Rejigging partitions

[Lauchlan Mackinnon]

Hi

I have not bought Disk Director yet (I just bought True Image)

I have the following question: I have the following paritions on my system

- Windows 2000 pro (20GB)
- Windows 2000 server (20GB)
- Windows 98 (20GB)
- Mandrake Linux (20GB)

The first (W2K pro) one is my main one, and I use it 99% of the time. The others are basically for testing stuff ona system without development tools. Linux was experimental.

I have a second hard drive that is basically just data.

When installing Linux, it installed a boot manager (I think it was called LILO). This defaults to Linux first, then a choice from the Windows OS's if I catch it in time.

I have since started using VMWare, and don't really need to have all these partitions. I can use a VM for pretty much any purpose I would have used them for, and it is more convenient.

What would be the best procedure to

(i) get rid of one or more of these existing partitions and either create a new partition for 'data' and/or increase my main W2K pro partitions size

(ii) replace the Linux LILO manager with something that defaults to the W2K pro partition (but gives me other options if I have other bootable partitions).

I have been burned once by the reputable Partition Magic (it trashed my new system the first time I used it) so, in addition to advice regarding how to achieve the above tasks, I would be grateful to hear any comments regarding the reliability of Disk Director vs. Partition Magic.

Also, if I do get rid of a partition, say D:\, would my E:\ partition (my main one) become D:\, or remain E:\? I would prefer the latter, as some path references were hard coded (absolute rather than relative) during software development on the E:\ drive.

Thanks in advance!

[Acronis Support]

Hello Lauchlan,

Thank you for your interest in Acronis Partition and Disk Managing Software (http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/diskdirector/).

The answer to your questions strongly depends on whether you want to have Linux partition (with Linux installed) or not. If you don't need it any more there is a simple way to get rid of unneeded partitions and make Windows 2000 Pro bootable by default (with other copies of Windows bootable as well from the menu). To do that you just need to delete partition you don't need and fix MBR in the way described at Acronis Help Post (http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=55317) or using Windows Installation CD (the CD for Windows 2000 Pro or Server - there is no difference). If you wish to leave Linux partition you may reconfigure the LILO so that it makes Windows default operating system.

The easiest way, however, is to use Acronis Disk Director Suite 9.0 and Acronis OS Selector that is included into it. Basically, you need to do the following:
1. Launch Acronis Disk Director Suite 9.0 and delete partitions you don't need any longer by right clicking on them and choosing the "Delete" option;
2. If you choose not to delete Linux partition you need to install LILO on the Linux boot partition.
3. Install Acronis OS Selector and it will find all the operating systems you have.

As for letters assignment, nothing changes after you delete the partition. If you delete D: partition your E: partition remains E (not D or anything else).

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

[Lauchlan Mackinnon]

-{ Quote: "Hello Lauchlan,
The easiest way, however, is to use Acronis Disk Director Suite 9.0 and Acronis OS Selector that is included into it. Basically, you need to do the following:
1. Launch Acronis Disk Director Suite 9.0 and delete partitions you don't need any longer by right clicking on them and choosing the "Delete" option;
2. If you choose not to delete Linux partition you need to install LILO on the Linux boot partition.
3. Install Acronis OS Selector and it will find all the operating systems you have." }-
Just to clarify, you really do mean _install_ LILO in step 2, not _uninstall_ it? I assume LILO is already installed as the boot manager . . .

Thanks

Lauchlan Mackinnon

[Acronis Support]

Hello Lauchlan,

If you use Acronis OS Selector it overwrites the MBR with its own code and even if you had LILO installed in MBR it will be deleted from there. To work with Linux and Acronis OS Selector you need to install LILO to Linux boot partition so Acronis OS Selector could detect it and add to the boot menu.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

[Lauchlan Mackinnon]

ok, thx.

If I wanted to keep the Linux partition (I'll probably get rid of the partition and use Linux only in a VM anyway) where would I get LILO from and how would I install it?

Thanks

Lauchlan Mackinnon

[Acronis Support]

Hello Lauchlan,

To install LILO you need to have your Linux Installation CD. Since the details of the procedure depend on the particular Linux distribution I would recommend that you refer your Linux man pages where the exact commands are described.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman