So, I'm wanting to install a new hard drive in my laptop (running Windows XP, SP3). I've had to keep alot of files (including my entire itunes library) on an external HD and it's getting old carrying that around all the time. Anyways, I've opted for a bigger HD (as cheap as they are nowadays) to try and get my 3 yr old laptop to limp on another yr or so. I ordered a Western Digital 320GB @ 7200rpm. My laptop is a Dell Inspiron E1505. I've been told the HD will definitely connect because they're both 2.5" SATA drives. I've also learned that, when I reinstall XP, only versions with at least SP1 recognize drives > 137GB in size. So, if I don't have an XP SP2 disk, I will need to slipstream myself a disk that includes the SP's on it in order for my whole HD to be recognized.

Is it possible to install XP w/o the SP's, download the SP's, then "re-recognize" (not sure the word I'm looking for here) the drive to see it all? This would keep me from the hassle of slipstreaming a disk (it doesn't look easy to me).

Also, I'm eventually going to partition it ~50/50 and dual-boot Ubuntu/XP (first time doing that too). I know there are programs that can shrink the Windows partition w/in windows so I can install Ubuntu. And I know that some people say it's best to create a "common" partition (dunno what it's called) that both OSes share. Is this a simple way to transfer files between the two?

For clarification:
WinXP gets partitioned as NTFS and Ubuntu and the "common" partition get partitioned as FAT32. Is that right?

8/27/2009 8:34:07 AM

pretty sure there's a functional ntfs driver for linux now. if you intend on reinstalling rather than doing something like dd or ghost with your existing disk, I would just install as usual. when you're all done patching and installing burn a copy of gparted and then resize the partition to whatever you want.

8/27/2009 8:41:46 AM

What's "dd" or "ghost" ? Is that like imaging my old HD? That would be nice because I don't know where my old XP disk is!

8/27/2009 8:45:27 AM