Giving new life to old Laptop (Solved)

Linux Support
41

OK, I’m somewhat baffled by this partitioning scheme.

But in any case, you’re not going to easily get Linux (or any other OS) on here as it is.

You can only have 4 Primary partitions on a hard drive

You already have 4 (including one extended partition that contains a logical volume)

As it stands, I doubt if you’ll get Linux on here without breaking Windows, or the Dell recovery partition(s)

I have NO idea what that CP/M / CTOS partition is … possibly a recovery image that the “dell utility” partition uses for recovery (?)

[EDIT]

If you’re ABSOLUTELY sure you can do without the recovery functionality, maybe you can remove everything except the Windows partition, but it you’d have to be very careful, and it would carry risks to windows.

Do you have a Windows installation disk ? … and how bothered would you be if you needed to reinstall Windows if things went horribly wrong ?

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42

I couldn’t understand that either 1 OS 5 partitions, presumably that’s why the installer didn’t give the option to install alongside windows ?

43

Have searched around a bit and the com/CTOS is apparently the Dell System Restore Partition, the laptop came with XP pre-installed though I think I have a recovery Cd, I will need to check on that as its been years since I last looked in thebox I keep those sort of things in.

44

Have had a search and I have the following CDs fromDell, reinstallation DVD, windowsXP Media Centre Version 2005, also a CD with drivers and utilities. I have had a look at the Manual as well and there is a Dell PC Restore by Symantec included, there are details in the manual about how to remove this, though, of course, they don’t recommend this. This would remove the PC Restore Partition from the Hard Drive. Would this help do you think or am I asking for trouble.
Your advice would be appreciated.

Degsy

45

Here’s the problem …

I read on another forum that when someone removed the other partitions, Windows was no longer bootable … now this shouldn’t be a problem because we’ll be installing the GRUB bootloader which should pick up the Windows installation.

BUT

I need you to be aware that things could go wrong here.

Are you aware of the risks, and are you prepared if necessary to reinstall Windows which would likely entail loosing all your data ?

46

If you are to follow the manufacturers instructions how to remove the recovery partition then you should be OK.
Reboot to XP to test that all is OK.
Once you done that then do:

sudo fdisk -l

from the LiveCD to show the current partition table.

47

Thanks so much to all of you for your advice and your patience, I think that what I will do is put the laptop to one side, spend more time on my desktop, running the last LTS Ubuntu, whichever that was, 12.04, I think, check that all my data back up files are accessible and then go back to the laptop with the confidence that if all else fails I still have mt data and can do a clean install of Peppermint4 and forget about Windows or make the dual boot work until I have had enough of windows.

Once again many thanks, will get back once all is sorted or further queries crop up.

Degsy

48

Okey Dokey :slight_smile:

49

Well they certainly don’t make things easy do they! I have followed the Dell instructions to remove the Dell PC Restore and the partition that goes with it only to get the message:
Failed: Unsupported partition next to Dell PC Restore Partition

any suggestions guys?

Degsy

50
Failed: Unsupported partition next to Dell PC Restore Partition
How far did you get with the Dell utility? Did it empty the recovery partition, but was unable to remove it?
51

No, that is as far as it went, it did not offer to empty the partition and only gave me the option to “Quit”.

52

Removing the partitions is easy … removing them and still being able to boot Windows, now that’s the tricky part.

I’m pretty certain you could remove them with gparted, move the XP partition to the beginning of the drive, then install Linux toy the space that’s now after it and GRUB would detect Windows and add it to its boot menu … but I CANNOT guarantee it.

That said, you can’t ever guarantee data integrity after ANY partition manipulation.

So the choice is your … are you willing to risk Windows and everything on it, and if so have you backed up anything you cannot afford to loose ?

53

OK Mark, have decided to take the risk, everything I value is backed up, best outcome a dual boot system, otherwise I wave goodbye to XP a few months early. A hand holding guide would be much appreciated,
Thanks, Degsy.

54

OK, you need to boot a LiveCD, load gparted, and use it to delete all the partitions except the Windows partition.

Then move the Windows partition to the beginning of the drive (ie. to the left, in gparted) leaving unpartitioned space to the right.

Now reboot to the Linux LiveCD and elect to install Linux “next to windows” … (it’s important that you reboot befor installing)

Don’t attempt to boot Windows, it will be broken until after you install Linux.

55

Hi Degsy

You may well be aware of this but when you make any changes in gparted you have to go to “edit” and “apply changes” before any changes are applied, just thought I’d add that because it took me a while to work that out at first

Good luck

Graeme

56

OK I have done the install and the situation is that Peppermint is working fine, however, when I try to boot XP i get the following error message,
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
Windows root> \system 32\hal.dll
Please re-install a copy of the above file
any comments, not that I am particularly bothered as it means I will put all my efforts into getting to grips with Peppermint.

Thanks for all your help,
Degsy

57

have you got an XP installation disk ?

58

I have got a disc labelled Reinstallation DVD from Dell

59

IGNORE THIS POSTING … see my next posting.

I don’t think that will allow you to get to a windows “recovery console”.

Can you borrow an XP disk, or download a pirate copy … we only need it for a second or two.

As we moved the partition, we need to boot to an XP installation disk, drop to a “recovery console” … then run:

fixboot
60

Ahh, hold on (minor brain freeze there) … as we removed a partition before the main bootable XP partition, we probably need to edit the boot.ini file in XP to point at the correct partition

Are you able to access the Windows partitions contents from within Peppermint ? ← do you know how ?

[EDIT]

It’s my guess your boot.ini file will read something like:-

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=30
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

If so, you’ll need to change it to:-

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=30
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Then SAVE the file.

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