How to partition Ubuntu/Vista in proper order

[F8M]

Please refer to post #6 b/c I have rearranged my partition.

[KeLa]

If you don't get any other better advice then do this:
1. Start from fresh.
2. Install windows vista
3. Install ubuntu.
After that everything should be ok.
But as you know this is the so called easy fix.

[F8M]

The only problem I will have with this setup is with the important data I need in Ubuntu. How can I do this without losing the data in Ubuntu.
Thanks for the quick reply

[KeLa]

If your important data is in your home directory then you can try following:
1. Connect external usb disk to your computer.
2. Open terminal (it will open to your home directory)
3. Execute following command:
rsync -rit --del . /media/yourusbdisk/backupfolder/
That will copy everything from your home directory to the usb disk.
I have extra internal disk on my ubuntu box and its mounted as /media/data
and i use command rsync -rit --del /home/username /media/data/username
as a backup system.
It will copy everything (including hidden files and folders)

[P4man]

AFAIK, its not a problem that they are not in order. However, windows doesnt like being installed to anything other than the first primary partition. You may have to move your linux partition, so you can install windows "before" ubuntu, on sda1, or rather, on the first partition. You can do that from a livecd, delete the ntfs partition, move your ext4 partition, then install windows upon the empty space. You will have to reinstall grub, but you will have to do that anyway after installing windows.

[F8M]

Ok, I changed the order of the partition as shown below and I selected Vista(/dev/sda3) to boot from.

Disk /dev/sdb: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69664f0a
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 12162 97682420 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00012bcc

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 27967 38164 81915435 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 38165 38914 6013953 5 Extended
/dev/sda3 * 1 27966 224636863+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5 38165 38914 6013952 82 Linux swap / Solaris
Partition table entries are not in disk order

But after installing Vista & rebooting OK, I reinstalled Grub2 for Ubuntu and reboot with only Ubuntu showing up. It did NOT give me the option of either booting from Windows or Ubuntu. PLEASE help, thanks.

[F8M]

I need help in getting my bootmgr to boot with both Windows & Ubuntu. Thanks

[presence1960]

When I type in "sudo fdisk -l" command, it say that my partition is not in order.

Disk /dev/sdb: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69664f0a

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 12162 97682420 7 HPFS/NTFS
Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00012bcc

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 10199 81922443+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 38165 38914 6013953 5 Extended
/dev/sda3 10200 38164 224628862+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5 38165 38914 6013952 82 Linux swap / Solaris
Partition table entries are not in disk order

The following is what my partition looks like in the Gparted:

Partition------File_System---Size
unallocated--unallocated---1.0 MB
/dev/sda1------ext 4--------78.13 GB
/dev/sda3-------ntfs--------214.22 GB
unallocated--unallocated---4.49 MB
/dev/sda2-----extended-----5.74 GB
/dev/sda5----linux-swap----5.74 GB

How to I go about putting partition in right order so I coulde install Vista? Please help, Thank you.


It can be fixed this way:

Code:


sudo fdisk /dev/sda
x
f
w

[F8M]

The following is done w/the live CD.

When I type in the command 'sudo fdisk /dev/sda', I get the following warning:
WARNING: DOS-compatible mode is deprecated. It's strongly recommended to switch off the mode (command 'c') and change display units to sectors (command 'u').

Command (m for help):


Here is the result of 'sudo fdisk -l' after rearranging my partition.

Disk /dev/sdb: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69664f0a
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 12162 97682420 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00012bcc
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 27967 38164 81915435 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 38165 38914 6013953 5 Extended
/dev/sda3 * 1 27966 224636863+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5 38165 38914 6013952 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order


I don't know why, but every time I boot from the live CD I have to go into Gparted to uncheck '/dev/sdb1'.
Here is another question. Knowing that you can only boot from one source(either sda1 or sda3), that it matter which one you choose - what's the difference?
Thank you.

[presence1960]

The following is done w/the live CD.

When I type in the command 'sudo fdisk /dev/sda', I get the following warning:
WARNING: DOS-compatible mode is deprecated. It's strongly recommended to switch off the mode (command 'c') and change display units to sectors (command 'u').

Command (m for help):


Here is the result of 'sudo fdisk -l' after rearranging my partition.

Disk /dev/sdb: 100.0 GB, 100030242816 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 12161 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x69664f0a
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 1 12162 97682420 7 HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sda: 320.1 GB, 320072933376 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 38913 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00012bcc
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 27967 38164 81915435 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 38165 38914 6013953 5 Extended
/dev/sda3 * 1 27966 224636863+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5 38165 38914 6013952 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Partition table entries are not in disk order


I don't know why, but every time I boot from the live CD I have to go into Gparted to uncheck '/dev/sdb1'.
Here is another question. Knowing that you can only boot from one source(either sda1 or sda3), that it matter which one you choose - what's the difference?
Thank you.

Go ahead and run the commands. That is a standard warning that appears.

[F8M]

After going ahead, I received the following:

Command (m for help): x

Expert command (m for help): f
Nothing to do. Ordering is correct already.

Expert command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.

WARNING: Re-reading the partition table failed with error 16: Device or resource busy.
The kernel still uses the old table. The new table will be used at
the next reboot or after you run partprobe(8) or kpartx(8)
Syncing disks.

After doing this with my computer still using the Live CD, I checked my partition in Gparted and noticed that there was a problem with the /dev/sda1 (Vista).

Partition---------File-System--------Label---------Size--------Flags
/dev/sda1(WARNING)-ntfs-----------Vista-------214.23GB-----boot-
/dev/sda2-----------ext4------------Ubuntu---------78.12GB---------
unallocated------unallocated------------------------4.49GB---------
/dev/sda3--(key)--extended--------------------------5.74GB---------
/dev/sda5--(key)--linuxswap-------------------------5.74GB---------

Now because of the WARNING in ntfs, should I still go ahead and reboot or should I first fix the ntfs file.

[F8M]

Sorry about the inconvenience, but post#11 was repeated 3 times.
Please help me - - - Thank you.

[F8M]

Sorry about the inconvenience, but post#11 was repeated 3 times.
Please help me - - - Thank you.

[F8M]

After repairing the ntfs file by deleting it and installing a brand new one, the error did not show up in the Gparted.

So after putting your commands, the following is the message I got:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk /dev/sda
WARNING: DOS-compatible mode is deprecated. It's strongly recommended to
switch off the mode (command 'c') and change display units to
sectors (command 'u').

Command (m for help): x

Expert command (m for help): f
Nothing to do. Ordering is correct already.


Expert command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
WARNING: Re-reading the partition table failed with error 16: Device or resource busy.
The kernel still uses the old table. The new table will be used at
the next reboot or after you run partprobe(8) or kpartx(8)
Syncing disks.

After all this work, it eliminated the boot-up command from showing up in the /dev/sdb1. But still, once I rebooted without the CD, it did not dual boot but went to the Ubuntu. My real question is (out of frustration), how do you dual-boot without losing my Ubuntu data files. Thank you