Installation on new HDD with partition

I have a new 5 TB HDD. I would like to install Zorin on half of it while leaving the other half formatted in NTFS. The purpose is so that while running Windows, Windows will be able to access that partition and so data (saved files) can be used by both Zorin and Windows.

I have tried to do this; tried to create a partition prior - and during - installing Zorin, but I have failed.

Please could someone tell me how to achieve this?

There is or was a 2 TB limit for GNU/Linux but I think there is a solution for it now:

https://icesquare.com/wordpress/how-to- ... -on-linux/

Thanks but installing Zorin isn't the problem as it installs easily onto the 5 TB HDD (by wiping away the partitions and not giving me the option to keep them). Installing it while leaving a blank partition is the problem.

I created two partitions using Windows but Zorin just ignores them, wipes them away, and installs onto the entire HDD, and can a partition be made after installation? Seems to be no.

This is another failure by the Linux community. Ten years ago I could easily install Windows onto a partition with confidence and ease, but in 2015 with Linux it's impossible. Or is it?

OK, you need to do the 'something else' method as per my video here:

https://vimeo.com/110085401

See also:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4848

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2601

Thanks for the replies. This seems ridiculously and so unnecessarily complicated. Remaining in control of HDDs and partitions ten years ago - before I ventured to Linux - was unproblematic, very easy, and fully transparent. Now, it's a nightmare. Some progress! Things are getting worse.

I do not know what is going wrong because I still am unable to progress with my installation. All I want to do is have Linux as the OS on the new 5 TB HDD while having a partition on the same HDD that is recognised by a Windows installation on another existing HDD, so files can be shared between the two OSs (Linux file systems are, of course, invisible to Windows for some stupid reason). I don't know why this is proving such an impossible task, and I've spent a few days wasted on it now.

I need to format the drive properly, I think, yet can't get this supposedly simple task completed; I managed, in Linux (live disk), to delete the partitions on the new HDD that I previously created to produce one large unallocated space. I then installed Windows 7. However, after checking the new HDD - with newly installed W7 - in my existing Windows installation (on another HDD) using Disk Management, Windows 7, so I saw, actually loaded onto one of two partitions on the new disk where there should only have been one large space. Furthermore, the disk is not showing in My Computer, only Disk Management.

Swarfendor437, is the solution somewhere in your video? I couldn't really make much sense with that robot computer voice. Wolfman, I tried to follow your instructions in the threads you linked to, but options I needed were not available to me - extended partition, et cetera - and other things were different and beyond my control.

Please hold my hand and walk me through this - I'm prepared to start again from the beginning. I suppose, in order to start again, I'll need to format the disk and wipe away its stubborn brief history of unwanted partitions and various file allocations. Please tell me how - few steps in each post, if you're willing!

Hi,

if you follow this thread (guide); you shouldn't need any hand holding as I explained it the best way I could:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2601

Gparted is included in the live Cd but here is a link if you want a full copy:

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php

I used the 'robot' voice used by Gespeaker which speaks text and I had to marry the audiotext to the video - I spent 5 solid days trying to upload to Veoh - only Vimeo worked. If you are patient, make notes on what you see and turn the voice off - it is pretty self explanatory.

I don't have any drive above 1 TB installed in any machine - my external 2 TB drive is used for backup only - so unless I had a 5 TB drive myself I would be able to see what the issue was - sadly I can't - I would advise you follow Wolfman's advise - keep us posted!

Thanks for the further replies.

After days of torment and suicide-level stress, I have given-up on the idea of having two partitions on the new HDD. I decided to simply load Linux onto the entire drive. However, none of the distros I used worked, including Zorin (with the exception of the latest Ubuntu, which did work initially but after it was wiped to make further attempts to create two partitions for a dual boot with Windows and re-installed, it no longer does work for whatever reason, despite choosing the installation option to wipe the HDD and use the entire disk during installation).

After installing Linux - all distros - I get the following message upon restarting/attempting the first boot:

"Error: attempt to read or write outside of disk 'hd0'. Enter rescue mode. Grub rescue>"

I can't get past that, hence why I tried many different distros. I, of course, Googled for a solution but found many different possible causes. I did reduce the partition size of the boot partition (and created one, where applicable), but this did not fix the issue. So, this is the new problem I desperately need to overcome, as I have given-up all hope of my original intention.

My BIOS is the latest stable release; my computer components are not particularly old, and I did run Zorin on the exact same computer (different HDD) until the end of 2014, so I really see no reason as to why I'm having such difficulties, unless the problem is the size of the disk (5 TB) and ridiculous complexities in managing partitions (for a smaller boot size).

Could you provide us with the brand and model of the hard drive? Thanks.

Toshiba MD04ACA500

Hi, just found this (forgot about GTP):

http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2012/08/2tb-gtp-parted/

answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/i-have-a-3-tb-drive-windows-7-ultimate-wont-format/b1cc3811-f25f-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5

Hi,

did you follow this advice when creating your disk/USB stick?:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4771

Have you checked out those links I gave you? Just to go back to earlier comments it is not just GNU/Linux that has undergone major issues but Windows users too! Storage technology has changed and as such, methodologies have to change that meet the new technology, including the correct SATA cable for the drive being used and that the motherboard will support such a device (sic.).

Any update on this please?