[homsarjogger]

Heres my story. I want to install Linux Mandrake 9.2 onto my computer, currently running XP Home. The hard drive is 37.7 GB, and 80% is free. When I start the installation off of the first CD, i get to the part that you partition your hard drive. I want to split the hard drive in half, basically, but when I try to do so, it says that I need to defrag. After a scan disk, a checkdisk, and a defragging, I try again. Same result. Please defrag. Any ideas?

Also, it finally let me partition it, but only let me have a new piece of 300 mb.

[Maillion]

Quote:

Heres my story. I want to install Linux Mandrake 9.2 onto my computer, currently running XP Home. The hard drive is 37.7 GB, and 80% is free. When I start the installation off of the first CD, i get to the part that you partition your hard drive. I want to split the hard drive in half, basically, but when I try to do so, it says that I need to defrag. After a scan disk, a checkdisk, and a defragging, I try again. Same result. Please defrag. Any ideas?

Also, it finally let me partition it, but only let me have a new piece of 300 mb.

Windows hides files that don't really need to be hidden. They also call nonsystem files 'System' for some reason. If you copy anything from a CD to the hard drive it comes with a read only attribute. Windows Defrag will not move System, Read Only, or Hidden files! Thus, your partition software is looking at a disk that has only a few bytes 'free' because one or more of those files is down near the end of the drive. I would suggest another defrag utility, if I knew of one, but the only one I know is Norton Speeddisk, which is just as bad, because it puts least used files at the end of the drive... Anybody else know of a good defragger that does not refuse to move hidden files? ;(

[danleff]

When you run defrag, note where the graphical display oulays the files. You will probably see some files still toward the end of the partition, or near the middle.

The best solution if you do not have a resize partition utility, is to defrag again and see if the files are moved toward the left of the partition.

But note, that defrag is not a resize utility. So, trying the half the partition will fail, as Mandrake will see files still placed too far into the partition to be safe.

A much easier way to do this is with a resize partition utility, such as PartitionMagic, to resize the partition. This method will move the files safely and leave unformatted space, whee you can use Mandrake to make the new partitions needed, with the resulted empty space.

Of course, you can also make a ext2 partition for the empty space with PartitionMagic and tell mandrake to use that space.

[homsarjogger]

The problem is that the files toward the end of the drive are unmovable (green). I would use PartitionMagic but I'm not willing to pay. Anybody know any good free partition (without deleting files) resizer?

[Dapper Dan]

Ask around. Someone you know is bound to have a copy of partition magic they'd let you "try out."

[danleff]

And from my experience, it should be PartitionMagic 8, which supports this much better.

[Dapper Dan]

I also have PM 8, and it rocks!

edit: I could let you use my PM 8 since I've used it to destroy all my Windows partitions! I don't have anything I can install it on anymore!

[homsarjogger]

I found something (cough...kazaa k++ lite...cough...). I have it installed now, went through installation without errors. Thank you all. New edisode: I have two video cards, intel extreme graphics(on mobo) and ATI something. When I load Linux, with both cards enabled, neither one of them show anything. How do I change the video card/monitor settings from installation disks? (or anything)

P.S. PartitionMagic 8 RULES! It was so simple to use. I gave Windows XP Home 52% and the rest to linux for it do do whatever with it. Its a 40 GB Hard Drive. You do the math. Is that plenty?

[Dapper Dan]

If you run out of room, you can always reallocate your NTFS partition like I did!

[danleff]

15-20 gigs should be plenty. I never use more than 20 gigs and have never run out of room.

The video. You need to decide which card that you are going to use. Look on the Mandrake site, once you know what the cards are exactly. You can use Windows XP's device manager to see what cards it identifies.

Then look at the mandrake site and see if either is supported.

If the ATI is supported only then you need to disable the onboard video in the bios.

Mandrake gets confused trying to set the settings for two cards.

Also make sure that you know what your monitor settings are. What type of monitor fo you have?

The best senario is to install Mandrake with only one video card enabled, preferably the one that is listed as supported. Then do the install.

Some of the ATI cards have real issues in Mandrake, especially the newest ones, so post what you have or check out the Mandrake site.

[zorba4]

@danlef I currently have 40 gigs and I am constantly running out of disk space. Each PC game needs several gigs, and videos need at least 10 gigs, etc... So 25 gigs is enough for learning how it works, and then you will very soon need to buy another disk.

[Dapper Dan]

zorba4, sounds like a good time to check out an external usb drive..

[zorba4]

Great idea.
Nevertheless, my post was opposed to the fact that "25 gigs is a lot". No! 25 gigs is few, and even 40 gigs is few.
By the way, external drives seem far more expensive than internal drives, so I am serously thinking about a 120 gig internal (60 times more than the 20 gigs danleef said being a lot ! If I happen saving enough money, this will be great !
For the moment I am feeling rather angry because I cannot startup Internet Counter strike. But that's another story, really far away from the present topic.

[Dapper Dan]

New Topic.

[homsarjogger]

I got into linux once by just randomly pushing buttons on my keyboard. I cant do it again. Oh well. My monitor is a Gateway EV700 (CRT). The ATI is a RADEON 7000 Series. The one it came with is an Intel® 82815 Graphics Controller. They are both pretty much the same quality, so either one would do.

[homsarjogger]

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-...mp;submit=Go%21

Is this what I need? I think the ATI RADEON 7000 isn't compatible. If this is the thing I need for the Intel one, how do I use it?

AND.. When you start Mandrake 9.2, after it runs the tests, what comes up? Is there a log on screen? Can someone tell me what buttons i have to push if there is? I ask this because I did get into it once, but I dont know what i pushed.

[danleff]

OK, I found the radeon drivers, but I have no idea how to install them. Let's see if anyone can assist n this regard.

http://mirror.ati.com/support/drivers/li...&submit.y=0

Of course, you need to know what version of X is installed. Try typing in X -version at a command line and see what it returns. It should be a capital "X" and a space between the X and -version.

Good find on the Intel drivers, but I believe that they are for an older version of X, so I don't know if they will work.

[jimf43]

Quote:

And from my experience, it should be PartitionMagic 8, which supports this much better.

But, when the say backup they mean it! partitioning/resizing a primary drive is risky with anything, even PartitionMagic 8. Can't say from personal experence, but, people that I trust say that the failure rate can be as high as 50%... scares me. ;(

I've two 80GB drives which are partitioned and I've resized the secondarys on disk0 and all partitions on disk1, but, I leave the primary on the first drive alone.

IMHO, if you're going to have a dual boot, a second HD is a very good idea if not a necessity.

[jimf43]

Quote:

Anybody else know of a good defragger that does not refuse to move hidden files? ;(

Not a total solution, but,

PageDefrag for Windows NT/2K/XP
Copyright © 1998-2002 Mark Russinovich
www.sysinternals.com

Will move/compact the pagefile.
chkdsk should also be run with the /R switch.
Short of that, you can always mirror/backup the drive and then restore. :x

[homsarjogger]

I am typing this on Linux. I dont know how, but after many installs, I finally got it to work (using the Intel graphics, btw..) Thanks for all your help, and LINUX IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN WINDOWS. cough.