Fdisk MBR » GParted

Free Partition Software

gf — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:57:06 +0000

There are several good Open Source free partition software programs available. One of the best that I frequently

GParted

use is GParted. GParted is a popular Linux utility that is very similar to Partition Magic. You can find this utility bundled with several other valuable computer maintenance utilities on Linux Live CDs which can be booted on start-up. When you use a Live CD to boot your computer you are operating the computer from the CD and not the hard drive. This gives you the ability to perform any operation on the hard drive. You could partition the hard drive or even re-size the current partitions and also create new ones without destroying the contents of the drive. Some of the bundled utilities will allow you to correct MBR and partition tables and also recover deleted or lost file files.

I use GParted to setup hard drives with extended partitions that I use for storing data, files, and backup images. This allows me to quickly recover from a failed, corrupted, or infected hard drive quickly. When I first install the operating system and get it configured with all my need applications, service packs, and security patches I create a backup image and store it on my second partition. Now when Windows decides to go south, either form a virus or other corruption, I can use the image to restore my primary partition where just the Windows operating system resides. My data, files, and backups are safely stored on the extended partition. Viruses usual target operating systems and not data or files. By having the image on a second partition you can quickly and easily restore your computer in a few minutes. This saves huge amounts of time when you have no other recourse but reinstall the operating system.

The Fdisk MBR website has additional information that you might find useful.

Fdisk USB

gf — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:39:59 +0000

Fdisk USB (Fdisk Boot)

The fdisk USB utility can be run from a USB flash drive. To do this you will need to create a bootable USB flash drive. This can be accomplished using the HP flash drive tool that you can find on the Internet using a Google search: HP bootable flash drive tool. Once you have created a bootable flash drive you can install DOS and the DOS utilities along with fdisk. This bootable flash drive makes a great technician tool to be able to retrieve NTFS files on Windows XP drives.

Fdisk NTFS (Fdisk Utility)

You can add free utilities to your bootable DOS flash drive, such as, Active NTFS Reader for DOS, for reading NTFS files from DOS and retrieving important data from non-functioning Windows operating systems. I also have a YouTube videos that goes into this subject in more depth.

Fdisk CD

You can also create a bootable DOS CD to use fdisk again on a non-function Windows operating system. Nero and some other CD burning programs allow you to create bootable CDs using DOS startup files. This provides you another nice tool for accessing a computer that will not boot.

How to Fdisk

Fdisk can be a little challenging when you first attempt using it. It does not have a friendly user interface. I have also created an Fdisk DOS tutorial YouTube Video that you might find helpful.

GParted Partitioning Utility

Gparted is a free Open Source utility that you might find helpful. GParted has a friendly user interface and operates very quickly for creating partitions and even resizing partitions without destroying your data. I also have a GParted tutorial video you might find helpful.

Fdisk MBR

The Fdisk MBR website has many other articles on this subject you might find helpful along with Fdisk USB.

GParted Partition Utility

gf — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:45:38 +0000

GParted partition utility is a free Open Source Linux utility that can be run from a LiveCD, such as, Insert. This utility can quickly create Windows FAT32 and NTFS hard drive partitions. GParted can even resize partitions without destroying the data on the partition. This make it very useful for creating a second or third partition on a Windows installed drive. I like to run GParted from the Insert LiveCD because you can boot the computer from the CD and still have full access to the hard drive. This is a valuable utility that I use often.

LiveCDs

LiveCds are CDs that can be used to startup a non-functioning computer to retrieve files and data that might not otherwise be accessible. You can also use the LiveCD to troubleshoot, edit files, and scan and remove virus infections. LiveCDs can be very important computer technician tools.

Fdisk MBR

The Fdisk MBR website has additional articles on this subject that you might find useful.

I also have a YouTube video that takes you step by step through its easy operation.

Linux Fdisk

gf — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 22:09:59 +0000

Linux uses one partition for its root file system and it also needs a dedicated swap partition for its swap file. Since Linux Fdisk is more complex than DOS Fdisk it can be very challenging to use. Also older Computer hardware BIOS can only accesses the first 1024 cylinders of the disk, which can limit your partitions to 8GB. You can also make DOS partitions with the DOS Fdisk utility or Linux partitions with the Linux Fdisk.

Partitioning

When I setup partitions for either a Linux or Windows operating systems I use GParted. GParted, Partition Magic clone, is a free Open Source utility that works well on any computer system. You can also run it, which I prefer, from a LiveCD, such as, INSERT. INSERT, from Inside Security, is a free LiveCD based on Knoppix. Knoppix is another LiveCD that has many useful computer maintenance tools. INSERT also has many other free and valuable tools, such as, Partimage, which is a clone of North Ghost. If you want some addition information on GParted you should check out the my YouTube video GParted.

Fdisk MBR

The Fdisk MBR website has additional articles on this subject you might find useful.