Ubuntu
gparted package

Ubuntu created a partition but will not recognize it as usable

Asked by Wil

I have SUCCESSFULLY installed ubuntu as a win/linux dual boot on two desktop computers.

PROBLEM: I am attempting to do the same for my friend on his Acer laptop. Ubuntu created the partition without damaging anything else Vista-wise.

Trouble is, that now that I have the partition, Ubuntu refuses to recognize it as "Usable"

I need to correct this VERY quickly! If my friend gets his laptop back with nothing but a loss of 20GB of space...he will be very upset with me.

I don't have lots of time to browse all the Q & A's. Please help!

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Wil
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nhasian (nhasian) said : 		#1

Hello Wil,

did you use ubuntu's Partition Editor (gparted) to shrink the partition? it is recommended to shrink the partition using windows Vista's Disk Manager instead.

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Tom (tom6) said : 		#2

If gparted can see the partition then try going through the "Manual Partitioning" rather than "Guided Partitioning" remember to set the "Mount Point" of the Ubuntu partition as

/

/ is the root of the file-structure. It's a tiny and easily missable part of the "Manual Partitioning" section.

Good luck and glad to hear you've had a couple of previous successes.

Congrats and regards from
Tom :)

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Tom (tom6) said : 		#3

You had this same problem on your first ever attempt and somehow seemed to find inspiration from this link but i'm not sure how as i don't see quite where it has the answer. Hope it similarly helps this time
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/WindowsDualBoot

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Wil (xxmadrokkxx) said : 		#4

No I did not have this same problem before. This is a partition I already created using Ubuntu. It recognizes the partition it itself created as "Unusable". I need to know how to correct this. How do I get it to recognize what it created erronously? I DID do this using "Manual" partitioning! When I go back again and highlight the "Unusable" part it gives me NO options at all. All the boxes are greyed out.

Win Vista cannot see the new "Unusable" partition. Ubuntu can! BUT, it won't do anything with it.

What I need is some way to FORMAT this new "Unusable" partition so that Ubuntu will do something with it.

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Wil (xxmadrokkxx) said : 		#5

Nevermind! I found a solution! And I wish to post it here so others may benefit!

The solution is EASEUS Partition manager Home Edition..It can be found here;

http://en.kioskea.net/telecharger/telechargement-380-easeus-partition-manager

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Wil (xxmadrokkxx) said : 		#6

And it's FREE!

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Tom (tom6) said : 		#7

Thanks Will.  It's the 2nd time you've solved similar problems and posted the answer back in here.  Seems like you'd be an invaluable asset to the team of volunteer's here.  Anytime you see a Question you think you can help with please do.  Sometimes Questions are a little ambiguous ro have several different possible answers depending on the experience of the person asking.  Any help you can give would be gratefully received or at least appreciated by us volunteers.

Thanks and regards from
Tom :)

Ps i know i annoy you but i'm glad you're onboard too

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Tom (tom6) said : 		#8

I prefer the gparted on another distro of linux called Wolvix because it's included on the LiveCd and also unlike Ubuntu's it can deal with ntfs.  Not particularly relevant in this case and it's always good to have a variety of tools ready to use.  Wolvix Live Cd covers a number of different distaster recovery scenarios.

Whe you said "And it's Free" you're implying that Ubuntu wasn't free or perhaps other linux answers aren't Free.  I hope you didn't have to pay much beyond cd/dvd costs for getting a linux as they should also be Free (except maybe Xandros and some others).

Good luck and regards from
Tom