Hi.
I am trying to install PM5 along Windows 7 on a Dell D430
I am using a live USB. The only option I am goptions I am getting is to completely remove Windows 7 not install alongside. Any ideas?
Boot to the LiveUSB desktop … open a terminal and post the output from:
sudo fdisk -l
Output
peppermint@peppermint ~ $ sudo fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 31.6 GB, 31608274944 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3842 cylinders, total 61734912 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x6449735f
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 2048 12290047 6144000 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda2 * 12290048 61732863 24721408 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
Disk /dev/sdb: 4110 MB, 4110228480 bytes
127 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1019 cylinders, total 8027790 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0001265f
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 * 62 8023605 4011772 b W95 FAT32
peppermint@peppermint ~ $
OK, depending on the free space on your Win7 partition, this may be doable (but would probably require manual partitioning) … but on a 30GB HDD I’d probably not.
If you think about it, a 30GB HDD probably only gives you sommat like 28GB usable space … and if you’re to give Peppermint only 10GB that still only leaves 18GB for Win7 … which is really on the minimum limit for Win7, so you’re not going to be able to do much with it.
I think Microsoft quote the minimum requirements as:
1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver
Thanks for that Mark.
Could I install PM5 on an external disk say a large usb stick or drive and boot from it as though it was installed?
Sure you can … If doing a “proper” installation to a USB HDD be carefull not to ooverwrite the Windows bootloader or you’ll not be able to boot Windows without the external HDD plugged in.
Thanks Mark.
I could replace the flash 1.8" sad as well, but that negates the cheap laptop, £70 including vat from flea bay. Unfortunately I need a couple of Windows programs still it I would wipe it.
I’m trying to install it a 16 GB SD card but I keep getting this message…
No root file is defined. Please correct this from the partitioning menu.
Any ideas?
Sorted it by creating a root point in gparted and also a swap partition.
Thanks anyway. 
Sorry Toonman, somehow I missed your earlier post … glad you sorted it
No problem Mark. It’s sometimes good to try things out and learn a bit. And I’ve learned that my old 16gb sd card is far to slow to run PM5 from so I will try a fast usb drive next.