Dual boot windows 8.1 and ubuntu 13.10, unusable drive space

Question

I have Windows 8.1(64-bit), i want to dual boot it with ubuntu 13.10(64bit),

I shrunk the C: drive by 20 GB. created a bootable pendrive and booted through it

Partitions

when i clicked on "something else", the 20GB data i have partitioned is showing "unusable"

Something else

i tried using gparted its showing "it is not possible to create more than 4 primary partitions"

please help, i am new to ubuntu

my system specs: core i3(3rd gen), 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, Dell inspiron 14r

I do not have enough reputation to upload images so i have given the links.

did you want to install ubuntu on a 16 GB space? – Avinash Raj Feb 14 '14 at 13:30 — Avinash Raj, Feb 14 '14 at 13:30

koullislp · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-14T14:46:02.947

5

Unless you have one primary partition for your Linux partition, there isn't much you can do. So you need to delete one of your existing partitions before you can install Ubuntu.

Unfortunately the disks are limited to 4 physical partitions, but if you need more, then you can set up the 4th partition as an extended partition. Inside that extended partition you can have several other logical partitions.

But as mentioned earlier, you need to delete one of your existing partitions before you do so.

Here is a sample layout: Partition table

Hope that helps!

edited Feb 14 '14 at 14:46

answered Feb 14 '14 at 13:23

koullislp

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he can't create another because already four partitions are there. – Avinash Raj Feb 14 '14 at 13:26
Right, in this case there is not much he can do, but to delete partitions. – koullislp Feb 14 '14 at 13:37
but you doesn't mention this in your answer. – Avinash Raj Feb 14 '14 at 13:42
what if i make one more partition in windows and then using change in partition table edit it? – theoneabhinav Feb 14 '14 at 16:34
*DO NOT CREATE NEW PARTITIONS IN WINDOWS!!!!* Doing so will convert the disk from using standard partitions to using the Windows Logical Disk Manager system, which will greatly complicate installation. – Rod Smith Feb 14 '14 at 22:53
if i keep some free space during installation of windows can it be used to install ubuntu? – theoneabhinav Feb 16 '14 at 03:26

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Feb 14 '14 at 14:54

Your problem is that you have installed Windows using the old MBR and didn't prepared the HDD with what's for some years recommended, GPT.

MBR is limited to 4 primary partions. GPT is not, and it's working with old hardware as well (like I have an old EeePC 900HA and works nice with GPT).

One way is to delete one of the primary partitions and install Ubuntu.

The other way is to migrate from MBR to GPT.

The error from gparted is really because you already have 4 primary partitions on MBR.

Dual boot windows 8.1 and ubuntu 13.10, unusable drive space

2 Answers2