I was trying to install openSUSE on my new laptop, but when I tried making the partitions, the partition manager said that it could not make any changes.
forgive me for not being able to post the exact message as this happened 2-3 days ago and I only found now the time to post this.
the laptop I am using is this one: Inspiron 15-laptop (3521) - goedkope gezinslaptop | Dell België
for the moment I am using Windows 7 (64bit) but I want to use openSUSE D: so help would be appreciated.
Can you please describe the process in more detail. You say “when I tried making the partitions”. Does that mean that the installer did not provide you with an offer on how it would do it, or did it offer a partition and do you want to change, or does this mean still something different?
I ask because normaly you do not make the partitioning yourself, but you leave that to the installer.
And what do you use to install from? The DVD, a live CD?
Also you say “for the moment I am using Windows 7 (64bit) but I want to use openSUSE”. Does that mean you want to remove Windows and have openSUSE only on the system?
And for further information, your present partitioning might be interesting.
sure, at the moment my partitioning is the default windows partitioning: 2 partitions (one of 100MB system reserved and another one with the data)
the partition manager didn’t provide me with any options. It can read the partitioning table flawless, and detect all partitions and their size, format etc but when I try making a new one using the manager it says something of not being able to read the partition table (sorry if I am incorrect but I honestly can’t recall the exact message untill tomorrow when I’m going to give it another shot)
I tried installing from as wel a live CD (openSUSE 12.2 KDE) as the DVD.
with my previous laptop the installer did gave a partition lay out on its own, but with this laptop all it says is a red text
“no default proposition aviable”
I do wish to keep my windows (for school I need some programs that don’t seem to run in Linux even with wine & Mono) but I would want to be able to install opensuse as well
So you want to use dual-boot.
It is still not clear to me what you mean with “the partition manager”. Do you mean that inside the installer?
but with this laptop all it says is a red text
“no default proposition aviable”
To me it looks as if the installer sees no possibility to make your Windows partition(s) smaller and then there is no space of course.
But we still need your present partitions. Only telling that there are two partitions on the disk is next to no information at all. As you have a live CD it is very easy to do
fdisk -l
You can save the output to an USB stick with the output redirection:
fdisk -l >/media/XXXX/fdisk-list
Then you can read and copy/post that from your other Linux system (or from Windows).
Do not forget to put CODE tags around it (use the # button in the toolbar above the post editor).
first of all, my apologies for the slow response. I have had a lot of work due ongoing exams now, and I only now found some time to respond.
for my partition setup, it looks like this: http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2655/partitionsetup.png
with partition managed I mean the tool parted which is used to create and edit the partitions. the exact message it gives me is this:
“the partition table on dev/sda is not readable by parted, the tool used to create and edit partitions. you can use the exising partitions, format them and assign mount points to them” and so on. I tried disabling virtualisation & such as I tought they might be the cause but that didn’t help either.
On 2013-03-25 10:46, Jir0 wrote:
>
> first of all, my apologies for the slow response. I have had a lot of
> work due ongoing exams now, and I only now found some time to respond.
> for my partition setup, it looks like this:
> http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2655/partitionsetup.png
No, please do it again with Linux fdisk as explained in previous post by
Henk.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)
According to your image, you don’t have any free space on your disks, parted looks for, needs and will then recommend partitioning available free space.
I assume you want to re-size your existing partitions to free up space for a new OS (eg openSUSE). For that, you need to run gparted (not parted) and likely Gparted Live.
As always, when doing this kind of major surgery on your disk structure, make sure you do full, VERIFIED RESTORABLE backups before doing this kind of thing although I’ve personally never had a failure yet.
HTH,
TSU
I never heard of Gparted before, where can I find something and (if not to much trouble) a guide ^^" also I tried making separate partitions for the installation when I tried installing the first times. then it didn’t work either, when I install Linux I always let my windows make the partition with space I want to assign my Linux since it goes faster and reduces the chance on mistakes.
and just a quick note, can’t help but notice: I always have full backups of every OS I ever ran, I can restore my entire computer in less then three hours.
for the moment I am downloading the newest version of openSUSE 12.3 since my teacher Linux said that it might have a solution. something with the UEFI I think (I was doing an exam webdesign at the time so didnt really listen)
thanks for your time 
On 2013-03-27 20:06, Jir0 wrote:
> I never heard of Gparted before, where can I find something and (if not
> to much trouble) a guide ^^"
Several small Linux distros that run from the CD have gparted. I think
the openSUSE 12.3 XFC rescue image has it.
–
Cheers / Saludos,
Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 x86_64 “Asparagus” at Telcontar)
Best way is to resize Windows partitions from inside Windows and just leave free space for the openSUSE installer to use.