Click to See Complete Forum and Search --> : recover partition
I was looking through my HD yesterday, and I remembered I had a partition on there that I was not able to use. At one time when I was slicing up my HD, I made a 16gig partition. It is labled as hda-1 which is kinda weird, my normal partitions are hda1 through hda7. Under the format instead of ext3, ntfs, or vfat, it says free. This is under qparted that I was looking at it. I am not able to do anything with it such as format or change anything on it. It is just grey and has no options. I even tried to install a linux distro using that space and it wouldn't let me. What should I use to try to fix it, I would like to have the extra space for another distro.
mdwatts
05-25-2004, 10:27 AM
Is it a primary or logical partition? Can it first be deleted and then recreated and formatted?
Its a primary partition, and no it will not let me delete it. When I tried to create it through QTparted, it gave me this error: Error: Too many primary partitions. I have right now, /dev/hda1 through /dev/hda10, so you can't have 11?
mdwatts
05-25-2004, 01:53 PM
Originally posted by Shep
Its a primary partition, and no it will not let me delete it. When I tried to create it through QTparted, it gave me this error: Error: Too many primary partitions.
I have right now, /dev/hda1 through /dev/hda10, so you can't have 11?
How can you try to create a new partition with QTparted if you cannot even delete that partition?
You can have a maximum of 4 primary partitions or 3 primary and 1 extended partition with multiple logical partitions within the extended. The extended would then be the 4th primary partition.
happybunny
05-25-2004, 02:00 PM
in the wonderful world of windows, I remember not being able to manage or manipulate partitions using anything other than the software that create them.
For example: if I created a partition with Partition Magic, only Partition Magic could manage it.
Not sure this helps at all but there it is
Originally posted by mdwatts
How can you try to create a new partition with QTparted if you cannot even delete that partition?
I don't know, then that partition is highlighted, there is only the option to create, not delete it.
You can have a maximum of 4 primary partitions or 3 primary and 1 extended partition with multiple logical partitions within the extended. The extended would then be the 4th primary partition.
Is there anywhere that I could get some more info about these partitions (primary, extended, and logical?)
OK, I found some good reading on the difference of them, but what can be done to make this partition usable for another distro? I will post how my disk is laid out when I get home. Thanks for any help guys.
So here is what my HD looks like
http://www.slcrotary.com/shep_fc3/patitions.jpg
hda1 - is a partition I use for sharing files and is listed as a primary
hda2 - is a windows partition
hda5, 7,8,9 were used for Mandrake under extended part.
hda6 is swap
hda4 is Mepis
hda-1 is the one I am having problems with. What can I do to be able to use this?
XiaoKJ
05-26-2004, 10:09 AM
its a empty partition!
the _only_ way to utilise it is to merge it into one of your primary partitions.
This partition you have is unallocated space and lingers at the end of your had disc. You already have 4 primary partition which restrict it such that it cannot be another primary partition.
If you want to make a new partition, I suggest you move /dev/hda4 down by 16.71GB and extend the extended partition to accomodate the unallocated space and then make a partition out of it.
BTW, why is there so many partitions? mandrake can live in just one....Use your 80GB hard disc more efficiently -- a linux root partition of about 6GB is more than enough...
If you don't want the unallocated space, just move it to the bottom of the partition you want to enlarge and do whatever your want.
Icarus
05-26-2004, 10:39 AM
Originally posted by XiaoKJ
a linux root partition of about 6GB is more than enough... Until you install UT2004...then wonder why / is at 99% when you only had 800MB installed before :D
I'm suprised to see he was able to make so many partitions, I had to get very creative to make my drive go over 6 :p
It's also a pain to manage lots of small partitions, IMHO
XiaoKJ
05-26-2004, 11:14 AM
I suggest he not install anything after the initial installation... and don't install gnome if you don't need it....
And don't install apache for a stand alone...:D
Its utter waste to install everything -- i even tried installing MDK/ RH9 and doing a full install[everything given is installed] and the setup didn't go much over 5GB, so 6GB is probably enough for regular users...maybe 10GB for more flexibility....
Its kinda strange[but well-known] that windows can take up so much space when it has so little apps and functions installed *fresh* -- admire their power to infinitely bloat codes...:D
Is there anyway to make hda4 an extended partition, then making the other one a logical underneith it? basically, hda4 is the only one that I really need to keep. What app would you suggest using to merge the empty partition? I looked through fdisk, cfdisk, and qtparted, but didn't really see anything that would do that.
The reason mandrake is on so many partitions is because that was my first linux distro ever, so that is how I set it up. When I installed Debian, and then Mepis, I just put them on one partition. Much better that way. Now I don't use Mandrake anymore, so that one can be gone. I just want to be able to use that space on my disk for something.
Originally posted by XiaoKJ
its a empty partition!
the _only_ way to utilise it is to merge it into one of your primary partitions.
I tried, but it will not let me do this. What do you suggest using to do this. Fdisk does not even recognize the empty partition.
This partition you have is unallocated space and lingers at the end of your had disc. You already have 4 primary partition which restrict it such that it cannot be another primary partition.
If you want to make a new partition, I suggest you move /dev/hda4 down by 16.71GB and extend the extended partition to accomodate the unallocated space and then make a partition out of it.
I don't really want a new partition, just don't like to have wasted space.
BTW, why is there so many partitions? mandrake can live in just one....Use your 80GB hard disc more efficiently -- a linux root partition of about 6GB is more than enough...
If you don't want the unallocated space, just move it to the bottom of the partition you want to enlarge and do whatever your want.
What can I do this with?