defragmenting
 

I'm trying to install Linux on my computer which already runs Windows Me. I have a 14 Gb harddrive that is 7 Gb full. I want to have Linux partitions on the remaining 7 Gb. Sounds pretty simple, but when I defragment to move all my files to the front of the Windows partition, there is this one file that is left at the end of the partition that can't be moved. I read that hidden/system/read-only files can't be moved, so I took of all the hidden/system/read-only attributes that I could but some files won't allow me to change their attributes. And I also read that files in use by the system can't be moved either. So this one file at the end of the partition that is either a file in use or a hid/sys/r-o is preventing me from having a Linux partition and is really pissing me the @!#$ off. I don't want to have to reinstall Windows and go through all that back-up stuff, but I want Linux on my machine. Someone PLEASE help.

you should try using partition magic. it should be able to setup a partition scheme on what you want and not destroy any files already that you may have... but its always good to keep backups just in case...

Windows is viewing the entire drive as one partition at the moment, tricykid has the right idea, you need to create a _new_ partition for linux and partition magic is possibly the _best_ tool for the job. I use it myself even though I don't have windows on my computer. With your spare 7g you should make two linux partitions, one for root and one for swap. Make the swap double your RAM. With PM the partitions will be "linux native" (ex2). When you do the linux install look for an option to use reiserFS or ex3 for the file system, much more advanced than fat*, ntfs or ex3.

What otaku9876 is saying is that prior to shrinking the Windows partition, he/she is trying to defrag, but one of the files at the end of the Win partition can't be moved. This can prevent some non-destructive partition managers from shinking the Win part.

Otaku9876- when trying to change attributes, do it from a "pure DOS" command line. In other words, don't do it from the file's "Properties" window, or from a DOS mode started from Windows.
If the file in question can't be moved because it is in use, boot from a utility disk and run the defrag from there.

I've used partition magic, (installed in Windows98) to resize an create new partitions to install Linux without defragmenting. No data Loss! Try this!