[Herefordshire] Problems with installation.

[Julian Robbins]

On Monday 20 Sep 2004 14:26, Michael & Sue wrote:
> If anyone can tell me what to do next i would be grateful.
>
> I tried to install Mandrake 10.  Unfortunately, I missed reading one of
> the help panels and Used 'custom install' instead of installing into
> windows free space.
>
> I redfined the windows partiction down from 76GB to 61GB
>
> Realizing that I had done this wrong, I aborted the installation, thinking
> that I hadn't yet made any changes to the hard drive.
>
> Windows started OK and ran chkdsk, and it seems to be fine, but the
> windows partition is now only 60.7GB.  So I have created a blank area on
> the hard drive.
>
> But now I am stuck.  The only options that come up when I run install
> again, is:
> a)	install Mandrake into Windwos free space
> b)	custom install, which asks me to resize windows again.
>
> I thought I had saved the old partition table onto a floppy and so tried
> to undo my original partioning, but that doesn't work.
>
> Some where I have a 15GB area of the hard drive on which I can install
> Mandraken, but how do I do that when, on the install proceedure, I can
> only find the two options above?

I think you should be ok with option a) ie the freespace on the disk. Its not 
really freespace on the windows partition, AFAIK. I think their terminology 
is confusing - bascially you have resized Windows, which is happy, and the 
extra space is unformatted completely free space to do with what you please. 
IE now you should be able to choose option a) and Mandrake will create a swap 
and at least a / partition, (and possibly a /home) too into your 15GB of 
space.

>
> Can I change the windows partition back to what it was and start again?

I dont think you need to.
>
> If so how - do I have to get something like Partition Mgaic to do it?

Yepp, PT is pretty good, though the MDK installer utility is not bad at all 
usually.
>
> Failed at the first hurdle!!!

Not necessarilly ;-)
>
> Michael

Good Luck. If you still have your problems bring your pc along to the next 
meet and we will try and help.

Julian