How to increase memory alotted to Linux

[shivanu]

Hello!
My computer has both Linux and Windows. I alotted 5 GB for linux while installing Linux. Now, I want to increase the amount of memory for Linux from 5 GB to around 8 GB. How do i do that (without losing any information/files from my windows memory)?

Note: There is enough memory availabe in the Windows partitions.

Thanks
Shivanu

[sdousley]

You need some sort of partitioner, depending on what distro yo are using, it might have a partitioner that can do this for you.

All you basically need to do is to move the end of the windows partition down by 3GB then move the Linux Start partition down by 3GB, this will give linux 3GB more. Post your distro, and someone will help you find a suitable program.

[the_unforgiven]

You could use partition resizer from http://www.zeleps.com/

[shivanu]

Hi,
I am using Red Hat 9.0.
When you say make the end of the Windows partition down by 3 GB, what do you exactly mean? Sorry quite new to this partitioning thing.
Thanks a lot.
Shivanu

[sdousley]

basically the partition that windows is on has 2 boundaries, the bottom one (The start of the partition) and the top one (end of the partition)

What you need to do is open up a partitioner (redhat should have one installed anyway) and moce the 'End' partition boundary down (towards the start) by 3gb. Then you can move the RedHat start partition down by 3GB to fill the space up giving it an extra 3gb

[shivanu]

Hi
Ok, i can try this, but before that i just wanted to check. By doing this will I not risk losing data from the windows partitions?
Just checking...
Thanks
Shivanu

[GrumpyGerbil]

When doing anything like this i think three is always a risk, do you need the space badly enough to make the risk worthwhile. I advise you back up as much of your data as possible incase the worst happens.
You may find that windows has stored some info at the end of the disk, so try to run a disk defrag program on the windows partition to get all the data to the start of the partition. before you start anything.

Just cuz you have a few gig spare does not mean it is all at the end of the partition

Try to get a program called 'partition Magic' for windows. It moves all the data for you. Well it did in my experiance, but so should the other programs mentioned for linux.

Sorry if i scared you with this post, just some things you need to consider before starting,

[sdousley]

Try to get a program called 'partition Magic' for windows. It moves all the data for you. Well it did in my experiance, but so should the other programs mentioned for linux.

This is a good program, i have been using it (seemingly) non-stop the last couple of days, moving partitions around, resizing them etc. It (i think for windows) is the best partitioner as GrumpyGerbil says, it moves all the data around if it's in the part that your editing.

All you need to do is choose to resize a partition, then with the mouse, drag the partition boundaries to where you want.

[AlexK]

Since Partition Magic is not free, you could try a program called fips. It does essentially the same thing as partition magic, but it is open source.

You run it via command line and tell it how many gigs you want to free up from windows and it will do it. Only draw back is that it will create the new space as a D: drive under windows. To overcome this, simply format under linux to ext2/ext3.

[n0tt00elite]

ext2/ext3.

/ReiserFS