Re: Installing - partitioning failing

[Camaleón <noelamac@gmail.com>]

On Sat, 28 Jul 2012 16:41:57 +0100, Gary wrote:

> I have a system with a Windows 7 installation (NTFS) which I'd like to
> keep and use "alongside" Debian. During the installation process I
> reduced the size of the main partition which left a "hole" that the
> installer labelled "unusable". I wasn't sure what to do with that, but
> tried to use LVM to get it to use that as the place where it should
> create a "group" (whatever that is).When I selected it and pressed
> 
> Return, the system complained. With a bunch of question marks. There was
> no recognisable text at all. After that, the installer can't do anything
> with the partitions - it fails to recognise them, I think, and just
> springs back to the main menu when I try to select that option again.
> 
> What have I done wrong? How do I fix it? Why is the installer giving me
> sh1t? :-(

First thing to do when resizing NTFS partitions is performing a scan disk 
and defragmentation over the partition, better from Windows itself. Then, 
from Gparted LiveCD do whatever you need (resizing and creating new 
partitions...) and finally, run Debian installer.

I never do these (delicate) operations from the installer itself to avoid 
complications.

Also, an LVM partitioning scheme can be rather complicated, I would not 
select it unless I fully understand why is for and how it is used.

Greetings,

-- 
Camaleón