Oops
 

I've run into some trouble while installing Mandrake 9.1.

I booted from the CD, all was going well then the partiton program poped up. I was a bit confused but through it ok. I completed the installation and apart from a few minor problems, thought everything was ok.

Here's my problem. I exited Linux and booted in windows (i'm using dual boot for now) and realised that id installed linux in one of my extended partitions instead of a partition i'de already made for it. Also, I have 2 seperate blocks of empty hard disk instead of one big one.

Anyone know how I can safley uninstall linux, reinstall it properly, then put the two expty slices of my hd back together? Also, anyone know hoe I can reduce a 30GB NTFS partition?

I would use Partition Magic as its the easiest thing for partition management through Windows. If you are confused and want to just erase the linux partition and resize your ntfs one, get Partition Magic and set up all the partitions the way you want them. Dont bother using Partition Magic to make linux partitions though, just resize the Windows one and erase the others, leaving room on the hard drive for Mandrake. When you reinstall Mandy will know what to do.

isn't there a free partition manager around?

Im sure there is, but Partition Magic is the best. I didnt really mean go out and buy it. Borrow it from a friend if you have any with it, or use a file sharing client.
If anyone knows of comparable free ones, recommend one for him.

try fdisk from the command promt of DOS

Fdisk can't resize and in order to partition it has to delete files. Not my recommendation. Go with Partition Magic 8.0.

BootIt is also a good partition manager, and it's free :D