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I've just got a new computer with Windows 7 pre-installed. I want to keep Windows but dual boot Arch Linux (I've already installed Arch on another computer so don't need any help with that).

My new computer's a Samsung R530, and comes with Samsung Recovery Solution 4, which forced me to partition my hard drive before I could get up and running in Windows.

I'm a bit paranoid about installing Arch, because I haven't had much experience with partitioning hard drives. I don't want to accidentally remove the Windows partition (the computer didn't come with Windows install discs).

Does anyone have any tips before I go and mess up my new computer?

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I now Arch. You can't accidentally install over anything as long as you don't choose the "partition automagick" option during install. You are free to use cfdisk before you start the Arch installer, then you can note down the names of the the drives you want to keep. You need room for Arch, so you do indeed need a free partition. You can create this with Ubuntu live disk and Gparted. Resizing is easy with gparted. I don't know how to do that part with the arch install media.

Worst case you manage to mess up the grub config. That is fixable.

http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Quick_Arch_Linux_Install

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  • In the end the partitioning didn't mess it up, but installing grub on the Windows partition did :P I reinstalled Windows from disc and now I've got Windows and Arch installed side-by-side and happy :)
    – Skilldrick
    Jul 11, 2010 at 2:04
  • I should have mentioned that grub goes on sda not on sdax. Sorry. I hope you enjoy Arch!
    – Algific
    Jul 11, 2010 at 11:34

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