Mint 18.3 Cinnamon Dual Boot Issues with Win7

[wizardfromoz]

G'day Doc, so with the shot below

SCREENSHOT 1

So it is the bottom entry, the T5 Samsung 1TB that you have blank and install Linux Mint 19.1 on, is that so?

And do you still have a functioning Linux Mint 18.3 available that we can do some work from?

Cheers

Wiz

 

[whazzupdoc]

No, the Samsung SSD 860 ATA is the unused unit.

I think the T-5 is backing up from TimeShift daily. I haven't checked it for the past couple of days but it seemed to be doing fine. Now...since I'll be wanting to replace the SSD 860 ATA with a new WD Blue SSD 1Tb internal, I'll need to be sure that the T-5 will actually Restore to the new internal (without screwing everything up).

And yes, the 18.3 is functioning on the original HDD that I'll be replacing per above. My thought was to put Tessa on the SSD 860 ATA and keep 18.3 for awhile operating on the other storage HDD right now. What say ye'!?

Chris, there's still some basics I'm trying hard to get my mind wrapped around. Thanks for your patience!

 

[whazzupdoc]

II got notice of another post from you, Chris...but it was the same as your last one.

The T5 is currently my external backup for TimeShift.
The SSD 860 ATA is the drive we;re interested in...or problematic for another bootable (19.1) backing up to same T-5?
18.3 is on the original internal 320G HDD...soon to be changed out
Doc

 

[wizardfromoz]

Chris, there's still some basics I'm trying hard to get my mind wrapped around.

You might get 'em right after 10 years, I am still working on them after 5.

... and what's Windows 7 on Doc?

Wiz

 

[wizardfromoz]

Doc apart from the above question, there are better ways we can get a handle on your "State of The Nation".

If you have everything plugged in, and then from Terminal in your Sylvia Cinnamon type and enter

sudo fdisk -l

... that's a lowercase L ... and print the output that is a good start.

Or there is GNOME's Disks which is on your Mints.

I'll print a few shots and explain a little on each (some will expand a little if you click on them)

SCREENSHOT 1 - WIZARD IN SEARCH OF GNOME DISKS

Start by clicking Menu and then start to type in "disks". Choose Disks.

2 - WIZARD'S SOLID STATE DRIVE 256GB

If the pics are hard to read (tiny), try holding down your Ctrl button and at the same time tap the + button a few times, you can return to normal with Ctrl - 0 (zero).

This pic shows my SSD in the Dell laptop, where Windows 10 and 6 Linux Distros reside. I have clicked the disk on the left to highlight it, and clicked "OS" which is Windows in the main part. My free space shows at the right. Note that the Windows system, which you might be used to as the C: drive, here, is /dev/sdb3

3 - WIZARD'S (INTERNAL) SATA HDD - 2TB

This pic shows my 2TB HDD in the Dell laptop, it's a Seagate, and I have highlighted /dev/sda1 which houses a Linux Mint you will be familiar with. The drive is temporarily partitioned as MBR - Master Boot Record, while I run some experiments. After they are concluded, I will return it to the GPT (GUID Partition Table) it came with.

Under MBR you can only have a maximum of 4 partitions, so if you want more (for more Linux, of course) you have the first 3 as Primary, then the 4th as Extended, under which you can then create Logical Partitions to house more. An MS-DOS/Windows limit, not Linux.

4 - WIZARD'S EXTERNAL HDD (WESTERN DIGITAL) 4TB

This pic shows where I house most of my Linux Distros on the Dell "system".


Long story short - Doc, what I am hoping is you can provide us with pics similar to the above, highlighting the status quo of the 2 Samsungs and the Toshiba, we will have a clearer picture.

And I bear in mind about how the WD Blue SSD 1Tb internal will replace the Toshiba 320GB?

If it is your plan to "port" Win 7 to the WD Blue - have you got a Recovery Plan in place? Installation disk or image on USB stick?

Cheers

Wizard

 

[whazzupdoc]

You might get 'em right after 10 years, I am still working on them after 5.

... and what's Windows 7 on Doc?

Wiz

 

[whazzupdoc]

Good a.m., (here!). Win 7 is only on my desktop. The SSD was partitioned to allow Macrium Reflect to be based.
Doc

 

[whazzupdoc]

Doc apart from the above question, there are better ways we can get a handle on your "State of The Nation".

If you have everything plugged in, and then from Terminal in your Sylvia Cinnamon type and enter

sudo fdisk -l

... that's a lowercase L ... and print the output that is a good start.

Or there is GNOME's Disks which is on your Mints.

I'll print a few shots and explain a little on each (some will expand a little if you click on them)

SCREENSHOT 1 - WIZARD IN SEARCH OF GNOME DISKS

Start by clicking Menu and then start to type in "disks". Choose Disks.

2 - WIZARD'S SOLID STATE DRIVE 256GB

If the pics are hard to read (tiny), try holding down your Ctrl button and at the same time tap the + button a few times, you can return to normal with Ctrl - 0 (zero).

This pic shows my SSD in the Dell laptop, where Windows 10 and 6 Linux Distros reside. I have clicked the disk on the left to highlight it, and clicked "OS" which is Windows in the main part. My free space shows at the right. Note that the Windows system, which you might be used to as the C: drive, here, is /dev/sdb3

3 - WIZARD'S (INTERNAL) SATA HDD - 2TB

This pic shows my 2TB HDD in the Dell laptop, it's a Seagate, and I have highlighted /dev/sda1 which houses a Linux Mint you will be familiar with. The drive is temporarily partitioned as MBR - Master Boot Record, while I run some experiments. After they are concluded, I will return it to the GPT (GUID Partition Table) it came with.

Under MBR you can only have a maximum of 4 partitions, so if you want more (for more Linux, of course) you have the first 3 as Primary, then the 4th as Extended, under which you can then create Logical Partitions to house more. An MS-DOS/Windows limit, not Linux.

4 - WIZARD'S EXTERNAL HDD (WESTERN DIGITAL) 4TB

This pic shows where I house most of my Linux Distros on the Dell "system".


Long story short - Doc, what I am hoping is you can provide us with pics similar to the above, highlighting the status quo of the 2 Samsungs and the Toshiba, we will have a clearer picture.

And I bear in mind about how the WD Blue SSD 1Tb internal will replace the Toshiba 320GB?

If it is your plan to "port" Win 7 to the WD Blue - have you got a Recovery Plan in place? Installation disk or image on USB stick?

Cheers

Wizard

 

[whazzupdoc]

Doc apart from the above question, there are better ways we can get a handle on your "State of The Nation".

If you have everything plugged in, and then from Terminal in your Sylvia Cinnamon type and enter

sudo fdisk -l

... that's a lowercase L ... and print the output that is a good start.

Or there is GNOME's Disks which is on your Mints.

I'll print a few shots and explain a little on each (some will expand a little if you click on them)

SCREENSHOT 1 - WIZARD IN SEARCH OF GNOME DISKS

Start by clicking Menu and then start to type in "disks". Choose Disks.

2 - WIZARD'S SOLID STATE DRIVE 256GB

If the pics are hard to read (tiny), try holding down your Ctrl button and at the same time tap the + button a few times, you can return to normal with Ctrl - 0 (zero).

This pic shows my SSD in the Dell laptop, where Windows 10 and 6 Linux Distros reside. I have clicked the disk on the left to highlight it, and clicked "OS" which is Windows in the main part. My free space shows at the right. Note that the Windows system, which you might be used to as the C: drive, here, is /dev/sdb3

3 - WIZARD'S (INTERNAL) SATA HDD - 2TB

This pic shows my 2TB HDD in the Dell laptop, it's a Seagate, and I have highlighted /dev/sda1 which houses a Linux Mint you will be familiar with. The drive is temporarily partitioned as MBR - Master Boot Record, while I run some experiments. After they are concluded, I will return it to the GPT (GUID Partition Table) it came with.

Under MBR you can only have a maximum of 4 partitions, so if you want more (for more Linux, of course) you have the first 3 as Primary, then the 4th as Extended, under which you can then create Logical Partitions to house more. An MS-DOS/Windows limit, not Linux.

4 - WIZARD'S EXTERNAL HDD (WESTERN DIGITAL) 4TB

This pic shows where I house most of my Linux Distros on the Dell "system".


Long story short - Doc, what I am hoping is you can provide us with pics similar to the above, highlighting the status quo of the 2 Samsungs and the Toshiba, we will have a clearer picture.

And I bear in mind about how the WD Blue SSD 1Tb internal will replace the Toshiba 320GB?

If it is your plan to "port" Win 7 to the WD Blue - have you got a Recovery Plan in place? Installation disk or image on USB stick?

Cheers

Wizard

Hi..hope I did this right.

I used 'Disks' and took the snapshots which were saved to my Pictures folder.

To answer your last inquiry...in replacing the Toshiba HDD, I thought I would Restore 18.3 (initially) and just continue backup to the external T-5?...for lack of any better idea. WIN7 isn't on the Toshiba...only the Desktop. If you want I can try to do the same procedure on the Desktop as well and send the snapshots to you so you can see the Linux Partition which I'm able to boot (f8) to.
Doc

Doc

 

[whazzupdoc]

Looks like I sent a couple of them twice.

 

[whazzupdoc]

I want to install and then format a new Samsung 1TB internal into an existing Win7 x64 desktop. Not a partition but a separate SSD. I'd like to install Mint 18.3 in the1st boot order and move the existing HDD to the 2nd position with the option at startup to choose which O/S I'd like to use. I was just informed (elsewhere) that Windows will override such an install and not allow another system into the primary slot. The reason for wanting the SSD in the Primary is its' speed. Is there a way to accomplish this maneuver? I'm not very technical but I do know what I'm trying to accomplish if it can be done. Ultimately I want to do away with the Windows system...once I'm comfortable with Linux Mint.
Thanks for all patient replies!
Doc

SOLVED!

 

[wizardfromoz]

Oh, OK, bright boy, don't keep us in suspense - tell us what you've accomplished

I have my fortnightly groceries to buy but I was coming back to this then.

Spill the beans

Wiz

 

[whazzupdoc]

Well first thing is that I had a good talk with myself and learned that I was trying to concentrate on too many objectives at the same time...i.e., setting up 19.1 on an internal disk to try to learn it while at the same time I don't even come close to understanding even the basics of Mint 18.3.

I still don't have the things I need put together with Linux...but I can't be faulted for trying. Like the one who posted the other day and said good luck...I might have my mind wrapped around it all in 10yrs. That hit me so I've learned that I was being my own problem without realizing it. I'll just settle down and focus on just the basics.

And Chris...I'm not at all trying to be a bright boy. If anything I've been an 80yr old fool for the way I've approached Linux. Thanks for hanging in there with me!
Doc

 

[wizardfromoz]

Thanks for hanging in there with me!

How could I not? Always loved Mr Magoo, took until you came along for me to explain to Elaine my wife that Mr Magoo and Thurston Howell III were one and the same.

You take your time, and when you get a chance, from Linux, give us the output of

sudo fdisk -l

It is not hard to overthink things and we are all prone to it from time to time.

Chris

 

[whazzupdoc]

Thanks, I'll slow down and likely miss a lot of curves in the road. Liked both characters too!

Here's a shot of sudo fdisk -1 you asked for...what am I looking for here?
Doc

 

[wizardfromoz]

No mate, that's a lowercase L that is needed, not a 1 (one)

Wiz

 

[whazzupdoc]

Good info Wiz! I would never have caught that subtlety. Let's try this...
Doc

 

[whazzupdoc]

Wiz...if I want to use GParted to partition (or change the existing partitions) on my 500G internal SSD that I can seem to get into play, do I have to unmount each of the other storage drives on the Toshiba? And then shutdown and restart with the GParted usb?
Doc

 

[wizardfromoz]

No need if you are using the GParted from USB (or a CD/DVD)

Just boot from it and work from there to the graphical environment. All your computer's drives and partitions will be unmounted.

The same applies if using it from an install stick.

It is only if you are using it in a current session of Linux from your installed version that you cannot monkey with your / root partition, and any other partitions that you might have accessed through eg File Manager (and thus mounted) have to be unmounted if you want to manipulate them. But you won't have GParted on your Linux install/s yet, we can install it later. Comes in handy.

Dick, we're about to go into page 3 and I am thinking of generating a Summary of where we are so that we can go forward and make sure we are on the same page. It might take me a day or so, is that OK?

Cheers

Chris

 

[whazzupdoc]

1) Thanks for your consideration...just asking the question speaks volumes to me...you really care!;
2) The info you've provided here is at the very root of my lack of understanding...
a) the use of GParted;
b) how/what activates a partition (like my 500G) into the entire O/S on this Toshiba.
3) I'm truly grasping at straws in my understanding of these things...but the good news is that seems to be just how
I've learned important things over my life (piloting is a for-instance where you just don't learn piloting, co-piloting,
radio operator and engineering all at the same time). It all came together after about 3 months on a night landing
wheel-landing I had to make. Slick...chiirp, chirp! Linux will be no different, it appears!

Wiz, I'll take the usb stick I made for GParted and reboot and see what happens. I think you're right that I must have used the applications in Mint 18.3. I downloaded 18.3 originally from Rufus and have that stick, in case I really screw things up...but also I think I've been doing daily backups to the T-5 external using Timeshift. Aptik and its' use is still a huge roadblock to me and so I've only been able to backup my O/S with Timeshift...and not my own stuff yet using Aptik. I know this will all work out Wiz...but once again (for all Newbie's following this that are as lost as I am), this forum has been great...you wear your priest collar very well!
Doc