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If your Windows partition leaves no room for Linux, you need to resize the Windows partition, splitting some of its unused space into a partition for Linux. Mandrake and SuSE (but not Fedora) can resize the Windows partition during the installation procedure. Before resizing the partition, you need to defragment the Windows partition, moving files to the beginning of the partition. In Windows 2000/XP, select: Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->Disk Defragmenter For your NTFS file system, the Windows swap file (virtual memory) may remain at the end of the partition. You can temporarily shut down your virtual memory while installing and start virtual memory again after the installation. In addition, it's a good idea to back up your data before resizing the Windows partition. Just in case something goes really wrong. Mandrake installs easily with Windows. During the installation procedure, Mandrake displays a screen asking where Linux should be installed. Select: Use the free space on the Windows partition This selection causes Mandrake to resize any Windows partition, even NTFS partitions, to make room for itself. After this procedure, the Windows partition is smaller. SuSE allows you to partition manually. During the installation procedure, a screen is displayed showing suggested partitions. Select: Create custom partition setup A screen displays where you select a hard disk for the Linux installation. If the hard disk contains a Windows partition and not enough room to install Linux, a screen displays asking whether to delete or resize the Windows partition. When you select "Resize Windows partition," SuSE displays a screen that allows you to select the new size for the partitions. |
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