Question: How to convert Triple boot to Dual Boot

[hannah]

Hi ya,

At the moment I have Win7, BT5 R2 and Ubuntu 12.04 installed in my HDD and everything works fine. I now need more space for BT and like to remove Ubuntu so that my computer becomes Dual Boot.

Can someone be kind enough to suggest how I can achieve that please? I am worried that my Grub will be completely messed up and I will not be able to boot. I know that I can re install BT5 R2 and while installing I can use the partition manager to claim more space for BT and delete Ubuntu and my laptop will work just fine. However I do not want to do that as there had been a lot of customization in my current BT set up and I do not intend to redo that again.

Regards

Hannah

[maverik35]

If you installed the BT5 as the third OS, this is, the last OS you installed was BT5 (W7, Ubuntu and BT5, in this order), no problem, download gparted live cd, boot with it, erase the Ubuntu partion, then resize the BT partition, and then reboot.

If you installed the W7, BT5 and then Ubuntu, in this order, do as mentioned before, only this time you will need to recover the grub. In this case you will also need a live cd from any linux distro: Debian, Ubuntu, LMDE, etc. and then recover the grub..It is easy..

Hope it helps.

Luck...

[hannah]

If you installed the BT5 as the third OS, this is, the last OS you installed was BT5 (W7, Ubuntu and BT5, in this order), no problem, download gparted live cd, boot with it, erase the Ubuntu partion, then resize the BT partition, and then reboot.

It is indeed in this order.. Win7, Ubuntu then BT5..Good to know that it can be done..has anyone else done this before..

thanks

[Leecan]

Well, to recover the grub it is not so easy, it happened with me and followed couple of tutorial how yo recover or update to grub2, but it didn't work with me as it must be.
Why you don't use monoarchive to back up the backtrack just in case of any problem

[snafu777]

Disregard all the other replies....fml

Boot a liveusb of backtrack
Download gparted
Run gparted
Delete the partition u want to remove
Exit gparted
Install grub to /dev/sda (assuming /dev/sda is your harddrive)
Done.

[hannah]

Disregard all the other replies....fml

Boot a liveusb of backtrack
Download gparted
Run gparted
Delete the partition u want to remove
Exit gparted
Install grub to /dev/sda (assuming /dev/sda is your harddrive)
Done.

Ok I got it. Now in addition to Deleting the partition, I also would like to add that deleted partition to my current BackTrack set up so that I get more space. Should I do that under gparted before exiting.

Also can you please explain " Install grub to /dev/sda (assuming /dev/sda is your harddrive)" part once again please.

Regards

[snafu777]

Ok I got it. Now in addition to Deleting the partition, I also would like to add that deleted partition to my current BackTrack set up so that I get more space. Should I do that under gparted before exiting......
---Gparted will do that for you..... Click the partiton and find the expand option....


Also can you please explain " Install grub to /dev/sda (assuming /dev/sda is your harddrive)" part once again please.
---SpoonFeed Me!!!

[hannah]

---SpoonFeed Me!!!

Fair enough.. I deserve that...have a good one..

[hannah]

Ok after much trial and tribulations this is what I have done:

1. Removed 2 other OS from from Extended Partition
2. Make these 2 unallocated space as 1
3. Moved this unallocated space next to my BT5 partition (Primary Partition)

This is how my current partitions look like.



This is my current partition table:

root@bt:~# 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: 0xd1a418ac

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               1          13      102400    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda2              13        8524    68359375    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda3   *        8524       12749    33937408   83  Linux
/dev/sda4           12749       60802   385984513    5  Extended
/dev/sda5           17614       29771    97654784    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda6           29771       60315   245344256    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda7           60315       60802     3906560   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Task: My BT5 partition is on 33GB and now 99% full hence I like to add that extra 38GB unallocated (/dev/sda4) space to my BT5 (/dev/sda3). Have looked into gparted Live CD but unable to add this unallocated space to BT5 volume.

Someone please suggest how I can do this.

Note: BT5 (/dev/sda3) is Primary Partition
& 38GB unallocated (/dev/sda4) is Extended Logical.

Regards

[maverik35]

Well, to recover the grub it is not so easy, it happened with me and followed couple of tutorial how yo recover or update to grub2, but it didn't work with me as it must be.
Why you don't use monoarchive to back up the backtrack just in case of any problem

Certainly you should have done something wrong during the process. I do it very often and always comes up in succsess...I invite you read more about grub2...It is quite interesting. If I can help you with any doubt, let me know, I'll be more than glad to help you.

Need to read official tutorials..They are very clear and straight forward. Simple..

Luck...