Partitioning one big partition

[TcM]

Ok so let's say I have an HD and it has only one partition on it, and I have my windows, files etc... on it, how can I partition it without formatting everything?

I know Ubuntu is capable of doing this, as I done it my self at school some time ago, but how can I do that without installing Ubuntu on that partition?

I do have GParted but last time I tried, I didn't succeed!

Or Maybe I can do that with ubuntu, let it install and then overwrite that OS with another OS.. will that work?

P.S. I will install a MAC on that partition (if it makes any difference)

[Acheron]

Doesn't patition magic do that ?(not sure,but its logical)

[TcM]

HAHA Last time I tried that tool it smashed my XP installation! Had to format it, because 90% of XP was not working!! I had no copy/paste, no services, no start menu... NOTHING. So I guess I won't use that again, and besides that I read on a forum that it has incompatibilities with Vista, and as I'm planning to do this on my (which I'm going to buy) laptop which comes with Vista pre-installed (which I might remove after sometime) I want something that can do that.

And I found online that Vista has a tool that can do that on it's own, but not sure if it can do what I want.

[Jordan]

Vista has the ability to repartition partitions built in just like partition magic. Also, I've used partition magic several times (probably close to 100) and never had a problem with it. I generally use the dos version (boot disk to partition magic).

[John]

Boot from Ubuntu Live and use GParted

[TcM]

Vista has the ability to repartition partitions built in just like partition magic. Also, I've used partition magic several times (probably close to 100) and never had a problem with it. I generally use the dos version (boot disk to partition magic).

Well I used the normal one, it just brought up a screen like the one of chkdsk before startup and it started partitioning then it showed an error and XP was freaked up (and I still did not have any partition, just a crazed up XP)

Boot from Ubuntu Live and use GParted

But does GParted let you resize a partition? I have a CD with GParted only installed on it, and I couldn't find a way to resize a partition without loosing all data on it...

[John]

Yes, as long as the partition you are trying to resize isn't mounted.

[TcM]

Ok thanks, I think that I will trust GParted more than Partition Magic.

Thanks.

[John]

No problem. I've never had a problem with GParted, I did have one issue with Partition Magic.

[TcM]

Well now I can easily do it with Vista