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I was recently trying to partition a new laptop with windows 7, but once I created a new partition that space I had created for Ubuntu is labeled unusable. What should I do? I need ubuntu on my laptop.

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  • Your question makes it sound as though you are using Windows in order to create the partition to which you mean to install Ubuntu. Is this correct? If not, can you provide more detail as to what you are trying to do and the error messages or other responses that result?
    – koanhead
    Dec 16, 2010 at 2:25

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I think I know exactly what is wrong! I bet your computer already has four partitions on it's hard drive: Windows and some other random recovery/system partitions. Unfortunately the maximum number of primary partitions on a single drive must be no more than four and "/" needs to be a primary partition. The only way to solve your problem is to remove the partition that is least important (this is up to you to decide)

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It seems that your laptop came preinstalled with Windows and now you want to do a dual boot with Ubuntu. Do not use Windows to create the partition. Use the Ubuntu live CD to do that.

Set your laptop BIOS to boot from the optical disc drive, insert the CD and then restart so that you can boot from it. Choose the option to try Ubuntu and check that your graphics, sound, wireless network and other things work. When you are ready to install it, just click the installation icon on the desktop. You will be prompted to repartition your hard disk in the list of questions that follow.

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  • That is what used to work, now it does not
    – Vaolter
    Dec 16, 2010 at 7:59
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Never install a Windows Version AFTER installing a Linux one. Windows will ALWAYS have "problems" with the Linux partition and make it unusable. The correct way is to install first Linux (In your case Ubuntu) and then Windows 7. Linux is Operating System Friendly when sharing the same PC (Oppose to Windows who will literally destroy anything not Windows. I happen to test in my PC with 3 HDD. HDD 1 i installed Ubuntu. I installed Windows XP on HDD 3 but for some reason windows wanted to have the boot system on HDD 1 and i was actually installing it on HDD 3.)

Anyway, if you do not or can not install it right now in that order then do the grub configuration. How you SCREAM!!, well here you go:

  1. Insert Ubuntu LiveCD and boot it up until you reach the Desktop.

  2. Open the terminal (ALT+F2, then type gnome-terminal)

  3. Read some of the next tutorials since some work on some PCs, others do not:

http://ubuntuguide.net/how-to-restore-grub-2-after-reinstalling-windows-xpvistawin7

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RecoveringUbuntuAfterInstallingWindows

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  • I dont think you got me, the laptop was bought with windows
    – Vaolter
    Dec 16, 2010 at 1:18
  • Ok Got it. Did you create the partition with the livecd or windows 7?.
    – Luis Alvarado
    Dec 16, 2010 at 1:21
  • I was using the ubuntu 10.10 cd to partition as well as install
    – Vaolter
    Dec 16, 2010 at 8:01
  • Ok. With the LiveCD in the partition selection go to "manual" and remove all partitions that are not related to windows. After that you can go back to visual selection for the partition or in manual selection select the empty partition space that create a small part for swap and the rest for your ubuntu. You should have in the end the following: 1 Very small partition with the restore info for windows, 1 Partition with Windows 7, 1 Small partition with swap, 1 Partition with Ubuntu
    – Luis Alvarado
    Dec 16, 2010 at 15:40
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    A ok got it. Sorry then. Have you tried verifying if the BIOS has options to change the way a HDD is read. Like Block, CHS, Large, etc.. Maybe a setting there is changing the behavior of how the partition is seen after installation.
    – Luis Alvarado
    Dec 16, 2010 at 16:50
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I'm not sure about CYREX's answer it doesn't make sense to me......

Have a read through this article here

As you have Windows installed first you can either use it to create a new partition (remember to to defrag the drive first) or Gparted from CD - either way you must defrag Windows first then create a new partition then follow the steps in the guide.

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  • You dont get it either, the laptop comes with windows 7 preinstalled I dont have a copy of windows. What I want to do is reduce the windows space so i can also use linux. I have tries using both methods-ubuntu livecd or Gparted cd but run into the same problem unusable space.
    – Vaolter
    Dec 16, 2010 at 12:35
  • I do understand your issue - the idea of highlighting the article was to give you some guidance as to what to do. Have a read through this information: windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows-vista/… How did you create the new partition? did you format it as NTFS or EXT4 ??
    – Mark Rooney
    Dec 17, 2010 at 12:01

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