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Topic: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

Hello there,
So I have W10 on my first HDD(which is MBR) and I have an empty secound HDD which is GPT and where I want to install Solus(Linux distro which doesn't have integrated partition manager). So I use GParted from it's Live USB to manage partitions.
On my first HDD I can't create more than 4 primary partitions(which I already have), but when I try to do something it allows me to put flags, create root partition(/ ) or swap partition.
I want to install my Linux on the secound HDD,  which is free but GParted doesn't allow me to put flags, create root or swap partitions...it doesn't even allows me to create logical partitions, despite the HDD being GPT...
Actually first GParted didn't recognised the partition from the HDD so I formatted it and it's recognisible.
Here is the disk when opened with GParted:
https://imgur.com/oUD8nbc
What should I do in order for GParted to allow me to create a root partition, bootloader-I need flags for this, swap partition and NTFS partition to be accessible both for W10 and Linuix?

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Re: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

Here is an overview of my HDD's from easeUS partition master from W10:
https://i.imgur.com/TX85foI.png

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Re: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

Can you give here the error message(s) you get when you try to apply the scheduled operations please?
The GParted details give useful info, too. The GParted manual in the Documentation page describes how to access Gparted details.


On a GPT drive you can create primary partitions only, not extended / logical partitions.
On a MBR drive you can create 4 primary partitions only, or
3 primary + 1 extended + more logical partitions.

*** It is highly recommended to backup any important files before doing resize/move operations. ***

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Re: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

class413 wrote:

Can you give here the error message(s) you get when you try to apply the scheduled operations please?
The GParted details give useful info, too. The GParted manual in the Documentation page describes how to access Gparted details.


On a GPT drive you can create primary partitions only, not extended / logical partitions.
On a MBR drive you can create 4 primary partitions only, or
3 primary + 1 extended + more logical partitions.

I am noob so I tough that GPT allows very large number of partitions...actually I have read it from how-to-geek and other places here is a quote:
,,GPT doesn’t suffer from MBR’s limits. GPT-based drives can be much larger, with size limits dependent on the operating system and its file systems. GPT also allows for a nearly unlimited number of partitions. Again, the limit here will be your operating system—Windows allows up to 128 partitions on a GPT drive, and you don’t have to create an extended partition to make them work.''
Although I am ok with using primary partitions isn't it allowed to use many partitions, or this primary partitions can be more than 4? From what I remember when using this HDD it was GPT, but not primary-it was GTP data partition.
But my problem is that when I create new partition the settings for creating root or putting flags just don't appear...and when I right click they can't be clicked.
I will provide I youtube video here as soon as possible.

5 (edited by Solus 2019-04-03 14:10:10)

Re: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

Here we go...now can't mount even on my first HDD, but I think before 2-3 days it was allowed.
Basically I can't put flags or mount root(/ ) or swap partitions...
https://youtu.be/6gLMicu5ah4
I want to make basically the same as the guy in the video, but the program is not allowing me, on the same youtube profile there is another video-when I had information on the HDD and GParted didn't even wanted to read that HDD, after I deleted the microsoft file via Gparted I destroyed the information on the HDD xD   then I tough at least I can install Linux on it, but I can't put flags for boot and esp, nor I can mount partitions to be / or swap.

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Re: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

I see in your second image (from EASUS), that there is no free unallocated space on the drives.
Disk 0 (1.82TiB) contains one partition that takes the entire disk space, with most of it free (without data except some little space reserved by the system).
Disk 1 contains the 4 primary partitions that take the total space.

In order to make new partitions in the Disk 0, you need unallocated space that doesn't belong to any partition. So, you have to delete this probably empty NTFS partition. Then, GParted will show the entire disk space as unallocated. Another way would be to create a new partition table on this hard drive. Be careful on the following 2 points:
1. Be sure that there are no useful data on the drive, and
2. Be sure to select the right hard drive. It is not always possible to recover a deleted partition table and the partition content, and in any case it isn't easy work.


And yes, of course the GPT specification allows many partitions on a drive (up to 128).

*** It is highly recommended to backup any important files before doing resize/move operations. ***

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Re: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

In addition to the above:
Around 4 min of the video you mention, you can see that the poster deletes the only NTFS partition present on the disk before making new partitions.

I would advice to keep backup of any important files on the computer before manipulating the partition tables.

*** It is highly recommended to backup any important files before doing resize/move operations. ***

8 (edited by Solus 2019-04-03 19:39:12)

Re: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

class413 wrote:

In addition to the above:
Around 4 min of the video you mention, you can see that the poster deletes the only NTFS partition present on the disk before making new partitions.

I would advice to keep backup of any important files on the computer before manipulating the partition tables.

Hi there-I deleted the partition and all that's left is unallocated space-then I opened it in Solus Live USB and the result was the same-it's like deleting the partition from Gparted and then the rest is the same.
I even clicked the option to format it and create GPT from Gparted(it was something like create partition table), it warned me that this will erase all data and the result was the same-I can't make root(/), swap or put flags for boot.
This is how it looks now:
https://i.imgur.com/RCE0Jpv.png

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Re: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

Changes to partitions creates pending operations.
(See the Operation List which opens up at the bottom of the window).

Those operations have to be applied to actually make the changes to the disk.
GParted Manual, Applying All Operations

10 (edited by Solus 2019-04-04 09:28:43)

Re: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

mfleetwo wrote:

Changes to partitions creates pending operations.
(See the Operation List which opens up at the bottom of the window).

Those operations have to be applied to actually make the changes to the disk.

Thank you so much my friend smile
The problem was different, but without you I wouldn't figure it out.
So I have to first prepare all the needed partitions and make them-after I have created them I can put flags for boot and esp smile
As for mounting them as (/) or swap-this can't be done in Gparted-it is job for the Solus installation program to do that!
Here is a video what happened:
https://youtu.be/EG88EMpb44U
I  know this is probably not from your part, but after I managed the disk configuration I had to install bootloader- the problems is that Solus it giving me only the option to put it in the first HDD(where is W10) sad ...I think it's not OK for the OS and swap to be on HDD1 and bootloader on HDD2. Also if I install the bootloader in HDD1, I will probably erase the W10 bootloader, thus I won't be able to boot Windows, or even if I can I would probably not be able to choose which OS to boot when turning the PC on.
Should I install the bootloader on HDD1? Or should I unmount the HDD1 and then figure out how to boot W10?
Update-even when I remove HDD1 I can't put bootloader on HDD2. I followed the instructions, creating 768 MB FAT32 partition with boot and esp flags-now when I boot the PC there is a new boot option:UEFI HDD2. Still the installer is asking me for MBR partition?!

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Re: GParted don't allow me to create root partition on my secound HDD

I made it!
There were 2 big problems, which I learned how to deal with: the first is that you have to prepare everything with GParted and then try to mount, not via Gparted, but via the installer.
The secound big problem was that I followed the instructions on the Solus website, which said that I have to create MBR scheme for BIOS or UEFI...when I re-burned the USB with GPT scheme, everything, just worked