Linux Ubuntu, dual boot installation problem during parti..

[michaledoughlas]

Hi friends! any expert on Linux Ubuntu.
1. I have windows xp on my notebook compaq presario v2000.
2. Wanted to load linux as dual boot.
3. Tried with Suse linux, but there was some blank or black screen problem after installation.
4. Someone suggested Ubuntu linux.
5. Downloaded and burned ubuntu on a cd.
6. But this time during installation during partitioning there was a serious problem.
7. On ubuntu webpage they say for partiioning i will get 4 option, but i got only three options in my cd.
8. The missing option was the most important , which was required for dual boot. " Guided resize and use free space".
9. So i had to abort my Ubuntu installation as using any other option could have effected my current xp installation or might have formated my whole notebook.
10. So any comment why the dual boot partitioning option was absent in my ubuntu cd.
11. Or there is some thing to be activated in my notebook setting to enable dual boot.
12. Waiting for your expert comments.
13. Thanks!!!

[steve]

You would probably do better to ask on the Ubuntu forum. Whenever I've installed Ubuntu I've had the option available for "guided partitioning".

Just as a couple of general tips -
Ensure that you have all of your data backed up before you attempt a dual boot install.
You could try manually partitioning your hard drive so that you have free space (unformatted drive space) to install Ubuntu to, before attempting to install Ubuntu. Then tell the installer to install to the free drive space.

[bgravato]

First, like Steve said, you would probably get more replies in ubuntu forums...

About the missing option... I'm just guessing here... but maybe the option doesn't show because, most likely, the ubuntu partitioning software is not capable of resizing you're windows partition (there could be many reasons for that).

Like Steve said if you know how to "shrink" your windows partition in some other way and leave some free unpartitioned space on disk that could be a solution.

Also, if you're not an experienced user, well... backing up your data before this kind of experiments is always a good idea...

Regarding backups... if you have an external usb harddisk (or a network accessible share) there's this great live-cd distro called Clonezilla, of which I can only say wonders... (Steve you really should check this one out) It can save a full backup of the whole harddisk or just some partitions... and it can read/backup/restore NTFS partitions.

[steve]

there's this great live-cd distro called Clonezilla, of which I can only say wonders... (Steve you really should check this one out)

Thanks for the tip