stevewy@hotmail.com wrote:

> I was trying to install Ubuntu as a dual boot on my PC. My main 80Gb
> HDD was partitioned already into C: (Windows system NTFS) and D:
> (Storage and files NTFS), both 40Gb each. I had cleared D: and told
> Ubuntu to install there. However, during installation there was a
> problem and I had to abort. Second time round, Ubuntu refused to
> install onto the same drive.
>
> In the end, I successfully installed onto my back-up drive, which is
> only 10Gb, and I have no problem with this. However, I now want to re-
> partition my main 80Gb HDD, as the abortive Ubuntu installation has
> substantially reduced the size of the drive available.
>
> I do not have any Windows partitioning tools, but I have tried to use
> QTParted for this, which I have on a Knoppix Live DVD. As I am not
> sure what I am doing, I am steadily making it worse! I wondered if
> anyone on this group could tell me where I am going wrong.
>
> My current setup is:
>
> C: (under Windows) NTFS size 39.57Gb starting at 0.03Mb, ending at
> 39.57Gb. This contains my Windows system.
> D: (under Windows) NTFS size 20.02Gb starting at 39.57Gb ending at
> 59.60Gb.
>
> Partition 03 HDA-1 (Free) size 16.36Gb starting at 59.60Gb ending at
> 75.96Gb
> Partition 04 HDA4 (Extended) size 745.2Mb starting at 75.96Gb ending
> at 76.69Gb
> Partition 05 HDA5 (Linux-swap) 745.17Mb starting at 75.96Gb ending at
> 76.69Gb
>
> What I want on this disk drive is just C: (unchanged) and D: which can
> be either NTFS or FAT32 (I'm not bothered!), but to be one partition
> of 40Gb, same as C:
>
> I somehow need to remove the unwanted partitions and extend D: to be
> 40Gb. But I cannot get QTParted to do it, and I am afraid to
> experiment too much in case I mess up the C:, which I wanted to keep.
>
> Can anyone help me?
>
> Thanks
>
> Steve Wylie
> Kent
> U.K.
Hi Steve!

As I understand it, your drive setup is now like this:

hda1 39.57gB ntfs windows o/s
hda2 20.02gB ntfs windows data (empty)
hda3 16.36gB unused formerly Ubuntu
hda4 (extended)
hda5 745.17mB swap

Look in your (new) Ubuntu install. Does /etc/fstab
show that /dev/hda5 as the swap partition? If so, you
must decide whether to leave it that way or make a new
swap partition on your 10gB drive so that hda5 can be
recycled to its formaer (windows) role. I will assume
hda5 is NOT needed by Ubuntu. Adjust as appropriate.

Ubuntu has the tools you need to revise the partitioning
on your 80gB drive - or the packages can be easily installed.

My choice would be to use cfdisk to first delete hda2 and
above, then create a new hda2 using all of the available
space. Then boot windows and use it to format D:.

gparted is a very slick gui that will also do what you need.
I had a lot of trouble with qtparted too, but gparted works
very well. It will allow you to perform the same operations
I listed for cfdisk, or you may be brave and delete just hda3/4/5
and then grow hda2 into the new free space.

Make a backup of windows before fiddling with the partition
table (and don't save it to your 80g drive!). Bad things
sometimes happen... especially when there's no backup.

Roby