how do i dual boot suse and win xp

[dr_girly_clueless]

hi all,
im new to linux, and its already driving me mad...lol
i originally wanted to install suse 10.1 and dual boot with 98, but what had happened was, i was reading an old book on running linux, i was slowly giving up, then finally confusion took over and i let the machine do what it wanted.

It installed suse successfully, i might add.It definately installed 3 partitians, like i wanted, but the problem is i think it deleted windows..im not really sure what happened, perhaps its lost somewhere. What was i meant to have done??
(Any answers to this for curiousity sake.)

my second attempt to put it right....

Now my problem is that i want to overwrite suse 10.1,by installing xp, and i think i need to delete the partitians and start from scratch??? The c: drive has gone missing...:O

I am actually quite lost in what to do.

My aim is to have xp and suses newer version 10.2 as a dual boot.

Help aarrghhhh
thanks in advance.

[Vergil83]

I can't really say what you did the first time.

Put in the windows xp install cd should be able to see the linux partitions. I would earse all the partitions (unless there is something you want to save). Use the windows install cd to make your two partitions (or 3?). Only format one using the install cd and install windows there. Now use the suse install cd and install it on the other unused partition.

[dr_girly_clueless]

hi, thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

i saw the 3 linux partitions, theres nothing really on them anyway as i only installed them a few nights ago.
How would i use the windows cd to make the two partitions, u mean to make them as big/small as i wanted, cos they are already there.
I formatted one using the install cd, and am installing windows there, right now.
so far so good?

[gogalthorp]

hi, thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

i saw the 3 linux partitions, theres nothing really on them anyway as i only installed them a few nights ago.
How would i use the windows cd to make the two partitions, u mean to make them as big/small as i wanted, cos they are already there.
I formatted one using the install cd, and am installing windows there, right now.
so far so good?

Its better to let Suse make the partitions just have enough unformated space for Linux. It is possible if you make the wrong choice to over write a Windows partition. Did you resize or have unused space before the install?

If done right you should have 4 partitions 1 Windows 3 linux (swap normaly small 2x the memory of you machine, root, and home) Swap is for extended memory operations, root holds the system and most of the app files, and home is where the user data is stored with each user haveing their own diresctory.

But you must reserve some space for Linux. If you install and have no reserved space it is going to overwrite what is there.

If you go for a dual boot again install Windows first and define a partion smaller then the hard drive. There should be a point in the Windows install that allows you to define paritions or you can run fdisk. Windoz does not play nice with others so it must always go first.

[dr_girly_clueless]

hi,
im really not sure what i did...i did let suse make the partitians,
and there were 3 partitians not 4 make so i guess i let it delete without realising.
It wouldnt allow me any options, i could see there were some, but it wouldnt allow me to get to them to change it.

no more linux, for the time being because, i reinstalled windows now, it was 98 before my linux attempt and i upgraded it to xp, but i see the local disk is no longer the c: drive, the c: drive is now a removable disk? What did i do now? and how do i change it back?

Its really started to annoy me, it seems nothings going right. Its something so simple that is turning into a nightmare.

I am still goin to try and dual boot...

I keep hearing about this fdisk, but i have no idea how to use it...lol...hey im learning:P

Thanks again

[devils casper]

in Windows, execute 'diskmgmt.msc' at command prompt or in RUN dialog box. Disk Management Tool window will pop up. post partition structure here.







Casper

[dr_girly_clueless]

hey devils_casper
how are u ? thanks for the tip, ive took note.

im not sure if u wanted everything, but i wasnt sure which info would help or not, this is how i saw it.

Volume: layout type filesystem
Partition basic
Partition basic
G: partition basic FAT32



Status capacity freespace %free
Healthy (u… 251.MB 251MB 100%
Healthy(u… 4.77GB 4.77GB 100%
Healthy(s… 4.87GB 3.27GB 67%

Fault tolerance
No
No
No

then at the bottom it says this

disk 0 2.51MB 4.77GB G:
basic unknown partition (allocated) unknown partition 488GB
(allocated) FAT32
12.07GB


disk 1 217GB ( unallocated)
removable disk
C:

[dr_girly_clueless]

hi all,
i just checked to see what i did...and where i went wrong...
it seems, i let suse, do whatever it thought was right.btw, my c drive is now another letter, i know it works just the same, but im so used to it being c: it seems weird it being something else. How do i change it back?

continuing with the installation process for suse
it gave me the following options:-

delete the partition/dev/hda2(4.7GB)
create extended partition/dev/hda2(4.7GB)
create root partition/dev/hda5(3.0GB) with reisurfs
create partition/dev/hda6(1.7GB) for /home with reisurfs
use/dev/hd1 as swap
set moint point of /dev/hd3/windows/c


i must of let it go with the first one, and as automatic partition

so my second installation/dual boot, i dont want to makethe same mistakes.

If i continue using 'expect', clicking onto 'change partitioning'

it gives me the options to
accept
base partition setup on this proposal
create custom partition setup

choosing the last option, it gives me
hard disk
or to custom partitional for expects

then in the expert partitioner

/dev/hda 12.0GB maxtor
/dev/hda1 250 linux swap swap
/dev/hda2 4.7GB
/dev/hda3 4.8GB win95FAT32 LBA



not sure what it means by this, so i put it anyway
start end
0 1574
0 31
32 654
655 1291


somebody help...lol

[dr_girly_clueless]

hi all,
i just checked to see what i did...and where i went wrong...
it seems, i let suse, do whatever it thought was right.btw, my c drive is now another letter, i know it works just the same, but im so used to it being c: it seems weird it being something else. How do i change it back?

continuing with the installation process for suse
it gave me the following options:-

delete the partition/dev/hda2(4.7GB)
create extended partition/dev/hda2(4.7GB)
create root partition/dev/hda5(3.0GB) with reisurfs
create partition/dev/hda6(1.7GB) for /home with reisurfs
use/dev/hd1 as swap
set moint point of /dev/hd3/windows/c


i must of let it go with the first one, and as automatic partition

so my second installation/dual boot, i dont want to makethe same mistakes.

If i continue using 'expect', clicking onto 'change partitioning'

it gives me the options to
accept
base partition setup on this proposal
create custom partition setup

choosing the last option, it gives me
hard disk
or to custom partitional for expects

then in the expert partitioner
device size type mount
/dev/hda 12.0GB maxtor
/dev/hda1 250 linux swap swap
/dev/hda2 4.7GB
/dev/hda3 4.8GB win95FAT32 LBA

[dr_girly_clueless]

i dont know if this is useful information but it also had this, im not quite sure what it is referring to.


start
0
0
655

end
1574
31
654
1291