partition plan

**AstroLlama** · November 14th, 2012

Hi everybody, i'm back in the Ubuntu-realm after a few years of being away. Good to be back [a single tear runs down my cheek].

A lot has changed, it seems and I've been reading up on UEFI, secure boot, Ubuntu 12.10. I bought an ASUS A56C laptop preinstalled with Windows 8, it'd like to dual boot with Ubuntu Studio.

From what I've read it's best to shrink partitions in the windows disk management tool, restart windows, and then install Ubuntu to the empty space. My question is can I safely delete the D: partition (named "Data") or is it necessary for windows to run?
I don't think it is because the C: partition called OS seems to have all the windows system files. I have no data on partition D, it's just taking up space. I'm aware that this is technically a windows-question. I just wanted to make 100% sure.

My second question: is it correct that as windows 8 was preinstalled in UEFI mode that ubuntu should also be installed in UEFI mode?

What about secure boot? should that be disabled or does it not really make a difference?

**pkadeel** · November 14th, 2012

Originally Posted by AstroLlama

Hi everybody, i'm back in the Ubuntu-realm after a few years of being away. Good to be back [a single tear runs down my cheek].

A lot has changed, it seems and I've been reading up on UEFI, secure boot, Ubuntu 12.10. I bought an ASUS A56C laptop preinstalled with Windows 8, it'd like to dual boot with Ubuntu Studio.

From what I've read it's best to shrink partitions in the windows disk management tool, restart windows, and then install Ubuntu to the empty space. My question is can I safely delete the D: partition (named "Data") or is it necessary for windows to run?
I don't think it is because the C: partition called OS seems to have all the windows system files. I have no data on partition D, it's just taking up space. I'm aware that this is technically a windows-question. I just wanted to make 100% sure.

My second question: is it correct that as windows 8 was preinstalled in UEFI mode that ubuntu should also be installed in UEFI mode?

What about secure boot? should that be disabled or does it not really make a difference?

As long as you are in windows, if a partition contains system files, it won't let you do that silently. So if you are going to delete D: do it from within windows.

Windows has a tendency to keep hidden backup files and/setup installers on other partitions so make sure the partition is really empty before deleting it.

**Mark Phelps** · November 14th, 2012

It's never "safe" to remove ANY partitions that are already present on a preinstalled Windows PC -- without first confirming two things:
1) What is IN the partition
2) You don't need the stuff in that partition

My guess, without seeing the PC, is that "D" is a Recovery partition, containing a compressed Windows image file, that could be used to restore your PC to its original state (know as a factory reset).

Win8 has some kind of "refresh" option in its new boot manager. It probably uses the contents of this partition for that to work. If you remove this partition, that's probably NOT going to work.

**AstroLlama** · November 14th, 2012

Originally Posted by Mark Phelps

It's never "safe" to remove ANY partitions that are already present on a preinstalled Windows PC -- without first confirming two things:
1) What is IN the partition
2) You don't need the stuff in that partition

My guess, without seeing the PC, is that "D" is a Recovery partition, containing a compressed Windows image file, that could be used to restore your PC to its original state (know as a factory reset).

Win8 has some kind of "refresh" option in its new boot manager. It probably uses the contents of this partition for that to work. If you remove this partition, that's probably NOT going to work.

Well, in addition to the C and D partitions, there's another two named "Recovery partition" one is 600 MB and the other is 20 GB. I believe one is the system utilities for backup and the 20 gigs is for creating windows restore points. There is also a 300MB EFI partition but I wouldn't touch those.

In this case D is really empty.

**oldfred** · November 15th, 2012

Several users have reported that with 12.10 and grub2 2.00 and the 64 bit version of Ubuntu booted in UEFI mode, it does not matter if secure boot is on or not.

I think grub2's os-prober's bug has not been fixed, so you will need Boot-Repair to add the correct Windows chain load entry. The os-prober creates a BIOS/MBR type chain entry which does not work. Boot-Repair can create it, or you can manually add the correct chain entry to 40_custom or create a 25_custom as Boot-Repair does.
Wrong style chain boot entry
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...2/+bug/1024383

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/UEFI
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFIBooting

Dual-boot Windows 8 and Ubuntu 12.10 on UEFI hardware
http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/11/05...uefi-hardware/

**AstroLlama** · November 16th, 2012

Thanks for the replies

Partitioning went well, and install seemed successful, but now as oldfred correctly describes, the bootloader isn't functional. At boot, screen goes to a black Windows OS selection menu. choosing windows 8 works without problems, but Ubuntu studio does not.

Strange that when you choose to load the Ubuntu option it gives a black screen saying "windows couldn't load properly." I will try to use boot repair as suggested here and in other posts as well.

I don't understand all the options, however. Boot repair gave an alert that EFI and /boot were detected, and to check the options. (this was expected)

below is the report made by boot repair, anymore suggestions?
http://paste.ubuntu.com/1361496/

PS thanks oldfred! you're being really helpful.