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Creating a New Primary Partition?

  • 12-07-2010 05:51PM
    #1
    mk6705
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 721 ✭✭✭


    Right. On my laptop I have what appears to be four partitions. Three are primary and one is extended (Which counts as primary). One has Vista, another is recovery and another is a dell utility partition. The extended partition contains various Ubuntu drives. So is there any conceivable way I can create a new primary partition? Maybe within the extended partition?


Comments

  • #2
    oscarBravo
    Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 28,862 Mod ✭✭✭✭oscarBravo


    No, four primaries is the limit. Why do you want another primary?


  • #3
    Eliot Rosewater
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,745 ✭✭✭Eliot Rosewater


    As far as I know you can have a maximum of four primary partitions, one of which can be an extended partition. So you've used up all of yours.

    I don't know if you can delete Dell Utility or Recovery; you'd want to be extremely certain that you can before you do and definitely find some trustworthy advise first. To be honest, I'd be inclined not to.

    The only alternative I can think of is to install another hard drive, but given that it's a laptop that's probably out of the question too.

    Are you installing BSD or something?


  • #4
    mk6705
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 721 ✭✭✭mk6705


    To put another operating system on my PC. Let's just call it "XP" for this site.

    EDIT: Is it possible to
    a) Grow an extended partition (ie make it bigger) and
    b) Put a primary partition in an extended partition?

    Or if not, to convert an extended partition into two logical partitions? (ie. the contents of the extended partition?)


  • #5
    Eliot Rosewater
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,745 ✭✭✭Eliot Rosewater


    Adro947 wrote: »
    To put another operating system on my PC. Let's just call it "XP" for this site.

    I'd say there's an "X" in it alright, and it's preceded by "OS", eh? ;)
    Adro947 wrote: »
    EDIT: Is it possible to
    a) Grow an extended partition (ie make it bigger) and

    Yup. You can use a utility like gParted. gParted is on the Ubuntu live cd, and there's also a dedicated gParted live cd. Apparently it's good practise to de-fragment your Windows partition (in Windows) before resizing it.
    Adro947 wrote: »
    b) Put a primary partition in an extended partition?

    Nope.
    Adro947 wrote: »
    Or if not, to convert an extended partition into two logical partitions? (ie. the contents of the extended partition?)

    No again. Logical partitions can only exist within extended partitions.

    EDIT: I'd say your just out of luck. The only solution I can think of is to delete those extra partitions. It's worth considering, but as I said, be very careful.


  • #6
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    If You're out of warranty You don't need the Dell utility (or rather Dell don't need it to prove You accepted the EULA)
    http://www.goodells.net/dellutility/


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  • #7
    digme
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,584 ✭✭✭digme


    Adro947 wrote: »
    Right. On my laptop I have what appears to be four partitions. Three are primary and one is extended (Which counts as primary). One has Vista, another is recovery and another is a dell utility partition. The extended partition contains various Ubuntu drives. So is there any conceivable way I can create a new primary partition? Maybe within the extended partition?
    linux can boot from a logical partition


  • #8
    Eliot Rosewater
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,745 ✭✭✭Eliot Rosewater


    digme wrote: »
    linux can boot from a logical partition

    Yeah, but Windows and BSD can't! And OSX can't either, I think.
    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    If You're out of warranty You don't need the Dell utility (or rather Dell don't need it to prove You accepted the EULA)
    http://www.goodells.net/dellutility/

    Cheers for that link!


  • #9
    digme
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,584 ✭✭✭digme


    Eliot Rosewater wrote: »
    Yeah, but Windows and BSD can't! And OSX can't either, I think.
    is he installing windows or bsd or osx?
    i dunno....


  • #10
    mk6705
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 721 ✭✭✭mk6705


    Right. I've backed up all the data on the DELLUTILITY drive. I did this by making it visible to Vista and copying everything. So I'm thinking I'll delete it? But leave the free space there. That way I can recover it using an Ubuntu CD from a USB drive if my laptop goes kaput and I need to recover it.

    Nothing inadvisable about this? I certainly can't see any disadvantages. That'll mean I'll have another primary partition and I'll be able to install "XP" on my PC. :pac:


  • #11
    Eliot Rosewater
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,745 ✭✭✭Eliot Rosewater


    Adro947 wrote: »
    Nothing inadvisable about this?

    I'd say not. I've had this Dell PC for 4+ years and I've never used either of those partitions. Might delete them myself to be honest; it's annoying the way the Dell Recovery one comes up in my menu on Ubuntu.
    Adro947 wrote: »
    That'll mean I'll have another primary partition and I'll be able to install "XP" on my PC. :pac:

    <_<

    >_>

    :pac:


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  • #12
    mk6705
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 721 ✭✭✭mk6705


    Eliot Rosewater wrote: »
    I'd say not. I've had this Dell PC for 4+ years and I've never used either of those partitions. Might delete them myself to be honest; it's annoying the way the Dell Recovery one comes up in my menu on Ubuntu.



    <_<

    >_>

    :pac:

    I've had no problems since I deleted the partition. Installing "XP" has proved harder though. But I'm making progress.


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