[SOLVED] Partitioning on a Lenovo laptop

cov · 06-11-2012, 08:13 AM

Hi,

I've just bought a Lenovo laptop this morning and wanted to install linux on it.

However, it doesn't appear to be possible to resize the main partition.

Parted will not allow the partition to be resized and ntfsresize gives a lot of errors.

Presumably this is so that the Lenovo recovery software is able to function.

Is there any way to do this or do I need to wipe the hard drive?

netherfox · 06-11-2012, 08:26 AM

FWIW, I personally had more luck resizing my ntfs partitions with the native Windows 7 utility than with Parted.

cov · 06-11-2012, 08:56 AM

Hmm.

I was hoping to do it without booting into Windows. :?

bigrigdriver · 06-11-2012, 09:36 AM

I bought a Toshiba Satellite with win7 installed (for the wife, or I would have deleted it). I used a liveCD with gparted to resize. Then I created an extended partition with logical partitions for my Debian installation. It worked without any problems.

bigrigdriver · 06-11-2012, 09:37 AM

I bought a Toshiba Satellite with win7 installed (for the wife, or I would have deleted it). I used a liveCD with gparted to resize. Then I created an extended partition with logical partitions for my Debian installation. It worked without any problems.

Maybe it's a Lenovo thing?

cov · 06-11-2012, 09:49 AM

Yes, I've tried to use the sysresccd.org live cd which has parted on it, but I'm having the same error.

It looks as though I'm going to have to agree to the Windows EULA if I want to install linux on it. That's assuming that the Windows partitioning tool does actually work as suggested by netherfox

pan64 · 06-11-2012, 11:31 AM

there are a lot of partition editor out there. you can try for example this without MS EULA: http://www.partitionwizard.com/parti...otable-cd.html

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pixellany · 06-11-2012, 12:02 PM

Lenovo Ideapad Z560 here---originally installed Ubuntu in dual-boot---Ubuntu installer did the resizing without any problems. Later I had to restore Windows (don't ask.....)---Once Windows was working, I used Gparted to do the re-sizing and set up Linux partitions.

No issues...

EDDY1 · 06-11-2012, 12:37 PM

If windows needs to check file system you may not be able tor resize.
So it's better to boot the wins operating system & then try resizing.

salasi · 06-11-2012, 01:02 PM

My Lenovo 3000 N200 partitioned in the openSUSE install procedure, without any surprising issues (...shrink windows, use space for something worthwhile...).

Which Lenovo do you have? Someone might have some specific experience.

rokytnji · 06-11-2012, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cov

Hi,

I've just bought a Lenovo laptop this morning and wanted to install linux on it.

However, it doesn't appear to be possible to resize the main partition.

Parted will not allow the partition to be resized and ntfsresize gives a lot of errors.

Presumably this is so that the Lenovo recovery software is able to function.

Is there any way to do this or do I need to wipe the hard drive?

Without a

Code:

fdisk -l

report. It is hard for any one to give any advice in this thread. Ii would be durn careful wiping the whole drive because once done. It can't be undone and the IBM and you may need some of the partitions listed in a fdisk -l report.

Make and model and a link to IBM Laptop specs needed also in this thread.

cov · 06-11-2012, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rokytnji

Make and model and a link to IBM Laptop specs needed also in this thread.

Code:

root@xubuntu:/home/xubuntu# fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xb676171b

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048      411647      204800    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2          411648   885020671   442304512    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3       885020672   945829887    30404608    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda4       945829888   976773167    15471640   12  Compaq diagnostics
/dev/sda5       885022720   945829887    30403584    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
root@xubuntu:/home/xubuntu#

Lenovo Ideapad Z570

cov · 06-11-2012, 05:06 PM

I know it doesn't help, but since you ask...

Frnakly it pisses me off.

If you pay out thousands to buy a peice of hardware, why on earth can't you do what you want with it? Why should a mega corporation be allowed to hold you to ransom with what you can or can't do with a piece of equipment that you have paid for and which you own?

This really sucks.

EDDY1 · 06-11-2012, 07:29 PM

Sda3 is your extended partition but it'll be too small to resize without resizing sda2 first.
You need to shrink sda2 first, then grow sda3 to the left. After that youwill have free space within sda3 after sda5.
I still believe that you should boot the native os before attempting any resizing operations.
Gparted-livecd or usb works well.

rokytnji · 06-11-2012, 09:24 PM

Once you get EDDy1's suggestion done (GOOD suggestion Eddy1). Might want to read these before trying a install.

http://blog.awsiemen.com/2012/03/lin...-ideapad-z570/

http://askubuntu.com/questions/84877...-compatibility

Not much said in this link below. Just that it works.

http://forums.fedoraforum.org/showthread.php?t=279510