partitioning questions

I need to reinstall Windows XP, and want to have a couple spare drives for the time being for Ubuntu and a second Linux install. I currently have a C drive with XP and my windows programs, 25G, a storage drive of 80 G with 40 free, and my 15 G Ubuntu Drive. So I guess I want 4 partitions altogether on my 120G hard drive.

1) Is there really much risk to my Ubuntu and storage drives from doing the XP install to my C drive? I have everything in storage backed up but if XP is likely to muck up other partitions should I just start from scratch and format the whole thing? I'd prefer not to, but will if I should.

2) my thought is to create or resize partitions to 30 G for windows and programs (because 25 was not enough), 50 G storage, and 15-20 G for each of 2 Linux partitions. Eventually one of these will revert to storage, once I figure out where I am going with Linux.

Comments/suggestions invited...

 

With a retail disc I've never experienced any issues of XP interfering with other partitions during install. And I've installed XP many times. Just be sure to select the correct partition for it to install to. However, some OEM recovery discs (given to you to restore your laptop to factory settings) will want to format the entire drive. Could you elaborate on which you have?

Regardless, XP will assert itself as the only OS on the machine. You will need to restore Grub to get back into Linux, then add XP to grub. Refer to this guide for assistance.*

Your partitioning strategy sounds good. However, a 120GB hard drive will only provide you really with 111.79GB. So you may need to adjust it to fit your needs. I'd format the storage partition as NTFS so that it can be shared between Windows and linux.

Now a different option is running XP in VirtualBox. Note that you may not be able to do this if using an OEM license. Performance will be decreased as a virtual machine, but depending on your use that may not matter. With VirtualBox's "seamless mode" it's like having both at once.


*Actually I think the grub version was changed in Ubuntu 9.10. I don't know if that will affect the process described in that guide.

 

Its not a recovery disc of XP its a disc I bought seperately, so I should be good. I have Ubuntu 8.10, if that matters.

How about this: I realize I will lose the grub menu if I take no action, but when install the second distro of Linux will IT recognize both existing OS's (XP and Ubuntu) and add them, eliminating the need to backup the grub in the first place? Just curious, but backing it up looks fairly straightforward

 

OK, I've downsized my storage area and now have 25G unallocated space. But apparently its not adjacent to the C drive, so I cant seem to enlarge the C partition by 5G like I wanted to do. I'm using Easeus partition manager, and dont really know what I'm doing...except being very careful. How can I get unallocated space adjacent to C so I can enlarge it?

 

Ah...it appears that when I look at the drive maps I can grab and move unallocated space to wherever I want it to be, like next to the C drive. I have yet to click the "apply" button after doing so out of caution, but I guess thats my next step...

 

answering my own questions..yes, moving the map of the partition did exactly what I wanted, and yes, installing the second Linux distro restored a GRUB menu with access XP and to the first distro as well...