Partitioning and Formatting drives

The easy way, using Knoppix live CD

By Carl Weisheit

Why use a Live CD to partition or format drives?

GParted is a full featured program with an easy to use Graphical interface.

CFDISK is a text based program for very old and slow systems that can’t support a GUI.

Both FREE programs can format in many file systems including NTFS.

These Utilities are found on many Live Distros, such as KNOPPIX, UBUNTU, etc.

Partitioning and Formatting drives

Part 1: GPARTED

Boot up normally with Knoppix CDand start the Root Shell

Select root shell from penguin menu.The root terminal will open.Type GPARTED and hit enter.

This is GPARTED

Select run

This tab selects from multiple drives on system

Graphical representation of partitions

Partition list

For detailed drive info

Select this tab

To get additional drive info

To see a list of thechanges you are creating

Select this tabTo open a window that will list the changes you

will be making

Basic functions are accessed at the top menu, the icons or right clicking

on a partition or drive space for a submenu

Menu items

icons

Right click here for

submenu

Right click here for

submenusubmenu

Selecting “new” from the submenu will allow you to create a new primary, or

logical partition

Choose a file system and partition size and select ADD

We have created some partitions and are ready to apply them

List of changes to be applied

New partitions created

Select APPLY and you will get the “are you sure?” box

Apply icon

Select APPLY and GPARTED will make the changes permanent!

Partitioning and Formatting drives

Part 2: CFDISK

type knoppix 2 at the boot prompt to boot up in text mode

Boot prompt for special boot options

Type CFDISK at the prompt and the program will begin

This is CFDISK

select commands by left and right arrow keys and hit enter

Select partitions by using up and down

arrow keys

Summary of available commands [ help ] print help screen [ new ] create new partition from free space [ delete ] delete selected partition [ print ] print partition table to screen or a file [ units ] select unit size (MB, sect, cyl) [ write ] write partition table to disk [ bootable ] toggle bootable flag on selected partition [ type ] change filesystem (fat, ntfs, ext3 and more) [ quit ] quit program [ maximize ] maximize disk usage (experts only)

Lets create a partition:select a free space and [new]

Choose primary or logical

Select the size of the partition

Choose your file system

This is the first page of file systems available!

This is the second page of file systems available!

You can make thepartition bootable

Boot flag indicator

Select [write] to make changes permanent

type yes to the“are you sure?”

Select [quit] and then shutdown

THE END

Tell us on the general list if you tried these programs