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I've installed Windows 10, and now I'm trying to prepare a partition for a Linux installation in order to achieve a dual boot with Windows and Linux.

As you can see in the screenshot below, I made a new Linux partition (shrink from C:) on which I would like to install Linux (Solus OS).

enter image description here

The problem is that I can't see this (Linux) partition in Linux installation (as you can in the screenshot below) in GParted. There is C: partition with Linux partition together (/dev/sda/3). Is there a way to separate these two partitions as in Disk Management?

enter image description here

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    Let linux create its own partition, don;t try to prepare one in windows.
    – Frank Thomas
    Commented Jan 6, 2016 at 13:33
  • But on this partition (C:) is already Windows 10. If I chose this partition in Linux instalation, it will erase whole partition, right?
    – corry
    Commented Jan 6, 2016 at 14:09
  • the exfat partition is not your C: partition. delete it in windows (the exfat partition only), and when installing linux, tell gparted to create a new ext4 partition in the empty space, and install to that partition. My only concern is that the disk has been poorly laid out, which may give the partitioner some issues in terms of bootability. This should be addressed by GPT, but the old MBR disks had issues doing things like installing OSes on logical volumes within an MBR Extended Partition.
    – Frank Thomas
    Commented Jan 6, 2016 at 14:25

2 Answers 2

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Unfortunately, your disk isn’t MBR or GPT but using Microsoft’s proprietary Dynamic Disk format. You cannot install Linux on it and you also cannot easily revert to MBR or GPT. You need to either use a payware program or remove all partitions to convert it.

Alternatively, if you’re just looking to play around, use VirtualBox. That way, you won’t have to reboot to try something on Linux.

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  • probably (depending on distro) you could also install Linux into a file which is stored on C: (=/dev/sda3) since it seems to me that this partition is still contiguous on disk and therefore can be accessed from Linux. Linux will not be able to access dynamic disk partitions that are striped or mirrored, or that are not contiguous on disk (e. g. they got enlarged), or change partitioning on such disks, though.
    – mihi
    Commented Jan 6, 2016 at 16:03
  • More precisely, any partition that is not marked as a boot volume will not be accessible from non-Windows OSes, even if it is contiguous and neither striped nor mirrored.
    – mihi
    Commented Jan 6, 2016 at 16:52
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Now, for you, you have two options:

  1. From windows, create one extended partition, (which you already did it) from it make 3 partition; one for home, 2nd for / (root) and 3rd for swap area. (partition size will be as per your requirement)

Now while installing your Linux based O.S provide path for 'home', '/' ,and swap-area, in expert partition, But note that, you have to set 'home' and '/' as ext formats in that expert partitions. (In-short provide path, of that three partition which you did in windows based O.S)

  1. From windows, create one partition, (shrink from C, or other drive) don't give label as ntfs/ext/fat32 etc, leave it unallocated. and restart the system and go for installing Linux based O.S

While in installing section select expert partition, and create 3 required partitions (/home,/,and swap-area), from unallocated disk and install..

Note:

  • From Extended partition, you can create many primary partition.
  • From extended partition, you can install more than 2 O.S
  • If you are installing more than 2 Linux based o.s in one system then no need to give, separate partition for swap-area.
  • You can install more than 2 O.S from above method.
  • If you shrink from any drive like C; D; etc then it called extended partition, and from it you can create many primary partition.

In your case, you can install dual boot, selecting any one method listed above, both will worked for you..

I installed triple boot in my system, with help of both options, listed above. I have one windows and two linux O.S. Here, I attach my partitions table image from windows based O.S for your reference.. Triple boot partations

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  • I tried to make 3 partition from extended one, but I cannot do shrink volume with extended partition (option 1). I also tried with the second option (I've left it unallocated) and when I try to something with unallocated disk I got an error :/
    – corry
    Commented Jan 6, 2016 at 15:32
  • @Kirit - Please don't beg or votes.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Jan 6, 2016 at 21:14
  • @ Corry this worked when you format all your partition, and make it as single ntfs.. Than install Windows based o.s as per your requirements, and left other blank.. And than install linun based o.s.. Note: you can use Ubuntu live OS from bootable USB drive and format all drive and make it one single..
    – Kirit_Vanani
    Commented Jan 10, 2016 at 17:09
  • Finally if you want dual boot then back up your data, after this format all drive from Ubuntu live OS from pendrive with help of gpated and make one single drive then install Windows as per your requirement disk size, than in unallocated you can install Linux based o.s (more than 2 too)
    – Kirit_Vanani
    Commented Jan 10, 2016 at 17:20

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