Duel Install Mint on Windows 7 partitioned drive

Absolutely I agree with smooth buddaha. I am illiterate in Mint and pretty much the same in linux. I can try to install and get the screen shot if someone tells me how. I'm using Windows 7 and it is still showing on the partition and I can see some files from Libre. So it is there. Just can't boot. I'll try to figure out how to get a screen shot. In the meantime I tried to fix things and made it worse I'm sure. Now as I recall I have sda 465.76 Gb, sda1 39.19 MB NFFS, sda2 225.05 GB NTFS, sda 3 235.00 GB ext4 with Mint partiially installed, swap 4.80GB and I now have 70MB unuseable from my last attempt to fix things. I'm off to try for a screen shot. I'll see if I can access the partitions without using the install program. Thanks again.
 


Absolutely I agree with smooth buddaha. I am illiterate in Mint and pretty much the same in linux. I can try to install and get the screen shot if someone tells me how. I'm using Windows 7 and it is still showing on the partition and I can see some files from Libre. So it is there. Just can't boot. I'll try to figure out how to get a screen shot. In the meantime I tried to fix things and made it worse I'm sure. Now as I recall I have sda 465.76 Gb, sda1 39.19 MB NFFS, sda2 225.05 GB NTFS, sda 3 235.00 GB ext4 with Mint partiially installed, swap 4.80GB and I now have 70MB unuseable from my last attempt to fix things. I'm off to try for a screen shot. I'll see if I can access the partitions without using the install program. Thanks again.
Just found Partitioning Master Boot Record in Mint. Sorry, can't figure out how to take screen shot. I have Mint on bootable usb drive. Info on Boot Record says 500 GB sda 'Disk is ok'. Volumes
Sys Partition= 1 Type: HPFS/NTFS, contents: NTFS, Not Mounted; Sda 2 = Windows 7, Type: HTFS/NTFS, contents: NTFS, Not Mounted; Sda 3 = Type: EFI (Fat 12/16/32), Contents: Ext4 (version 1.0 ), Not Mounted. So this was interesting. I wonder if I can use this program to help fix.
 
When you have time boot up Linux Mint Live. Once it's up and running open the terminal and run this command and post the output so we can see all of the partitions on that machine.

sudo fdisk-l (small letter L)
 
Alexzee, the bootable Mint is the only program I can load. Is that what you meant as Linux Mint Live
 
So what was that command suppose to do?

The output of that command shows all of the operating systems partitions that are on the hard disk.

Looking at all of the partitions will show you how many were created if you partitioned Linux correctly during the install.

Basically you need to create 2 partitions for your Linux Mint installation.
A ext 4 journaling file system partition and a 1 to 2 GB linux -swap partition.
 
Thank you so much for the info. I did choose the ext 4 journaling file system but it was a guess. Never read that specifically as yet. the swap is 5GB, then there is the Sys partition ntfs and Windows 7 ntfs plus 2 unallocated partitions of 73MB and 2.6 MB flanking the swap. I just tried mounting them all and accessing the windows partition, but it didn't boot.
 
Alexzee, do you know how to get grub on the 1st partition, which is the windows boot partition I think, or into the MBR.
 
I just found screen shot. Does this give you what you asked for Captain? I've been playing, yet still cant boot Windows. How do I get grub into the MBR?
5748
 
have to go soon. So are you using Mint live to take screen shot and also Mint live to get internet access. See you have usb stick and cd/dvd . First thing i would say (others might disagree) would be that better to have swap next to windows as a barrier from main linux install. How old is your PC ? Is the Mint live all there and not corrupted. Basically if your pc is old and not using uefi then its going to be MBR . With a full install of Mint it should but boot info onto MBR as part of install process. Then it would be a case of updating grub to include Windows. First partition is not mounted, means it can not be read or used so is useless. What ever was there is not being used now. but there is 40 + MB of stuff showing ,,,mmm
 
Absolutely I agree with smooth buddaha. I am illiterate in Mint and pretty much the same in linux. I can try to install and get the screen shot if someone tells me how. I'm using Windows 7 and it is still showing on the partition and I can see some files from Libre. So it is there. Just can't boot. I'll try to figure out how to get a screen shot. In the meantime I tried to fix things and made it worse I'm sure. Now as I recall I have sda 465.76 Gb, sda1 39.19 MB NFFS, sda2 225.05 GB NTFS, sda 3 235.00 GB ext4 with Mint partiially installed, swap 4.80GB and I now have 70MB unuseable from my last attempt to fix things. I'm off to try for a screen shot. I'll see if I can access the partitions without using the install program. Thanks again.

Dont let it get you down that your facing installation issues. I find i learn the most when i have issues, things go wrong or dont install for whatever reason. You will find that after a particular problem you have you will emerge slightly more knowledgeable and enlightenned about linux. nobody i have ever known in computing has ever had a smooth road when it comes to installing softare, hardware ect. You nearly always have an issue to solve but it will deepin your understanding of how its all put together.

Virtual machines are a blesssing they allow you to play, isntall uninstall quite effortlessly without compromising your main system. That being said on the other hand going for a main install will force one to "be all in" and "see it through until the jobs done!" but doing this latter approach its always best to go for a simpler to install distro such as mint or ubuntu, where as arch, gentoo or slackware make assumptions that you know linux installation and setup process quite well
 
Thanks for the input everyone. Yes I understand it is a process, my issue is I have only temporary access to hispeed in which to reacquire windows, and since the Mint install attempt, and crash I cannot load windows, which has programs I need in for my work. The other issue is I can't save even bookmarks on this Linux on usb drive, or anything else like downloaded programs outside of synaptic. If someone could help me there, I can possibly continue working this from home. I am just learning,, so I don't know how to accomplish saving things I need using the Mint on usb. I have another large usb drive with me that I could save things to if I learn how to accomplish this, but it has another Ubuntu/Fedora on it and I couldn't delete it. I would move the partition as you recommend [I will try anything you guys recommend if you tell me step by step how to accomplish it, or where to read the step by step directions]. I love Linux, it is soo much better than ms, yet I'm not saavy in terminal use, even though I can succeed with precise directions. Certainly this current current adventure is educating me. I've learned very much this journey into Linux. I'm thinking the boot for Windows as well as for Mint need fixing. Otherwise it seems the partitions are functional as soon as the proper settings are in place and I get Mint installed on sda3. So can someone please confirm my perspective here, and tell me how to get grub where it needs to be, and fix the Windows load. I'll read to try and figure out how to move the swap to the position after Windows, as I await your directions. I am always very grateful for your assistance and efforts. I appreciate what a gift your work is to me. I can't get to windows to see how old this machine is, yet I think windows 7 had recently come out. I can mount the partitions with the Mint 'Manage Drive and Media' prog. I unmounted everything to play with partition size. So my question is how do I update grub to include windows, and how do I move the swap to the position after the windows partition. I did update grub in terminal. To Smooth Buddah: If I could get a virtual machine on the usb drive [does that mean in the Live Linux OS'?] that would allow my use of my Windows programs for work, and be able to access a dial-up connection I could live with the situation till I get it stable. Now that I'm registered with the forum I may be able to continue to get your help, but I must download pkg on hispeed. Again, thanks for all the help.
 
Thanks for the input everyone. Yes I understand it is a process, my issue is I have only temporary access to hispeed in which to reacquire windows, and since the Mint install attempt, and crash I cannot load windows, which has programs I need in for my work. The other issue is I can't save even bookmarks on this Linux on usb drive, or anything else like downloaded programs outside of synaptic. If someone could help me there, I can possibly continue working this from home. I am just learning,, so I don't know how to accomplish saving things I need using the Mint on usb. I have another large usb drive with me that I could save things to if I learn how to accomplish this, but it has another Ubuntu/Fedora on it and I couldn't delete it. I would move the partition as you recommend [I will try anything you guys recommend if you tell me step by step how to accomplish it, or where to read the step by step directions]. I love Linux, it is soo much better than ms, yet I'm not saavy in terminal use, even though I can succeed with precise directions. Certainly this current current adventure is educating me. I've learned very much this journey into Linux. I'm thinking the boot for Windows as well as for Mint need fixing. Otherwise it seems the partitions are functional as soon as the proper settings are in place and I get Mint installed on sda3. So can someone please confirm my perspective here, and tell me how to get grub where it needs to be, and fix the Windows load. I'll read to try and figure out how to move the swap to the position after Windows, as I await your directions. I am always very grateful for your assistance and efforts. I appreciate what a gift your work is to me. I can't get to windows to see how old this machine is, yet I think windows 7 had recently come out. I can mount the partitions with the Mint 'Manage Drive and Media' prog. I unmounted everything to play with partition size. So my question is how do I update grub to include windows, and how do I move the swap to the position after the windows partition. I did update grub in terminal. To Smooth Buddah: If I could get a virtual machine on the usb drive [does that mean in the Live Linux OS'?] that would allow my use of my Windows programs for work, and be able to access a dial-up connection I could live with the situation till I get it stable. Now that I'm registered with the forum I may be able to continue to get your help, but I must download pkg on hispeed. Again, thanks for all the help.

its handy if you have another old computer or spare laptop or something else that you can use for new linux install. that way you can continue to use one computer for your important work and another computer for linux and gettin used to it. Plus linux is very renowned for breathing new life into old computers so if you have another computer gathering dust i would use that old comp as a linux project.
 
How do I get grub into the MBR?
I'm still not quite sure what is going on with your partitions and why they are the way they are. Perhaps the result of a botched Linux Mint install?
But - one thing you could try is "Boot-Repair-DIsk". I have used it several times with good results. You will need to download it and flash it to a USB drive and the boot from Live image on the USB.
That may be the easiest way to get Grub onto your MBR. Just be careful and read and follow the directions.
 
Alexzee, do you know how to get grub on the 1st partition, which is the windows boot partition I think, or into the MBR.
Yes, make the ext 4 partition bootable.
To do that use the / symbol in the drop down menu where you create the ext4 partition.

Once Mint is installed open the terminal and run:
sudo update-grub
 
you don't have to move swap ; you could just delete everything and set up partitions again.
if its going to be an MBR boot then grub should install to the first 512 bytes of the partition that you install Linux
 
Yes Smooth Budah, thank you for the thought, I do have an extra dell laptop I can put another clean Linux install on next hispeed connection, if Dell will co-operate. To Vrai, thank you for the info. I can do that if you can help me delete the Ubuntu Live from the other Usb drive I have with me. I tried unsuccessfully. Thanks for the link to Sourceforge, I'm used to using them. Ok Alexzee, Will give that a shot, Thanks.
 

Members online


Latest posts

Top