Removal of Windows

I haven’t booted into Windows 7 for months now, getting everything I need from my VirtualBox setup. Is there a way to wipe Windows from my system and re-allocate the space to openSuse?

If I need to completely re-install to achieve this, is there a way to back up my entire system and then restore it to the hard drive? I’ve spent a bit of time tweaking things and installing additional software, so I don’t want to lose that.

I assume you mean you have openSUSE running in VBox on Windows? As such the openSUSE filesystem is actually inside a Windows file. Probably a backup of your personal files and a clean install is the most straightforward method. There are ways of dumping whole partitions and restoring, e.g. using a clonezilla CD. You’d probably have to make some edits to the boot menu.lst and fstab afterwards. Also for the NIC setup. Depends on your level of skill and taste for adventure.

I assume the opposite, i.e. that you have a dual boot W7/openSUSE, where W7 is no longer needed but since you prefer doing the W7 stuff in Virtualbox on openSUSE. If so, use Yast’s Partitioner to remove / reuse the W7 partitions, format them with ext4, create mountpoints. Use the Yast Bootloader config module to remove the W7 bootline.

Yes, that sounds like the more likely explanation since he wrote “haven’t booted into Windows”. In that case what Knurpht said, just reformat the partitions.

BTW, that W7 install is only taking up disk space, it’s not using your CPU or anything like that. So unless you are short of disk space, there’s no hurry to reuse the partitions.

If you wish to backup your entire drive use a disk imaging program such as CloneZilla.

I myself prefer Acronis True Image, which you have to purchase.

However, if you own a Seagate/Maxtor hard drive or Western Digital you can get Acronis True Image for free.

For Seagate/Maxtor
MaxBlast 5 | Seagate

For Western Digital
WD Support

You will need Windows to use Acronis True Image but once you create the boot CD Windows is no longer required.

Ok, thanks. I do have dual boot, sorry if that was not clear.

I’ll have a think about the installation - one of my issues is that I haven’t got space for everything in /home, despite a large hard drive.

Is there a good source for learning about mounts and partitions? It’s not the sort of thing I want to pick up by default.

One of the others will pipe in with info about mounts etc I’m sure but just to mention that whether you can coalesce the liberated space depends on the current partition layout. If you do, as root, in a terminal window:

fdisk -l

and post the results, we can advise you better.

On 2010-12-22 11:36, aescott wrote:
>
> Ok, thanks. I do have dual boot, sorry if that was not clear.
>
> I’ll have a think about the installation - one of my issues is that I
> haven’t got space for everything in /home, despite a large hard drive.

The easiest route is to format the windows partition as ext4 or xfs, and
mount it, say, on /data/mineonly, or /home/myuser/extradata. Then you
simply move files from /home/myuser/ to /home/myuser/extradata. It is an
addition to your user on another partition. Being your own home space you
can choose what files you move over.

This can be done with the yast partitioner module.

> Is there a good source for learning about mounts and partitions? It’s
> not the sort of thing I want to pick up by default.

http://doc.opensuse.org, perhaps.


Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)

Yes, there is:

SDB:Basics of partitions, filesystems, mount points - openSUSE

You may be able to shrink windows some more, and create a new partition for /home in the space saved without losing the dual boot, defragging to free up used area at end of drive may be necessary first.

Agree with those who say it’s basically simply a matter of doing a mkfs on the windows partition and mounting the new space, copying in the data you want, renaming the old home, create empty directory mount point, and copy in the data as super user using something like “cp -ax old new”

Output of fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xb10e63f9

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               2       15962   128206732+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2   *       42246       60801   149051070    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda3           15963       42245   211117056   83  Linux
/dev/sda5           42246       42507     2104483+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6           42508       45118    20972826   83  Linux
/dev/sda7           45119       60801   125965312   83  Linux

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdb: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xe8900690

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               1      121601   976760001    7  HPFS/NTFS

WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on '/dev/sdc'! The util fdisk doesn't support GPT. Use GNU Parted.


Disk /dev/sdc: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00061d17

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1               1       60801   488384000+  83  Linux
/dev/sdc4               1           1           0+  ee  GPT

Partition table entries are not in disk order

On 2010-12-22 21:06, aescott wrote:
>
> Output of fdisk -l
>
>
> Code:
> --------------------

> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> /dev/sda1 2 15962 128206732+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
> /dev/sda2 * 42246 60801 149051070 f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
> /dev/sda3 15963 42245 211117056 83 Linux
> /dev/sda5 42246 42507 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
> /dev/sda6 42508 45118 20972826 83 Linux
> /dev/sda7 45119 60801 125965312 83 Linux
>
> Partition table entries are not in disk order

Lets order it.

/dev/sda1 2 15962 128206732+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3 15963 42245 211117056 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 * 42246 60801 149051070 f W95 Ext’d (LBA)
/dev/sda5 42246 42507 2104483+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 42508 45118 20972826 83 Linux
/dev/sda7 45119 60801 125965312 83 Linux

So, partition 1 and 3 can be joined.

> Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
> /dev/sdb1 1 121601 976760001 7 HPFS/NTFS

This one can be reformatted; I’d use XFS. It is a separate dis,

>
> WARNING: GPT (GUID Partition Table) detected on ‘/dev/sdc’! The util fdisk doesn’t support GPT. Use GNU Parted.

Careful with this one.


Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)