[jjack0310]

Hello

I am trying to install Ubuntu 10.10 by creating a partition on my harddrive and installing the new OS in the new partitino and having a DUAL BOOT.

The problem is, when I open the Computer Management ---> Disk Management ---> and right click on my main drive to shrink the volume, the Virtual Disk Management gives me an error message:

"The service cannot be started, either because it has been disabled or because it has no enabled devices associated with it"

I have no idea what this means,. can anyone help?

My hardrive is 160 GB and Windows 7 is installed on all of it, there is not other partition on the main hard drive except for the Windows 7 installation.

Thank you very much

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you can't resize the system partition while running windows on it.

you'd need to get something like GParted to do it outside of the OS. follow their instructions for making a live CD, and for resizing a partition.

before doing the resize you may want to run a chckdsk on the drive and back up anything important. (just in case). you'll probably want to do another chkdsk on the drive after the resize (if it doesn't force you to do so)

[dsenette]

you can't resize the system partition while running windows on it.

you'd need to get something like GParted to do it outside of the OS. follow their instructions for making a live CD, and for resizing a partition.

before doing the resize you may want to run a chckdsk on the drive and back up anything important. (just in case). you'll probably want to do another chkdsk on the drive after the resize (if it doesn't force you to do so)

[jjack0310]

Oh I didnt realize youc ant do tht. I thought you can just shrink the volume, cuz I did it before. But now that I think about it, I think there way already a partition made and I jsut made another, so I guess thats what the difference was.

Thanks for the help.
DO you think something like GParted or Paragon Partition manager would work? I mean the problem isnt something else right?

[dsenette]

well, in my previous post i suggested Gparted, so yes it should work...if you're more comfortable with paragon (i've never used it) i don't see why it wouldn't work either

[jjack0310]

I never used GParted so I wasnt sure, but I used Paragon and was able to creat the partition and install Ubuntu 10.10.
thanks for the help

[Spirit Wolfe]

Greetings:

I have used the Lucid Lynx version of Linux (Ubuntu 10.4) and I have DUAL BOOTED my Asus Notebook (specs below) without a problem. This is WITHOUT having to do a partition move on my hard drive. The Linux version will then seamlessly dual boot right along side of Windows. Windows will be the PRIMARY OS where as a 30 second countdown timer will count down (if left unattended) to zero and boot to Windows OS.

Since you are running Windows 7 I would like to differ with dsenette a little by stating you CAN SHRINK YOUR PARTITION under Windows 7 by going to the Administrative Tools Under the Control Panel and selecting Computer Management => Disk Managment (Under Storage). Wait for the computer to calculate and load your system's disc and hard disk information and RIGHT-click on the "C" drive and select "Shrink Volume". It will calculate the MBs and tell you exactly how much you can shrink the volume by.

But... I STRONGLY WARN YOU THAT WINDOWS 7 TELLS ME DO NOT SHRINK THE VOLUME BEYOND THE POINT WHERE ANY UNMOVABLE FILES ARE LOCATED! I do not know if the Shrink Volume option allocates the MBs up to the point where the unmovable files are or allows you to go further (I am thinking the primary option).

I have NEVER used this option because I feel that since the format option has "caught up" to formatting the larger disk drives then unless your hard drive is a 1 TB (terabyte) or larger hard drive I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that drives DO NOT be partitioned. You see that since Vista (I believe), a single user OS will NOT read a COMBINED hard drive threshold ABOVE 1 TB in FORMAT TOTAL. This means that if you have a 1TB hard drive installed on a Windows Vista or a Windows 7 ( and I THINK, don't quote me for sure that this is for both 32-bit & 64-bit machines) PC then your computer will run stable because a 1TB hard drive FORMATS to an approximate 930GBs (NTFS) of usable hard drive space. This means that you have approximately 68GBs (NTFS) of breathable room where you can run smaller flash drives, SD cards, and other smaller hard drives, give or take.

I have tested this theory, and have read other forums on this "barrier" or "glass ceiling", myself on an ASUS notebook (again, my specs are below) and found it to be true to form. This theory was tested on both vaults and Seagate, Maxtor and Western Digital hard drives, internal (eSATA) and USB 2.0 drives and SD Flash card drives as well. For some reason or another reading multiple hard drives' combined usable space over 1TB in formatted total capacity will ONLY work when Windows 7 is running in SERVER mode, from what I read and from what I was told. This theory could change tomarrow, who knows....just my two-cents worth...

BTW...VAULTS are hard drives that are encrypted with an encryption software like TrueCrypt.org 's TrueCrypt 7.0.

If I were you with that 160GB hard drive I would remove it, find out the brand name (Seagate, Western Digital), go out and purchase another (750GB; this way you can still use your 160GB hard drive) larger hard drive and then reformat that hard drive with Windows 7 and use your 160GB hard drive as a software repository. This is what i do and I do not store my user files on my drive C. I have an external hard drive that I carry all of my purchased, downloaded applications on as well as any ISOs that I created with ImgBurn from my applications I have on CD/DVD format and keep them on a vault (encrypted hard drive). I am not saying you have to vault your hard drives but if you like using external hard drives it is a great idea because no one can access the information without the password or other security token.

If you must, however, partition your hard drive then I DO RECOMMEND going with dsenette's recommendation and using a third party partition program (and make SURE it is compatible with Seven).

I hope this helps....

Edited by Spirit Wolfe, 18 October 2010 - 08:59 PM.

[dsenette]

Since you are running Windows 7 I would like to differ with dsenette a little by stating you CAN SHRINK YOUR PARTITION under Windows 7 by going to the Administrative Tools Under the Control Panel and selecting Computer Management => Disk Managment (Under Storage). Wait for the computer to calculate and load your system's disc and hard disk information and RIGHT-click on the "C" drive and select "Shrink Volume". It will calculate the MBs and tell you exactly how much you can shrink the volume by.

i was actually unaware of that option, thanks for letting me know it's there (i'll have to try it out).

the reason the OP is wanting to have partitions on this system to begin with is to facilitate a dual boot scenario. which you can only do with separate partitions.

[jjack0310]

Since you are running Windows 7 I would like to differ with dsenette a little by stating you CAN SHRINK YOUR PARTITION under Windows 7 by going to the Administrative Tools Under the Control Panel and selecting Computer Management => Disk Managment (Under Storage). Wait for the computer to calculate and load your system's disc and hard disk information and RIGHT-click on the "C" drive and select "Shrink Volume". It will calculate the MBs and tell you exactly how much you can shrink the volume by.

i was actually unaware of that option, thanks for letting me know it's there (i'll have to try it out).

the reason the OP is wanting to have partitions on this system to begin with is to facilitate a dual boot scenario. which you can only do with separate partitions.

The whole reason I started this topic was because Windows 7 was not letting me use this option. It kept giving me error that I mentioned in the first post when I tried to shrink the main volume C:\. I knew this option and I think it is the easiest way but for some reason Windwos was not letting me use it/

So I installed Paragor Partition Manager and luckily it was able to partition without any hassle, and I was also able to install UBUNTU 10.10 on the new partition, so everything is set.

Thanks for the ehlp everyone

Edited by jjack0310, 22 October 2010 - 07:37 AM.