I’m running WIN 7 and trying to dual boot with 11.2–the install goes fine until I get to partitioning. Then I get this message: Del windows partition /dev/sda1 Resize impossible due to inconsistent FS try checking FS under windows.
Del/dev/sda3
Del Windows /dev/sda5
Then it wants to install extended, swap and root.
I tried to resize the partition prior to intalling SuSE with paragon partition manager which failed. Could someone tell me how I should be setting up the partitions on install please. Thanks 
Hi and welcome.
It’s just as well you didn’t proceed with the partitioning and delete any of the existing partitions (did you?).
On my Lenovo laptop with a 320GB HD, Win 7 owned the first two primary partitions (and needs them) that occupied all but the last 10GB of the HD. Lenovo’s recovery partition occupied the third primary partition (the last 10GB of the disk). I could have one more primary partition (max is 4) to be used as place holder for extended partitions. Swap and root will need to go into separate extended partitions.
The first priimary partitition is a Windows system partition for booting Win 7, so leave it alone. To install openSUSE 11.2, I needed to shrink the second (and largest) Win 7 primary partition by a lot to accomodate openSUSE and any separate data partions, plus any extra partitions for booting more distros (as needed). I used Win 7’s partitioning tool that I accessed through Control Cemtre. It allowed me to shrink Win 7’s own partition, but it wouldn’t let me resize it below approx 150GB. Maybe that’s a minimum, or possibly there is a big hidden swap file occupying the space. I left it at that since I had released 150GB which was plenty for my needs.
I then installed 11.2 and used the openSUSE partitioner to setup the extended (partition 4) to take all the freed-up space, swap 2GB (part. 5), and root 20GB (part 6). I needed to use the Custom Partitioning option in the openSUSE installer. I don’t use a separate /home, but others here will recommend that you do. 
If you can’t come up with enough disk space on your internal hard drive, it is possible to install openSUSE on an external USB hard drive. Drives more than large enough for SuSE and some extra storage space can be had for under a $100. I use a 120 GB drive for my work laptop. I setup 70 GB as a NTFS for files and backups, 2 GB for SWAP and the remainder for openSUSE. I did not create a separate partition for the /home folder, but I save all important files from SuSE on the NTFS partition. There are some tricks to getting this to work. Please ask for more information if you are interested about doing this.
Thank You,
I can tell you, if you are not very careful you will bork your win7 and everything else.
We would really need to see some partition information. The best way is to boot a SUSE live CD and open a terminal and type: su
hit enter
then type: fdisk -l
post result
I should have clarified my 20GB size for openSUSE’s root partition that included the /home directory. It’s enough for me, because I additionally use a separate data partition (can be as big as disk space allows) that I mount to a directory I create in /home. It keeps the data separate in its own partition, and allows it to be shared with other linux distros in a multi-boot configuration managed by GRUB on the same machine. That may be a complication you don’t need at this stage, and best to keep it as simple as possible.
As @jdmcdaniel3 said, do post back with any follow-up questions. It’s way past my bedtime here, but there are plenty of good people in different time zones who will happily help answer any concerns you may have. 
Here is the problem you are using a Windows lock in, “dynamic” drive. This is Windows version of LVM (Logical Volume Management). However MS being MS they make it so you can not use it from anything but Windows. What else is new? >:(
Get rid of the dynamic partitioning or use a Windows utility to free up space. Linux will install into freed disk space. And remember you are still limited to 4 primary partitions.
I really do appreciate all of your feedback. Ultimately I want to add a second SATA HDD but right now finances won’t allow it. I did have the C: drive, A 20gb D: drive which I consolidated within the C: and the oem recovery partition. I have a lenovo K235 desktop btw. I think now that I am removing the D: that should allow me to install SuSE 11.2? In the past with older versions of SuSE I have had no problems…we will see! Thanks so much!
That previously suggested fdisk -l output would be nice to see!