Would like to install Win beta but can't...

Hi

I've downloaded the Win 7 beta from MS and I would like to install it but I believe I have a problem which will prevent me from doing so...

I have Vista and XP in a dual boot on my laptop where I would like to install Win 7.

I have 4 partitions, one is a recovery partition, one is the Vista partition, one is the XP partition and the last is a data partition where I have all my games and software installed to.

I haven't actually started to install the OS yet but I tried to install a another OS the other day and it wouldn't let me because I have used up the maximum number of partitions allowed on 1 disk, and I'm expecting Win 7 to tell me the same.

The disk management app in Vista is showing the info as in the pic below, ignore H: as it's just my SD card and G: is my USB modem dongle, the partition without a label is the recovery partition -



Does anyone know how I can get around this so I can triple boot XP, Vista, Win 7 without losing my games and stuff on D: and without formatting the recovery partition?

Thanks in advance for any help on this, I'd really like to try Win 7 out.

 

i don't think windows allows more than 4 partitions.

perhaps another partition edittor will allow it like Gparted.

you can get that from a Linux live cd.

 

I wonder if cmd>diskpart allows more than 4 partitions

 

Dunno. I got around it by biting the bullet and deleting the recovery partition. I have a norton ghost image on a recovery disk that came with the laptop and I have norton ghost (as well as Acronis True Image) so I don't really need 10gb of space being eaten up by the Asus recovery partition.

And I have tried Gparted in the past, when I was trying to sort my partitions out for the dual boot of Vista/XP and it doesn't work on my Asus, I went through all the versions.

Gparted seems to be a bit hit and miss.

I have however stumbled across Easeus partition manager home edition which has allowed me to move space around a bit and hasn't caused any problems.

Thanks for trying though guys.

 

A disk can only have 4 primary partitions at any given time. It's not just a limitation with Windows, it's a limitation set by the MBR. That's why you also got that error when you tried to install the other OS the other day (I'm assuming Linux).

The only way you could get around this is by having your data partition and your restore partition being logical extended partitions. These aren't primary, and you can have as many as you would like. However, you can't just convert them; you'll have to delete them and start over using a partitioning utility like gparted.

EDIT: I see that your data partition is already a logical partition. You're showing only 3 primary partitions there, which would be fine, but I would be willing to bet there's a small (~200MB) hidden partition on your drive somewhere. If this is the OEM direct HDD, it's probably the diagnostics partition (memory tests and system diagnostics, etc).

 

What he said... you may need to bite the bullet and sacrifice an OS... I mean really, who needs three?!?!

 

Yeah thanks guys. I have already sorted it. Points to post #4.

And no OSs were sacrificed in the process. Technically speaking I only really have 2 full OSs and a beta.