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Topic: GParted can't create extended partition

Hello,

I'm using the GParted program off of the live bootable CD found here:
http://www.sysresccd.org/Main_Page

I'm having a problem creating an Extended Partition on my hard drive. I have a single SATA internal drive (about 100GB) in a Dell laptop. When I try to click on an available area, it only gives me the "Primary Partition" option...Extended and Logical are grayed out. So if I do go ahead and choose to create a Primary Partition, I don't know how to create an Extended one inside of it. I right-click, and "New Partition" is not an option. I must be missing something or doing something wrong, no?

thanks in advance.

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Re: GParted can't create extended partition

could you please post a screen shot of the gparted layout ?

Larry
GParted-project Admin
Former GParted-LiveCD maintainer (2007)

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Re: GParted can't create extended partition

Sure,

Sorry it took so long to reply. The live CD I was using didn't have the nice screenshot option available like in the GParted Live CD, so I had to download/burn it. So now I know I at least have the latest version too. wink
Anyway, I tried doing the same things, and still can't - extended partition is grayed out...I couldn't figure out how to make a screenshot of that little drop-down menu though, but I took screen shots of other stuff.

The following is the error message I get when trying to create a new Partition before I 'delete' my main C: partition (that I have Windows XP) on:
http://domiflichi.hopto.org/images/gparted4.jpeg

So what I do is I delete that partition and create a new one as shown in the next to screens:
http://domiflichi.hopto.org/images/gparted2.jpeg
http://domiflichi.hopto.org/images/gparted3.jpeg

(I just noticed...I chose the wrong file system...not sure if it matters - I actually wanted NTFS, but it doesn't matter to me at this point, since i never went through with the operations anyway.)

And as you can see in the last screenshot is that the "New" option isn't available to make an extended partition. And in the second to the last screenshot, you can see that "Primary Partition" is available, but if I click on the little arrows, it shows "Extended" and "Logical" but they're grayed out. Again, sorry I don't have screenshot of this, but I couldn't figure out how.

Just for kicks, I included a screenshot of my partitions shown from within XP:
http://domiflichi.hopto.org/images/Partitions.jpg

Thanks

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Re: GParted can't create extended partition

Well You already have an extended partition ! SDA3 !
You can grow it but it is not possible to create two extended partitions on the same drive (AFAIK)!

Larry
GParted-project Admin
Former GParted-LiveCD maintainer (2007)

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Re: GParted can't create extended partition

Oooohhhh. I did not realize that. Sorry about that. So could I grow it backwards to take over the unused area, and create logical partitions in it too? But I'm wondering if Windows Vista will install itself in that kind of partition though...

thanks.

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Re: GParted can't create extended partition

Yes you can, but 'no' Vista won't install into logical partition. It needs primary partition (AFAIK !!!)

Larry
GParted-project Admin
Former GParted-LiveCD maintainer (2007)