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I had windows 7, and i installed ubuntu 10.04 with wubi. when i did it, it created a 17gb partition, with out putting much data in it. it is called 'New Volume' and it is mounted ad '/host', it is also NTFS and accessible by windows. can I delete the partition?

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No. Host is the mount point for your windows partition. You shouldn't delete it.

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Sounds like the Wubi install did not work properly. I have done Wubi install on XP systems and Ubuntu is installed in a WIndows directory named "ubuntu". The Windows boot set up is modified to allow booting into ubuntu after the install (also a couple of Wubi loader files are stored on the "C:" disk). Wubi should not have created any partition on the hard drive. It sounds like you did a regular "Ubuntu install (in its own partition) and not a Wbi install. If you are not familiar with Wubi, it asks if you want to install Ubuntu and that installs it in its own partition NOT in a Windows directory. They need to really clarify this. With a "Wubi install ("ubuntu" Windows directory), you will find a sub-directory called disks. This is where Wubi creates "virtual disks" (filetype = .disk). Depending upon HD space, it will create a "root.disk" and a "swap.disk" or a "root.disk", "home.disk", "usr.disk" and a "swap.disk". Once you boot into Ubuntu, you can see the Ubuntu file system (Places -> Computer -> File System). Opening the "file system directory", you will see directories such as "bin, "etc", "home" and "host". The "host" directory is the Windows disk that contains the "ubuntu" directory.

Another alternative if you wish to avoid partitioning to allow Ubuntu (non-Wubi install) to run in its own partition would be to download and install the Windows version of "Virtual Box". Then you can "install" (again, on virtual disks) Ubuntu and start it up while running in Windows - this would allow you to flip back and forth between Ubuntu and Windows whereas a Wubi install (or Ubuntu native in its own partition) requires rebooting to switch into Windows. Virtual Box is open source and free. You can google it and download from SourceForge or other reputable sites.

Please, Linux purists, I know Ubuntu can be loaded into its own partition, but some of us have reasons for NOT doing it that way. So NO comments as to why this user doesn't get rid of Windows or go through the partitioning and native install (where many a newbie has wiped out their MBR or Wndows systems or worse).

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  • Why not install it on a different partition... Well no, 3 partitions and the 17gb one wubi seems to have made. I just want to delete it to add space to my 159mb /opt partition. Can I? Mar 8, 2011 at 4:47

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