Dual boot windows 8.1 and ubuntu 13.10, unusable drive space

Question

I have Windows 8.1(64-bit), i want to dual boot it with ubuntu 13.10(64bit),

I shrunk the C: drive by 20 GB. created a bootable pendrive and booted through it

Partitions

when i clicked on "something else", the 20GB data i have partitioned is showing "unusable"

Something else

i tried using gparted its showing "it is not possible to create more than 4 primary partitions"

please help, i am new to ubuntu

my system specs: core i3(3rd gen), 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, Dell inspiron 14r

I do not have enough reputation to upload images so i have given the links.

Solution

Unless you have one primary partition for your Linux partition, there isn't much you can do. So you need to delete one of your existing partitions before you can install Ubuntu.

Unfortunately the disks are limited to 4 physical partitions, but if you need more, then you can set up the 4th partition as an extended partition. Inside that extended partition you can have several other logical partitions.

But as mentioned earlier, you need to delete one of your existing partitions before you do so.

Here is a sample layout: Partition table

Hope that helps!

Comments

[Avinash Raj]

did you want to install ubuntu on a 16 GB space?

[Avinash Raj]

he can't create another because already four partitions are there.

[koullislp]

Right, in this case there is not much he can do, but to delete partitions.

[Avinash Raj]

but you doesn't mention this in your answer.

[theoneabhinav]

what if i make one more partition in windows and then using change in partition table edit it?

[Rod Smith]

DO NOT CREATE NEW PARTITIONS IN WINDOWS!!!! Doing so will convert the disk from using standard partitions to using the Windows Logical Disk Manager system, which will greatly complicate installation.

[theoneabhinav]

if i keep some free space during installation of windows can it be used to install ubuntu?