Date: Sat, 31 Aug 1996 10:53:53 +0200 (IST) From: Nadav Eiron <nadav@barcode.co.il> To: browning <darkdog@www.netmcr.com> Cc: questions@freensd.org Subject: Re: Windows NT Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.91.960831104419.10714B-100000@gatekeeper.barcode.co.il> Resent-Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.91.960831110342.10714C@gatekeeper.barcode.co.il> In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.16.19960830165411.22af23d0@www.netmcr.com>
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On Fri, 30 Aug 1996, browning wrote: > I am attempting to install FreeBSD on a 506MB slice of my 2GB disk. The > first 402MB is the primary DOS partition, then the 506 MB I've set aside for > FreeBSD. The remaining 1.1GB is my NT partition. NT has no problem seeing > all three, labeling the 402MB C:, the 504MB F:, and the 1.1GB E:. D: is the > CD-ROM. > > DOS, however, can see C: 402MB and then the extended partition of 1.6GB > beginning with the logical drive D: 506MB. It doesn't know what to do with > the rest of the partition, which is understandable. > > The FreeBSD installer sees the the first 63 sectors, labeled "unused". If > i'm not mistaken, this is the DOS MBR. Then the first DOS partition, labeled > "fat", in the next 822465 sectors. Then the "extended" partition in the next > 3302208 sectors and an "unused" slice in the last 3024 sectors. > > The NT install was done for me. > > Is my problem the fact that I have a logical drive defined only under DOS in > the one extended partition? Is there a way around removing NT and > re-partitioning (please say no)? If not, should I load FreeBSD in the 506MB > slice first and then re-install NT? > If I understand correctly the space you saved for FreeBSD is inside the extended partition and NT boots off a "logical drive". Well, that's really bad, because FreeBSD needs its own (primary) partition. What you should do is shrink the extended partition so that it only includes the NT logical drive, and then create a partition for FreeBSD before it. There is a tool called fips on the CDROM that I've *heard* can split DOS partiotions, but I don't know how safe it is on extended partitions. My choice when I have to resize partitions is a $50 utility called Partition Magic (look at http://www.powerquest.com). It's well worth that money if it saves you the need to format an already installed partition, even once. Another thing you may have trouble with is the NT boot loader. If I rememeber correctly, it records the number of the partition from which it boots, and if you'll repartition your disk, adding a partition before the NT partition, the numbering scheme would change. To fix that you'll have to edit the hidden file boot.ini (it's in c:\, use DOS to access it). I suggest you back up everything on the NT partition before starting, and writing down the exact position of each of the partitions you are about to change. If something stops working, you may try to return the partitions to their original configuration. I once repartitioned an NT disk, causing NT to not boot. Restoring the original configuration (with Partition Magic) made it work back. > Any help would be greatly appreciated. > > Chris Browning > > Good luck, Nadav
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