Progress! Rufus made the usb stick bootable. Install is started, I need advice on the partition table, I want to avoid messing up Windows.

In the picture of the partition table, I assume /dev/sda3 ntfs is windows.

I think I should put Tessa on /dev/sda6 ext4 and check the format box. I don’t think I need swap so can I add that 8223 MB to the 28476 MB on /dev/sda6 ?

I don't know what /dev/sda2, /dev/sda4, and /dev/sda5 are, so leave them alone. I hope I'm making sense.

Can't find the aFree space ttqch button so will have to peck the table in.

free space 1 MB

/dev/sda1 efi 27 2MB used 67 MB windows boot manager

/dev/sda2 16 MB unknown

/dev/sda3 ntfs 945654 MB 77575 MB

/dev/sda6 ext4 28476 MB 6188 MB Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia (18.3)

/dev/sda7 swap 8223 MB unknown

/dev/sda4 ntfs 1027 MB 389 MB

/dev/sda5 ntfs 16525 MB 14555 MB

free space 7 MB

I have a picture of the partition table. How can I attach it, can't find an attach button. Install is in progress so screenshot not available.

I typed out the partition table, but post disappeared after I clicked post quick reply.

Need a bit of advise on what I plan to do with the table. Thanks

Edit, I was mistaken, it's there.

are you sure there isn't anything on /dev/sda6?

/dev/sda6 has Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia (18.3). I have 18.3 on the old computer I'm on now, but I want to put 19.1 on the new computer. I don't know why 18.3 is there. I downloaded 19.1 and made the bootable stick with Rufus and that's what shows up in the table.

I forgot to add what shows under Device for boot loader installation,
It is /dev/sda ATA WDC WD10SPZX-60Z (1.0TB)

I think I do know how Sylvia got in there, that was the original install which I tried, and it failed. that startd this whole mess I guess that table entry was left over from that failed install. If I choose /dev/sda6 for the Tessa install, and check the format box, that should remove Sylvia and install Tessa shouldn't it? Thanks

I believe you can delete partitions and redo them, just if you do, know where your Windows is.

So maybe I should back out of this install now and take another look at Windows partitions, maybe take some more space for Linux.

Noting the size of the windows partitions should help me figure out what is what in the Linux tables. I'm too tired and mistake prone to continue the installation tonight. However long it takes, I just want to leave Windows intact. I won't use it much, but my wife may want to borrow it now and then, I haven’t got her hooked on Linux yet.

Yes, I did that mistake once, once... installed over top of windows.. oops... you can while you're in the live OS open a terminal and investigate and I think Mint too has gparted installed so you can use that to resize and do what you need to your partitions before you even start the installer process.

Thanks BW-userx,

I will try looking at gparted as soon as I get the printer going again. It doesn't get along well with Win 10.

Sorry about being so slow a this, Windows update knocked out the printer and it took two days of hair pulling and fancy language to get it working with both Win computers again. It worked OK with the Linux machines.

I have screenshots of the Windows partitions, but have forgot how to attach them, I don't see the paper clip.

Going to try the install again and hope I don't screw up.

Here is what the partition table looks like now, I robbed a bit more from Windows.

Device, Type, Mount Point, Format?, size, used, system

free space 1MB

/dev/sda1 efi 272 MB 67 MB Windows boot manager

/dev/sda2 16 MB unknown

/dev/sda3 ntfs 929925 MB 54289 MB

free space 15728 MB

/dev/sda6 ext4 28476 MB 6188 MB Linux Mint Sylvia (18.3)

free space 8223 MB

/dev/sda4 ntfs 1027 MB 389 MB

/dev/sda5 ntfs 165235 MB 14555 MB

free space 7 MB

Device for boot loader installation

ATA WDC WD10SPZX-60z (1.0 TB)

Question, is there a way to consolidate the free space entries which are below /dev/sda6 so it won't look quite so confusing? I have no idea what /dev/sda4 and 5 are.

if all you have is windows to worry about, then the rest can be put to Linux. I have windows Linux root 20 to 50 GB then home the rest of it. I always format Linux when installing, unless I re-install then my /home does not get formatted, just mounted. so you should be able to wipe everything past windows and make two partitions for your Linux and have it format seeings that this is a fresh install they need to be formatted.

Back to square one. Showed installation completed and restart needed, restarted in Linux, got no prompt to remove installation media so after a few minutes I shut down and removed the usb stick and the dvd which I had forgotten was in the drive. Booted again without a choice of OS, booted into Windows. Did that twice, then checked disk management and found the partitions I'd created showing 100% free space.

Did I miss a step or do something I shouldn't have?

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Do you have a key to access Boot Options on booting the computere? If so, do you see a Mint/Ubuntu option? Did you go into the BIOS to see if you have an option for Mint/Ubuntu? Did you do an EFI install of Mint? Try booting the Mint usb/DVD and from a terminal, create a mount point for and then mount the EFI partition to see if you have a directory for Mint/UBuntu. I'm not sure if Mint has a directory named 'mint' there or if it is 'ubuntu' as it was originally.

Hit the enter key after each of the commands above and then navigate to /mnt/efi in a terminal or file manager to see if you have any Linux directory, probably named Ubuntu.

Windows can't read a linux parition, so that is normal when there are files on a linux partition.