Dual Boot Question

Hello,
I have a Dell Laptop running Windows XP. Is there a tool/software
that allows me to partition the internal disk without destroying the
existing Windows OS. I would like to install Redhat 9 on the second
partition. Thanks for your suggestions.

Julia

julia131@netzero.com uttered the immortal words:

> Hello,
> I have a Dell Laptop running Windows XP. Is there a tool/software
> that allows me to partition the internal disk without destroying the
> existing Windows OS. I would like to install Redhat 9 on the second
> partition. Thanks for your suggestions.

I swear by Partition Magic. I've used it for years and it's only damaged a
partition once and that was on a failing HDD. It does cost money but I've
found it to be worth it.

SystemRescueCD is an alternative. It's an ISO that can produce a bootable
Linux CD with partitioning tools on. I have a copy but haven't used it for
partitioning. You can find it here:
http://www.sysresccd.org/

As with any activity that can destroy data, make sure you have a backup
first just in case.

HTH

--
Andy.

julia131@netzero.com wrote:
> Hello,
> I have a Dell Laptop running Windows XP. Is there a tool/software
> that allows me to partition the internal disk without destroying the
> existing Windows OS. I would like to install Redhat 9 on the second
> partition. Thanks for your suggestions.

doesn't the redhat 9 install disk allow you to resize your XP partition?
i thought it did? if not, try mandrake, i know it can resize NTFS.
just be sure to run 'defrag' on the winXP box before you attempt the
install.



--
Woolsey-Swanson Rule:
People would rather live with a problem they cannot solve
than accept a solution they cannot understand.

remove '.eh' to email

On Thu, 04 Mar 2004 10:30:44 +0000, johnny bobby bee wrote:

> julia131@netzero.com wrote:
>> Hello,
>> I have a Dell Laptop running Windows XP. Is there a tool/software
>> that allows me to partition the internal disk without destroying the
>> existing Windows OS. I would like to install Redhat 9 on the second
>> partition. Thanks for your suggestions.
>
> doesn't the redhat 9 install disk allow you to resize your XP partition?
> i thought it did? if not, try mandrake, i know it can resize NTFS.
> just be sure to run 'defrag' on the winXP box before you attempt the
> install.

Anything that diddles with the partition table and the master boot record
is risky. Partition Magic is a Windows XP application that can
nondestructively resize and move partitions and create new partitions,
including Linux ext3 and swap partitions, but it warns you to back up
everything important before proceeding. Believe it.

julia131@netzero.com wrote:

> Hello,
> I have a Dell Laptop running Windows XP. Is there a tool/software
> that allows me to partition the internal disk without destroying the
> existing Windows OS. I would like to install Redhat 9 on the second
> partition. Thanks for your suggestions.
>
> Julia

I suggest that you fetch Mandrake 9.2 and use its installer to partition
your disk non-destructively for linux, install the linux and install
the Linux Loader (lilo) into the MBR to act as a boot manager to boot
either linux and windows as you choose.

Just put the install disk in, tell it how much of the drive you want to
free up for linux and then accept the defaults. Choose all the
workstation alternatives. Mandrake will automatically shrink the
partition, install linux on the freed part and set up a dual boot
system.

(probably RedHat will also shrink a NTFS partition non-destructively,
but I know for sure that Mandrake 9.2 will do it because I have
installed it in my machine over a pre-existing Win2000 NTFS partition)

Clive

Stephen J. Rush wrote:

> Partition Magic is a Windows XP application that can
> nondestructively resize and move partitions and create new partitions,
> including Linux ext3 and swap partitions, but it warns you to back up
> everything important before proceeding. Believe it.
>

believe it - no kidding!
ironically, i've only once tried partition magic on an XP install, to
make room for a dual-boot linux partition, and it totally f'd up the mbr
or partition tables. i could no longer boot to XP after the partition
magic resizing. and i didn't know enough to find/fix the problem. so i
lost everything.
mandrake's repartitioning tool, on the other hand, has never once
screwed anything up, for my dual-boot installs.


--
Woolsey-Swanson Rule:
People would rather live with a problem they cannot solve
than accept a solution they cannot understand.

remove '.eh' to email

.....> Julia

julia131@netzero.com wrote:

> internal disk without destroying the
> existing Windows OS.**I*would*like*to*install

.... spend some time researching Xandros Deluxe - it'll
resize XP-NTFS partitions and get you a great Linux distro
..
--
<< http://michaeljtobler.homelinux.com/ >>
Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship
of Jackals by Jackasses. - H. L. Mencken

Ultra wrote:
> johnny bobby bee wrote:
>
>>> Hello,
>>> I have a Dell Laptop running Windows XP. Is there a tool/software
>>> that allows me to partition the internal disk without destroying the
>>> existing Windows OS. I would like to install Redhat 9 on the second
>>> partition. Thanks for your suggestions.
>
>
> Use Partition Magic
>
>> doesn't the redhat 9 install disk allow you to resize your XP partition?
>
>
> It does (as long as I remember)
>
>> i thought it did? if not, try mandrake, i know it can resize NTFS.
>> just be sure to run 'defrag' on the winXP box before you attempt the
>> install.
>>
>>
>>
Try partition magic, it works great, and stable. I have use it on
multiple occassions without any problems

Roger <compspec1@sbcglobal.nospam.net> wrote in message news:<CzIhc.25119$2U4.17727@newssvr27.news.prodigy .com>...
> Ultra wrote:
> > johnny bobby bee wrote:
> >
> >>> Hello,
> >>> I have a Dell Laptop running Windows XP. Is there a tool/software
> >>> that allows me to partition the internal disk without destroying the
> >>> existing Windows OS. I would like to install Redhat 9 on the second
> >>> partition. Thanks for your suggestions.
> >
> >
> > Use Partition Magic
> >
> >> doesn't the redhat 9 install disk allow you to resize your XP partition?
> >
> >
> > It does (as long as I remember)
> >
> >> i thought it did? if not, try mandrake, i know it can resize NTFS.
> >> just be sure to run 'defrag' on the winXP box before you attempt the
> >> install.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> Try partition magic, it works great, and stable. I have use it on
> multiple occassions without any problems



I know with Debian you can dual boot---Just read a howto(LILO!!)--If
you got the latest Woody release, once you can boot up debian, you can
edit your lilo (boot loader) file by reading a howto(Just look at
debian.org)

Esher2292