Partitioning problem

[RaZoR1394]

A week ago I was trying to install XP64 nativily but got into some problems. The partitioning program simply didn't want to work. It throwed me the error "...This disk does not contain a valid windows partition...". I tried all sorts of things;

* Erase the partition and create a new one with the XP64 disc. I also tried creating a smaller partition on the first disc which I had Gentoo which was no go.
* Erase all partitions from Gentoo linux and create new ones with the XP64 disc.
* Create new partitions and format them as ntfs with Gentoo linux.
* Erase all partitions and create new reiser ones and let the XP64 disc reformat them.

Earlier I had tried to install Vista beta 2 64bit but the install failed (not because of bad media) so I had to go for XP64 as I wanted to utilize the stability of win2003 and my 64bit processor. I noticed that Vista put a little partition on the primary drive and a big one on the second one. That's where from I got the idea in the first point.

What I did before trying to installing 64bit for like the 10th time was to format the partition with the Vista disc and also create a logical volume. The installer automatically created a boot "partition" and a primary one. After that I exited the Vista setup and the XP64 install went like a charm.

I who thought that there were problems with the SATA drivers. This could have been the case when I was running RAID but now I just learned that SATA drivers are not needed when running non raid at least with my motherboard.

Has anyone experienced this? I searched the message on Google and there seems to be a lot of complaints on the issue. I just cannot understand how the installer can't use the partition it creates itself!

This happened with XP32 too. Some say that you can use the win98 boot disc to erase all partitions and then recreate them. Then it will work.

[mobrien_12]

Has anyone experienced this? I searched the message on Google and there seems to be a lot of complaints on the issue. I just cannot understand how the installer can't use the partition it creates itself!

It's Windows.

[Refalm]

You should try Hiren's Boot disk for this. I'm sure you can find it somewhere on a torrent site.

[Pathos]

err...microsuck the windows helpdesk?

[Refalm]

Yeah I know. I work with Windows on the job.

The problems Windows create is mindblowing. The work of a sysop would be a lot easier with Linux.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

We should help people with Window$ problems ... here's a quick 3-step guide:

# 1) Install Linux
# 2) Goto # 1
# 3) Goto # 1

[WMD]

So, install it 3 times?  Ouch.  Might as well install Windows.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

So, install it 3 times?  Ouch.  Might as well install Windows.

Actually ... it probably won't work the first time ... like it did for me ... only it didn't work the first 10 to 20 times I tried to install it ... but I perservered and finally got it to install (I tried different distros, of course)

[Lead Head]

What the? FC4 installed trhe first time around, so with Debian, SuSE, and mandrake

[Aloone_Jonez]

We should help people with Window$ problems ... here's a quick 3-step guide:

# 1) Install Linux
# 2) Goto # 1
# 3) Goto # 1

The first two line would already have put you in a never ending loop, like Windows showing you a BSOD or Linux having a kernel panic.

[lovefist233]

ok, that was a long confusing post and maybe i missed the point but did you try partition magic? seems to work well with windows

[Annorax]

ok, that was a long confusing post and maybe i missed the point but did you try partition magic? seems to work well with windows

I've found that as of late, Paragon Partition Manager can fix many of the filesystem problems that stop PartitionMagic cold. It's also on Hiren's boot CD, so.... yeah, what Refalm said.

[Aloone_Jonez]

But why bother when you can use Linux which is free software and it can handel more file system types than most proprietary programs?