of using /dev/sda4 for 3 different purposes -- or it may be that /dev/sda4 is actually an "extended" partition type, and there are 3 logical partitions within it.

If you can boot the Kubuntu Live CD on that computer, and then open the terminal with Alt-F2 "konsole" with no quote marks, then this is the command that will produce useful information:

sudo blkid -c /dev/null -o list

[oshunluvr]

Re: Partitions merged for install

Since you're planning on keeping everything you've got, you've got nowhere to install anything. Four primary partitions is the maximum a hard drive will hold. Nice of your computer maker to set you up this way.

IF what dibl suggest is true, that you do have an extended partition that's not being identified properly, try booting to the livecd and typing sudo fdisk -l in a terminal. If "Id" of /dev/sda4 is not 5, it's not a true extended partition.

Mostly, it appears to me you're stuck with a windows7 only machine based on your desires and configuration. The only possible solution is if, in fact, /dev/sda1 is not actually being used by windows7 for something (like booting) you may be able to resize /dev/sda3, move it and /dev/sda2 to the right, and increase /dev/sda1 (at least 12gb) and get a minimal install of linux there. I can't imagine what windows7 is doing with three partitions and then also having a fourth partition apparently doing nothing. I suspect your manufacturer did this on purpose so you couldn't do what you're trying to do.

It's also possible you could re-configure windows so it doesn't use /dev/sda2, but I couldn't help you with that. FYI: I installed win7 ultimate to a virtual machine just to see what is did to the hard dirve. The results were a 20gb install drive reserved a 100mb partition name "Sytem Reserve" I have no idea what this is for and is likely the use for the 208mb partition on your computer. If you can release this without killing your windows install, you would have another free partition to use.

[dibl, you cli stealer ]

[baxters]

Re: Partitions merged for install

ok, so according to disk management (from Win7)
there are 5 partitions on my computer

1 - 199 megabye "System" partition, which i believe to be /dev/sda2
2 - 583840 megabyte partition, which is definately my Win7 install partition /dev/sda3
3 - 31609 megabye partition, which is the partition i want to install kubuntu on (part of /dev/sda4)
4 - 21772 megabye "recovery" partition, part of /dev/sda4
5 - 103 megabye partition "HP_Tools" which apparently has HP's version of GRUB for BIOS (they developed a programme called "quick web" which is basically a fully stripped-down OS, only has msn, skype, internet, and music capabilities) this partition unfortunately cannot be deleted (apparently) (also part of /dev/sda4)




EDIT:
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 640.1 GB, 640135028736 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77825 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xfccc9db5

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 1 992+ 42 SFS
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2 * 1 26 203776 42 SFS
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda3 26 71007 570157056 42 SFS
/dev/sda4 71007 77826 54768984 42 SFS




ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo blkid -c /dev/null -o list
device fs_type label mount point UUID
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/dev/loop0 squashfs /rofs
/dev/sda1 ntfs SYSTEM /media/SYSTEM 3078314E783113D6
/dev/sda2 ntfs Local Disk /media/Local Disk D05AD6C65AD6A88C
/dev/sda3 vfat KUBUNTU /media/KUBUNTU 8AB7-B10B
/dev/sda4 ntfs RECOVERY (not mounted) 06383576383565B9
/dev/sda5 vfat HP_TOOLS /media/HP_TOOLS 0C92-616C


dolphin will recognise that there are separate partitions
but neither konsole or the installer do

[oshunluvr]

Re: Partitions merged for install

File system type 42 as you see is SFS, which I believe is aka Windows Dynamic Storage.

Here's an article on how to convert them to actual partitions http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...asic-disk.html.

If you can get 20 or so GB free and together on the hard drive and create 1 real partition and make it an extended partition - you could then do a normal install of kubuntu with proper swap and home partitions.

If your laptop includes any tech support, they might be able to guide you on how to shrink a dynamic disk and/or convert to a normal partitioning scheme.

Good luck with this project! Do others a favor an post back here what you find out, what steps you take, and whether or nor you're successful.

[baxters]

Re: Partitions merged for install

File system type 42 as you see is SFS, which I believe is aka Windows Dynamic Storage.

Here's an article on how to convert them to actual partitions http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...asic-disk.html.


Good luck with this project! Do others a favor an post back here what you find out, what steps you take, and whether or nor you're successful.

ok, so the link provided has instructions but requires you to delete all of the partitions first (which is not possible, as this is my only HDD)

diskpart http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/e...displaylang=en can perform this operation

download the file, run as admin in 2000/XP compatability mode
open the physical drive (Drives>Physical Volume double click, untick "read-only" OK)
then click the "Read from Disk" button, 3rd from the left
find all mentions of "42" (should be down near the bottom, 4 instances in my case) and replace them with 07
close diskprobe (clicking yes to saving changes) and restart the computer

NOTE: all of the online help i have read says to make sure a chkdsk /f is run after restarting



im just about to restart now to see if that has worked


EDIT:

after restart the recovery partition was there, but was in RAW format
i used http://www.minitool-partitionrecovery.com/download.html to recover the data and place it back on the partition yet to solve