repartitioning issue

[fcornillie]

This question is not really Gentoo related, so I posted it here...

I have a huge partitioning issue. This is my current partition table, modelled after one that I found in the FAQ.

/hda1 - fat16 - 16mb - windows boot partition
/hda2 - extended partition
/hda5 - linux - 32mb - linux boot
/hda6 - linux - 512mb - linux swap
/hda7 - linux - 20gb - linux gentoo
/hda8 - linux - 5gb - linux home
/hda9 - linux - 50mb - geexbox partition
/hda10 - ntfs - 20gb - windows xp
/hda11 - fat32 - 30gb - share
/hda12 - fat32 - 30gb - share
/hda13 - fat32 - 10gb - share

My problem is that I have to make /hda1 larger, as I want to install Windows XP service pack 1. The service pack will not install to my windows xp partition, because my c: drive (/hda1) is too small, and I have to add 30mb.

Now my question is, is it possible to repartition this table? I have some experience with Partition Magic, but I don't think I can make /hda1 larger as this is the only primary partition in the scheme.

Deleting the complete partition table is not an option, since I have no other drives to backup my data in the shared partitions.

Thanks in advance.

[alsuren]

I seem to remember that when I installed winXP x64 beta on my machine, it let me install halfway down the disk without a boot partition at the beginning. Is there any way to get windows backed up to one of your shared partitions and reinstall XP without the initital boot partition?

(I don't actually have winXP on my machine anymore because it couldn't see my new SATA drive and it was a crappy beta. I'm waiting for a Longhorn/vista student/free version to come out before I install windows onto my box, so my windows knowledge is slightly lacking)

I'm sure someone else will have a better solution than me though :D

[fangorn]

Partition Magic in general is able of switching Extended Partition Space to Primary Partition Space. You would have to shrink a Partition big enough for the Size you need, move every Partition before the shrinked one to the End of the free space, resize the extended Partition to get the free space out of the extended partition and then resize your primary Partition. Yeahh, it would be quite easier and less time consuming to drop any Windows Stuff

BTW, as I did this last time some years ago, I had occasional Problems with reading the changed partition table in Linux.

When I switched completely, I had a trial installation of VMware with a running Windows, and by the time the Trial period ran out, I had everything necessary replaced to run natively under linux or work in Wine (ok, I do not play games at the computer , have to see it long enough each day )