I've finally decided to install Ubuntu on my computer, so I'll dual boot Windows XP and Fiesty Fawn. Trouble is, once I got to the partitioning part of the wizard, I got stumped. I tried the first option, which was supposed to automatically partition my hard drive, but then things got a bit confusing. I have a 37 gb hard drive, with about 20 of it being used right now. So I figured that giving about 12 to linux would be a fair idea, but the lowest I could go on the first option's slide was 17.5! Also, the slider could have gone up to 35gb, had I been crazy enough.

I'm now very paranoid that I'll accidentally write over Windows (which I absolutely need for certain things). Am I supposed to partition first or something?

Thanks in advance,
Sixside.

open up garted, system>administration>Gnome Parition Editor and make you paritions from there, might be easier

You have said you have free space on your hard drive but how many partitions do you have?

If you have the single partition that is usual to an OEM Windows install you need to resize it before you can create additional partitions to install Linux.

I usually turn off my Windows swap file, defrag, resize, then create additional partitions.

So, use this gparted tool, okay.

Is it self-explanatory? Is there any fancy technique I need to know about before I go and mess up my hard drive? I've heard the word 'mount' thrown about when it comes to partition, do I need to know about it?

I have preferred to use the proprietary Acronis partitioning tool to resize NTFS partitions but I see people post good results using gparted.
Following instructions I read about resizing NTFS I would in either case, 1) Turn off the Windows swap file, 2) Run Windows defrag, 3} Resize the Windows partition, 4) Turn the swap file back on. The free space can be partitioned before or during the install as you prefer.

Good Luck.

EDIT: I use 10GB for my prefered Linux partitions but have a partition for large file backup and storage.

You don't need to worry about mounting when you parition

Hope I don't sound like a complete idiot, but what is the Windows swap file?

where windows puts stuff when it runs out of memory, Linux can use a swap file instead of a partition but most people use a swap partition

Aha! I think I found my problem. When I went to defrag my computer again in WIndows (figured it couldn't hurt), I found a couple of files lingering in the midst of my free space! In other words, while most of my files where on the left of the display, a couple were in the middle of the right! No matter how times I defrag, I can't get them to go and join their Windows friends. Is there any way of coaxing them to cluster with the other files?

Start -> Control Panel -> Performance and Maintenance -> System ->Advanced Tab -> Performance; Settings -> Advanced Tab -> Virtual Memory; Change.
Choose no paging file then defrag.
Reset to the default System Managed Size after resizing.

I just tried that, unfortunately didn't work. I'm convinced its those stray files that I have in my free space that are preventing the resize. Everytime I tried it, it said that their was an error in the resizing of hard drive. So how do I get those stray files in the right place?

How much are you trying to shrink the partition?

did you use the windows defragmenter or a third-party one

I'm using the Windows defragmenter.
And I'm trying to shrink the Windows partition to about 27 gb, which will give Linux about 10.

so tell me again why you dont just backup all important files and dive head first into linux???