Changing Partition Format From GPT to MBR Without Data Loss?

[soundchaser59]

Is it possible?

I have a Windows 7 Pro 32 bit install and I'm wanting to set it up as a dual boot system with the other side being AVLinux. I do nothing but music production on this machine, so I'm looking to give AVLinux a test drive without losing any of my existing Windows install.

Just as I was getting started I hit a brick wall. AVLinux cannot create a dual boot install unless my partition table is an MSDOS / MBR format. If it's the newer GPT format then no dual boot system is possible, and I'm not willing to wipe out my Windows install yet while AVLinux is untested with my audio hardware.

Is there a way to convert my partition table to MBR format without damaging my existing Windows install?

[Snowhog]

Why not then, instead, install AVLinux as a Virtual Machine in Windows?

[oshunluvr]

This says you can do it. http://stepcoder.com/Articles/10067/...and-prompt-cmd

I'd make a backup of anything you don't want to lose first though.

Also, can you boot to the AVLinux ISO and run it from a USB drive or CDROM? It won't be as quick to operate but you should be able to check your hardware functionality.

Another option: if you're using a desktop computer, add a second hard drive (or better yet an SSD) and install to it instead. You can get a good SSD for $80.

[soundchaser59]

Why not then, instead, install AVLinux as a Virtual Machine in Windows?

I think I remember reading in the AVLinux guide that using it on a VM would have performance issues specifically related to latency and/or running out of ram and having to use more swap, which again leads to audio performance issues. I'll have to see if I can find that again and re-read it. Latency is huge with audio production. If latency is greater than 7ms, it's game over.

[soundchaser59]

This says you can do it. http://stepcoder.com/Articles/10067/...and-prompt-cmd

I'd make a backup of anything you don't want to lose first though.

Also, can you boot to the AVLinux ISO and run it from a USB drive or CDROM? It won't be as quick to operate but you should be able to check your hardware functionality.

Another option: if you're using a desktop computer, add a second hard drive (or better yet an SSD) and install to it instead. You can get a good SSD for $80.

I don't think I can use that article. That guy is installing Windows, and his instructions take you thru steps of deleting partitions and cleaning the drive and completely creating new partition tables in MBR format. He is wiping his drive completely by doing so, and says nothing about preventing data loss or preserving existing data thru the process. If I didn't care about preserving the existing Win 7 install, then yeah converting to MBR would be a piece of cake and would take about 10 seconds.

Yup, the backups are a given. I spent several hours doing backups last night, and generally cleaning up the disk and getting all the free space I could.

You have made a lightbulb turn on in my head though. I cannot run from the USB key as is because I simply followed the instructions and made the boot part only slightly bigger than the iso image. So it's a 4GB partition. But I think I can do what you suggest if I use the entire 128GB usb stick for the iso image. Then I would have plenty of room to boot up to it, and install the other software and plugins as if it were a real disk install.

I don't know why I didn't think of that to begin with. I had the same DOH! moment when i first started playing with Linux Mint live on a USB stick. I only used 4GB for the Mint iso and I hit problems with running out of space for larger files. I did not ever use any kind of persistence, I simply took the leap and installed Mint on my home office machine dual boot. The 50GB Windows XP part is still there, but I haven't booted to Windows on this machine since I started using Mint.

Now I'm aching to convert my music studio machine to Linux. So I will rework my USB key to use the entire stick and try again. Good idea. Thanks!

[Qqmike]

Of course, also, Rod Smith is an expert on these things,

Converting to or from GPT
http://www.rodsbooks.com/gdisk/mbr2gpt.html

And he will certainly point out workarounds, pitfalls, and such related issues.

[soundchaser59]

Got the dual boot working. Now I need to figure out how to get the wireless internet connection working.

[jpenguin]

Wireless can be a pain; native drivers are best, but remember ndiswrapper

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