Install on new computer keeping OEM OS

[Antonio Olivares]

--- On Sat, 12/12/09, Alan Evans <ame.fedora at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Alan Evans <ame.fedora at gmail.com>
> Subject: Install on new computer keeping OEM OS
> To: "Community assistance, encouragement, and advice for using Fedora." <fedora-list at redhat.com>
> Date: Saturday, December 12, 2009, 10:38 AM
> Hello!
> 
> I just got a brand-new machine with Windows 7 pre-installed
> on its
> massive hard drive. Of course, Fedora is more my style, but
> I'd like
> to keep the original OS intact and dual boot.
> 
> My question is this then: How safe is it really to allow
> the installer
> to resize the existing partition with Win7 already there? I
> saw that
> it had the option, but I was terrified to try it.
> 
> At this point, I've never booted the OEM hard drive. I
> just
> immediately plugged in the drive from my previous computer
> and booted
> F11 to check for basic hardware compatibility, so the
> machine's drive
> is yet-untouched.
> 
> -Alan
> 
> -- 

IMHO it is safe to try it, but you have more options if you like.  

I would do the following as precautions:

1) run scandisk and 
2) run defragment

You may use windows built in options to resize drive and it will do it also.  You can boot Gparted LiveCD/SystemRescueCD or even Fedora LiveCD/LiveDVD and take it from there.

Regards,

Antonio