Hard Drive Partitioning How do I do that?

[odomike 0]

I have had it in mind to install a 2nd OS in my computer. For now, I am running WIN XP Home Edition build 2600 and I want to install Mandrake Linux as a 2nd operating System. I have heard that it is not advisable to install 2 OSs in the same HDD partition and for now, my 80Gigbyte HDD has only one partition.If anyone knows how to partition a HDD into 2 or 3 partitions for different OSs, please tell me.I will be most grateful to you all for all your kind help and sugestions.Thank you in advance for your anticipated help.

[OpaQue 15]

Take my advice and always keep Windows in Root partition. Linux is not a CooL operating system to work with. I have used both linux and windows over a year. Windows makes my work easier and things are fast. There are less bugs or problems. also I find my pc gives better performance with windows. So, If you plan to un-install linux, you are assured that your data is safe. If you put in a root partition, and un-install it in future, your primary partition becomes unstable and you end up losing everything.

[football123213 0]

Well i have to argey wit admin lenix is hard to lern and use but if you rely want it your have to re instal win xp and when you do it you need to leave lile 20 to 30 giges that are just sitting ther and then you got to take lenex and instal it on those giges hop this helps

[no9t9 0]

the best way to create a new partition is by using programs like norton partition magic. It will allow you to do it pretty easily without having to lose any data. Doing it through the Windows installation basically WILL delete all data on your drive. With partition magic, you won't lose a thing. Partition magic will just create a partition using free space on your hard drive.

[maddog39 0]

Yeah! I agree with what OpaQue said about linux. Linux has tons of security loopholes and stuff like that, I think its prolly the most easily hacked OS out there. Hence why its free, lol.

[elludovico03 0]

Do exactly what they told you and you'll be able to partitioning your hard drive.L.

[odomike 0]

Well, thanks to everyone who as attmpted to help me. I think that I am going to install the LInux after all. Like no9t9 said, I am going to download and use the Norton Partition Manager. I really want to get the Linux installed in the comp so that I can use it for my software engineering practices.Thanks to you all once again for your nice help.

[minimcmonkey 0]

one easy way, is to just insert the windows disk, then when it boots to disk format the drive (obviously this will delete everything, so back up everything you need)Then it will give you the option to partition the drive, and it can be partitioned into many many partitions, of any size above 8MB.There is lots of software out there that is available, however ive never tried any of it, so I wont try to recommend any!

[bluedragon 0]

@ odomike - Linux is SECURE Dont worryIf you have Ubuntu then You can also use something better for making partitionUbuntu has a great Disk partition manager. I've tried it myself and its better than any windows version of the utility. It formatted my 250 GB in less time than what windows take. It has a good enough graphical utility that can display partition sizes and most importantly it allows you to undo any/all of the decisions before applying anyI haven't used Norton Partition magic, I've used Avanquest partition magic. I think its the same thing only the company has changed :PBut then I never liked it. Even though they claim that their is 0% data loss, I've had some bad luck with it.NEways best of luck.I'll suggest you install Windows after you install Linux. That ways the boot-loader will be of windows and not GRUB or LILO.I dont know how to edit them.If you install Windows before your Linux. Then When You try to remove it, You'll run into problemsanyways.. best of luck

[contactskn 2]

I have had it in mind to install a 2nd OS in my computer. For now, I am running WIN XP Home Edition build 2600 and I want to install Mandrake Linux as a 2nd operating System. I have heard that it is not advisable to install 2 OSs in the same HDD partition and for now, my 80Gigbyte HDD has only one partition.
If anyone knows how to partition a HDD into 2 or 3 partitions for different OSs, please tell me.

I will be most grateful to you all for all your kind help and sugestions.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated help.

Dear friend while booting the computer with winxp cd it will ask you for installing or partitioning before. That is you have to choose the make partition option out here. I have done it many days ago so I don't remember the actual statement. After partitioning it into 2  or 3 you should install winxp on c and you can use the other os on d drive. but before doing so you should make sure that your data is saved in some other removable disk or something like that as repartitioning a hard disk will remove all the present data from your computer. So be carefull. And best of luck. 

[triplebtalk 0]

I always partition with Nortons Partition Magic, probably the easiest and safest way to do it.

[cemeteryrecords 0]

Well, on my laptop I have Windows XP Pro (NTFS), Linux Back|tracK 3 (XST2), and Linux Swap, thus, 3 different file systems. I of course didn't want to pay for a program (who does?), as I have never payed a penny for anything online before. So, I found GParted (Google It.) It is a free, online, downloadable flavor of Linux, made for the sole purpose of formating, partitioning, and writning files systems. So download it, burn it, and boot it. Gparted will load automatically, and within minutes, I had formated the drive, selected the partionion sizes, and they're file systems, and was starting the event (which only took a few minutes!) And everything turned out perfect. I recommend it as a good, free alternative to anything else.

[Ousk 0]

I don't really know what you guyz are talking about when you are saying that linux is not secure cause i find it to be at least as secure as windows.
Back to the topic, the easy way is use partition magic to create a linux specific partition type.
I don't know why you want to install linux but as i see that you don't know how to partition a hard drive it seems to me like it's just for fun or something. If i'm not wrong, then just burn a dvd with a linux portable version like knoppix (my favorite) and try linux from there and get used to it.
So after u make a bootable dvd and burn Knoppix on it you can just run linux from your dvd-rom. Another bonus will be that linux has free partitioning software installed si if you still want to install on hard drive you can use the dvd version to partition your hdd and not pay money for Partition Magic or similar software. Oh and by the way it work on an CD too. it's free and u can download here

[phoenixinno 0]

I prefer to use Norton Partition Magic, when i was dual-booting Vista & XP