dual boot and trying a different Linux flavor
 

I just tried Mint again and its still not up to what I need. So, can I install another linux to replace Mint and not loose my win7?

2, 3, and 5 years ago, I tried linux and once I realized it did not do what i needed, I tried to remove it (taking advice from the forums) and I lost access to win7. I dont want that to happen again.

How should I proceed?

pa

How you have setup partitions for dual OS setup?

Please give details about your setup?

You can replace Mint with another Distro. If you are new be careful.

500g HDD:

install win7

3 weeks later defrag HDD

Install mint letting it partition HDD for dual boot. 100g for win7, the remainder for mint. With plans to later make mint partition smaller and having a 3rd partition for my files. Have not yet done this because mint gparted and KDE... partitioners dont work.

used mint for 6 weeks and then started using win7 again. mint cant do what I need out of the box.

Might try ubuntu or debian again.

I think I responded to all your questions. I always review questions to be sure that I did not miss anything. However this site this interface does not display your post, so I cant.

pa

So you can install a different distro to use the space used by current Mint. Each distro has it's tool for partitioning and making filesystems.

Read Manual of each distro for how to setup.

Ubuntu is based on Debian and Mint is based on Ubuntu.

The install and partitioning methods are really very similar.

I'll have to disagree with that, it does work. First off, modifying windows partitions is best done from windows, resizing, etc. I would suggest that before you try again you read some detailed tutorials on installing Linux and Mint specifically. Ubuntu or Debian aren't going to make any difference in all likelihood if you can't get Mint to work. The link below is to a detailed tutorial on installing Ubuntu. Mint is based on Ubuntu and uses the same installer and the primary difference you will see installing Mint vs Ubuntu is the background color on the installer.

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/u...all-guide.html

The link below explains in detail how to use GParted:

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/gparted.html

The actual GParted Manual at the link below:

http://gparted.org/display-doc.php?name=help-manual

The link below is to a download site where you can download the Mint Manual in different languages which explains installing and gives an introduction to using Mint.

http://www.linuxmint.com/documentation.php

Is your disk configured as GPT or MBR?

BTW to remove Linux, boot into Windows and delete the Linux partitions.
Then run the the Windows command which sets up the boot sector (I would research this bit!).

Probably be better to reverse that process and install the windows boot code first before deleting his Linux partition if he is using a Linux bootloader. Otherwise he will have an unbootable computer.

configured however mint install configures it.

That did not work last time or the time before.

I need something that basically works out of the box w/o a lot of online research. I dont mind researching some, but i dont have that much time. I have already spend over 20 hours online trying to find out why my mint does not do what i need it to do. Like why gparted and KDE... partitioners wont let me repartition the mint partition. Why txt files take 10 seconds to open. Why I cant close a txt that I copied from until i paste. If its closed 1st, then pasting results in nothing. over and over this has happened over the weeks. Like why there are tab vertical lines in my txt file text that I need to manually delete after i paste. Like why the rename command is grayed out when I try and rename groups of files. This happens in both file managers in mint. This was the last straw. My work load requires processing lots of jpg pictures and renaming groups of them. I find nowhere on the net why I cant do this. There is more, but I did not start this thread to complain. I tried mint and have spent over 20 hours researching and most all of my issues have gone unsolved. So, mint is not for me. However, I want my HDD space back.

pa

So how do you select a bunch of files and the machine reads your mind to decide how the rename command is to operate?

Commands such as gparted will allow you to resize or create partitions.
Obviously it's reasonable to be required to unmount a system partition whilst this happens.
So try booting from a USB to carry out this process.

txt files will take a long time to open if they are really huge...:D

You can't change a partition on which the partitioner (GParted) is running. If you want to modify a separate Mint partition, you can do it from Kubuntu. If you want to modify the Kubuntu partition, do it from Mint. You have to unmount a partition before you can make any change to it. It is simpler to use the Live CD of Mint or Kubuntu to modify partitions.

I've never had a text file take 10 seconds to open unless the system was messed up. I don't have any problem selecting copy, closing the file then pasting to another file so that certainly isn't expected behavior.

That would be expected behavior if you are logged in as a normal user and are trying to change system file names. Otherwise, it's a bigger problem. If your jpg images are on another partition or if they are outside the /home/user directory you need admin privileges to modify them. Either that or give your user ownership of the directory which is a simple process and done one time.

Sounds like you'd be better off sticking with windows. Make sure you reinstall the windows bootloader to the master boot record BEFORE you delete the Mint partition or your machine will be unbootable, that is if you are currently using the Mint Grub bootloader to boot both Mint and windows. You probably need the windows installation medium to do this. You can then use Disk Management in windows to delete the Mint partition and create another partition for windows.