Linux Mint doesn't recognise my partitions

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doriandiaconu

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Nov 2, 2013
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I tried installing Linux Mint and it seems that it doesn't recognise my partitions.

I already have windows 7 installed and created an addition partition just for Linux. But it seems that it can see only `free space`. I don't want to format to install linux.

I tried to install it as an application and I keep getting the error "no root file system is defined".

Any thoughts?
 
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skittle

skittle

Splendid
Dec 27, 2006
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Do not use mint as application, you will only get troubles.

Burn iso to a disk, or use http://www.linuxliveusb.com/ to write to a usb drive.
Boot from cd/usb
Install to the free partition
 
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Alabalcho

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Jan 13, 2011
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Linux (usually) needs at least two partitions to function - one for file system, one for swap. A MBR (basic) -partitioned hard disk can have max of four partitions, and you already are using three (providing that you have allocated F: partition for Linux).

So - delete F volume, and shrink the primary partition to cover just the Windows volumes. Then, create extended partition, and make Linux use that for swap and root.

It's without saying that you have backup of your data off that drive, don't you?
 
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Jason Lamphere

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Aug 8, 2014
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I am having the same situation. What people are failing to realize is the advanced installer menu does not recognize any of the partitions on the hard drive. For example I have already resized my windows partition and it boots flawlessly and created a blank partition I intended to install mint to. The advanced partition options does not show the existence of my 650 gig windows partition nor does it see a empty 350 gig empty space. It shows the entire hard drive as empty. The only available option is suggests is formatting the entire drive. My windows partition is backed up but with out the partition manager able to recognize any of my parititons its a guaranteed total wipe and I didn't make back ups so I could be purposefully stupid. "sudo os-prober" does see my windows 8 installation though if I use live. Attempts to update grub fail via sudo update-grub. I'll have to get back with the exact error message The problem exists in the stand alone installer as well as live was not my original option.
 
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Jason Lamphere

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Aug 8, 2014
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What he is saying is that the hard drive does in fact have partitions, it boots. stand alone grub disks see it. The mint installer does not.

 
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boredtech78

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Nov 15, 2014
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I found that booting into my bios/efi mode I could adjust my settings for efi or legacy. I would choose to use one only and find which one left the option for booting to windows. Once I had the option that booted me into windows I would proceed with the install. You are most likely installing in the wrong mode. For instance I have an efi motherboard but I'm using windows 7 64 bit. It installed in legacy mode and Linux was trying to install in efi. Thus it didn't recognize windows. Once I disable efi in my "bios" settings it only allowed me to install in legacy and corrected my detecting an alternate OS problem. Yes I'm very tired and I hope this makes sense.
 
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BruceEkstrand

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Feb 3, 2015
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Jason- Same problem with me, except using Win 7. Wiped out Windows twice trying to get Linux on. Best description I have found is that Win 7 & 8 use a different partitioning system than anyone else.

http://superuser.com/questions/254506/linux-cannot-see-windows-7-partitions-on-install

This address describes the problem in detail. If anyone has found a solution, please let me know. I can boot Linux from a flash drive, but not sure how useful that is to me.
 
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Aristotelian

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Jun 21, 2012
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Are you guys creating the partition for Linux in Windows? I may be wrong but if I remember correctly, the process is to shrink the Windows partition in Windows, then let the Ubuntu installer do the partition for itself. If you created the partition in Windows, it may be in a filesystem that Linux does not recognize, or perhaps cause some other problem since Linux needs multiple partitions as others have said.
 
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lofofora

lofofora

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Dec 20, 2014
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This thread is almost a year old!

+1 Aristotelian

Never use Windows to create a partition for installing Linux onto -- it's not sufficient. Use a Linux partitioner like gparted and/or cfdisk.
See SystemrescueCD and Dodoimedo's tutorial on gparted.

When installing, choose "Something Else" or Manual and use the partitions created.
 
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cnkz

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Feb 27, 2015
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The problem still exists. I have just installed windows 7 and want to add linux mint but the installer does not see the windows partition. Also gparted does not see any partition on the drive. Nevertheless Windows is booting without problems and in windows it clearly shows the windows partition and the free space i have for linux
 
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cnkz

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Feb 27, 2015
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Ok previous answer was wrong. After fixing the MPR gparted sees the correct partition table (same as fixparts). Nevertheless the linux installer still claims: "This computer currently has no detected operating systems" and is only offering erase full disk and other options but not dual boot with windows.
 
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Eric Rabnud

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Mar 16, 2013
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In my case I'm using a drive that was initially configured for Windows 8 on a new BIOS and then I cloned Windows 7 onto it for use with an old BIOS. I guess that's why I've got GPT and MBR data.

What's interesting is that Ubuntu 14.10's installer recognizes the drive and configures the partitions correctly but Linux Mint's installer does not (perhaps Ubuntu 14.04 wouldn't either since that's what Linux Mint is based on?).
 
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Eric Rabnud

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Mar 16, 2013
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The problem is Linux Mint 17.1's installer (at least in the Live version I'm using). Ubuntu 14.10 recognizes the Windows partition for what it is and was more than happy to configure it properly through its installer.

I did two things: follow the instructions on how to remove GPT data (http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/wipegpt.html); and, install Ubuntu 14.10. By accident I interrupted Ubuntu's install ( by putting the computer to sleep within moments of the install actually beginning--saved me the wait of having Ubuntu installed) but what that did is configure the partitions correctly. Then Linux Mint could replace the incomplete Ubuntu install :).

Come to think of it, I've had the same problem with every computer that I've tried to install dual boot Linux Mint/Windows 7 onto. Only the computers where Ubuntu 14.10 "had gone before" worked. And, I'm sure that the other computers didn't have multiple partition formats on their drives since I didn't set them up.
 
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Somemark

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Jun 25, 2015
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Racklinc

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Sep 6, 2015
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Thank you for your suggestion, this was spot on for what I needed to fix my problems. The guide made it so that I could continue my install of LM without having to reinstall my Win10.
 
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