Using gParted to clean up messy partitions

This is how my HDD is currently partitioned:



sda1 = Win XP install (C: drive)
sda5 = Win XP D: drive with Data/files
sda6 = Unknown (I have no idea why this partition exists)
sda8 = Zorin 8
sda9 = Zorin 9

I would like to
(1) keep Win XP (sda1) as is
(2) Remove Zorin 8 (sda8) and Unknown (sda6) and Win XP Data D: drive (sda5)
(3) After steps (1) and (2), I want to resize Zorin 9 (sda9) to take up all available space not occupied by the Win XP install (sda1)

Could someone give me a step by step on how to accomplish this? I was about to proceed with deleting partitions and resizing Zorin 9 (sda9) to take up all available room but foresaw the following issues:
(1) How is deleting a Win XP NTFS partion (sda5) going to affect Win XP?
(2) Once I delete unwanted partitions, partion names are going to change and as a result. Will this cause problems (e.g. inability to boot XP or Zorin 9)?
(3) I always boot up with Zorin 9 so I cannot unmount it (right?). How can I resize Zorin 9 (sda9) if I am booting into it?

Hi, there. Personally, I would boot into each of your Zorin incarnations, go to your /home folders in each, back everything up (remembering to press Ctrl+ H to show hidden files and folders) and delete all your GNU/Linux partitions, including swap area and start afresh with 9 using the 'something else' method of install.

1. Immediately after your data partition create a 30 Gb Ext4 Primary partition and mark it '/'.

2. Next create an 'Extended Partition' and at the END create a 2 Gb swap area.

3. Everything in front of swap, format to Ext4 and mark as '/home'

Then install to your 30 Gb partition.

My preferred dual boot option is using Easy BCD so that your windows Bootloader remains intact.

See the Matthew Moore video on how to do this - link in my post here:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6075

Hi,

I don't want to delete and reinstall the Zorin 9 partition. It is working fine and I don't want to download 420 MB in updates again (my download speed is slow and limited per month). I understand the value of creating /home on a separate partition from "/" (kind of like installing Windows OS on C: and having your data on D: - right?), but I am a regular backer upper and careful user so I can forgo the pleasure of a "perfectly setup" system.

I also want to leave the Win XP (sda1) and it's data partition (sda5) as is. Don't want to risk resizing those in case the boot record gets screwed up.

So, now, all I want to do is delete the Zorin 8 (sda8) and Unkown (sda6) partitions and then resize Zorin 9 (sda9) to take up the freed up space?

Questions:
(1) I have a bootable USB pen with Zorin 9. Should I boot from this (as opposed to Zorin 9 on sda9) to accomplish this? I am presuming if I boot from Zorin 9 on sda 9, I WILL be able to delete sda6 and sda8 but I WILL NOT be able to resize sda9.
(2) When I delete sda6 and sda8, will that freed up space show up as unallocated or an extension of sda5 (the Windows XP data drive)?
(3) Anything else I should be worried/careful about when doing this?

Yes, of course, I have backed up everything. Waiting for your response to forge ahead........

The problem is that in GNU/Linux (unless I have not been keeping myself up-to-date) is that you can only shrink, not expand partitions - hence my suggestion!

Aaaah. Good thing I checked with you before experimenting.

Okay, so I will follow steps 1-3 from your Oct 6 post. I will have to boot from my USB pen, right?

If you can boot into live mode from your USB then yes.

I used gParted to shrink my zorin8 partition and expand the zorin9 partition. Then I copied all my zorin 8 stuff to zorin9.
The partitons needed to be next to each other with nothing in between. The free space must be next to the partition you want to expand.

I would rather play safe than sorry - back up your data and do a fresh install!

as this is a 'clean-up' then would just delete sda5 & sda8 + unallocated area,
then extend sda6 to the left - into < now > vacant area -.
- backup anything from Zorin 8 - first.

- do all of that from your live_cd

Hmmmm. Amazing how much you can learn if only you wait.

I was going to delte all partitions (except Win XP) and do a fresh install of Zorin 9, however, after careful consideration and taking in to account the wisdom dispensed thus far, I have decided to follow the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle.

For me, playing it safe = keeping it simple. And that means, doing the following:

(1) Delete sda8 (Zorin 8) and unallocated area AND
(2) Extend sda9 (Zorin 9) to take up space vacated by step 1.

FYI, there is NOTHING on sda8 that I need to back up so getting rid of that partition is easy. Ditto for unallocated area, obviously.

Much as I would like to get rid of the Win XP data drive (D:, sda5), I fear doing so "may" affect the boot record and render Win XP unsuable. Hence, I will choose to forgo that pleasure. The data files I use frequently, I will store on the Zorin 9 partition and the ones I use infrequently, leave on the Windows XP data partition (sda5). I do not see any downside in accessing this sda5 data from Zorin 9, but if anyone knows better, please share.

Thanks for all you input Sonny, Swarfendor437 and Pierre. Since access to my computer is critical during the week, I will proceed to accomplish my mission this coming weekend.

Hi, had a failing drive so had to clone - I tried to make proportional - no go - tried umpteen tools at my disposal:

Acronis True Image Home 11 - copied Windows 7 and could boot into it but failed to copy Zorin 9.
When I appeared to get an exact copy I tried to enlarge the Zorin '/home' - no way Jose!

I used Ultimate Boot CD Hard Drive tools - no joy.

I used Clonezilla - still no joy!

Finally for cloning 'as is' - Clone Copy 1.9.6 on Hiren's Boot CD!

As for boot issues, install EasyBCD on XP, but be sure to put Zorin boot at the beginning of '/' partition - make a note of the partition number and match it in the Easy BCD bootloader editor in XP:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=8499#p41026