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How to unscrew my installation screw-up

Whitstabubble

Wed Apr 22, 2020 1:14:03 pm

Hello there folks! My writing laptop (good keyboard) is a Dell Inspiron 1525 that started out running Vista and now after 7 & 8 successfully runs Win 10 home pro. As a 12 year old 32bit dual CPU 160gh 4gb ram it's not doing so bad but it is sluggish. I did want a cleaner, quieter environment to write in, and dual booting to Zorin seemed like a perfect answer. Used a USB stick to check Zorin out - delighted - so late at night - maybe too late, I tried to install Zorin 'alongside' Windows. I can't remember if I did that from USB or a link on the desktop of my temporary Zorin.
Everything seemed fantastic - when it finished, there was a proper copy of Zorin - it picked up my Wifi straight away - which the temp one did not. Out of curiosity - I rebooted the PC to see how to get in - straight to Windows log in. So I F12'd it next time - no option to boot from anything else.
I replaced the USB to see if using F12 I could boot into the installation via that - no dice.
So I looked at the partitions - there are two - an incredibly small non-windows file (a swap file for Zorin?) and a miserly 2GB which I think is Zorin.
So I did something wrong. . .bit of a numpty... I can also see my main hard drive - a mere, ancient 100gb is almost full so it will help all round if I decant stuff out and unclag that first.
THEN?
a) Can I just delete those Zorin partitions and reinstall Zorin?
b) Or can I just re-install Zorin over the existing one?
c) Or can I find a way to boot into the existing Zorin installation ie. set up dual booting in some way (and perhaps then just expand the Zorin partition if needs be)
d) The really finest-kind solution would be to utilise the 2nd keyboard 'on' button on this old Dell - it booted into a weird 'media centre' for playing DVDs etc without powering up the main computer. Cute - but I've never needed it. How brilliant to have a laptop with two 'on' buttons - one for Zorin and one for W10 (sorry, daydreaming there). Seriously - any solution would be fine. Simplest best - and please - if I can, can I do it without re-installing Windows? THANK YOU.

Whitstabubble

Wed Apr 22, 2020 1:30:47 pm

By the way, not sure it matters - I think I ended up with 64 bit Zorin on a 32 bit machine but seemed to work ok.

Swarfendor437

Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:28:10 pm

Hi, and Welcome.

Firstly it would help if you check your version of Windows - 64-bit will not work on a 32-bit rig period. And you can't have Windows 10 home /pro - it's one or the other, Home or Professional.

A screenshot of your Windows Disk Management interface but please ensure that the blurb in the box that says 'Healthy' can be fully read - you may have to move the boundaries of the information box by using the sliders! Thanks. ;) :D

Whitstabubble

Wed Apr 22, 2020 5:00:38 pm

Thanks for such a prompt response - really glad to hear from you. BB's are not something I'm used to - in terms of posting images - so here is a link to specs of machine and I hope what you needed on disk management. Going out now for my permitted daily exercise but back this evening....seems to be a 32bit version of windows on a 64 bit processor if that means anything. I just thought that when I installed Zorin I couldn't find a 32 bit version. It all seemed to sort itself and work fine....til I rebooted.
LINK
https://app.box.com/s/blq06sxr5tet8owjhnd1kr6geb79wv5p

Again - my thanks -

Swarfendor437

Wed Apr 22, 2020 8:25:10 pm

Thanks for posting (I don't use Box anymore, apart from a few items I uploaded some time ago - they say it isn't Linux compatible or Firefox compatible but I just viewed your images just fine. Your problem is the same as this guys:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15285&p=71261#p71257

See my reply below that image - you have 4 primary partitions - the maximum any system can have - you're going to have to bite the bullet and decide which partition is going to go to make room for Zorin. ;) :D