Partitions --- installing Linux + Vista

Hope the subject is on-topic for this NG...

I just irreversibly screwed up my Windows Vista notebook while
attempting to install it in dual-boot mode --- Ubuntu Linux + its
Vista.

After screwing it up, I found out that I should have resized the
partition from within Vista's own Disk Management tool ... Instead,
thinking that it would be the only way, I tried G-PartED, and resized
the partition.

Now Vista won't boot; the BIOS-based recovery (from the "hidden"
partition) won't work. I'm only left with ordering installation CDs,
which I'm told the Tech Support does not have in stock, and they
estimate that it could be around $40 anyway --- I'm already furious
that I was forced to buy Vista just because I wanted a notebook;
I'm not going to pay *extra* for what I already unwillingly and
choicelessly paid for)

With that said, well, I did pay for Vista, so at least I'd like to
have
the option to use it once in a while if I need to or want to.

Is there any "hack" or quick fix for this partition mess? Ubuntu
installs like a charm, but Vista won't boot (even after installing
Linux's boot loader and sending it to boot from the Vista partition),
since it does not seem to like the current partition table's state;
same thing for the BIOS --- since it it does not find the partition
table *exactly* as it was, it does not offer me to proceed with the
recovery procedure from the "hidden" partition.

Any hope for me?

Thanks,
-Zico

On Jun 21, 7:58 pm, Arno Wagner wrote:

> I think Gnu Parted cannot currently resize NTFS partitions in non-destructive
> mode. It can resize FAT32. Was the Vista-partition NTFS?

Yes. My memory must be seriously betraying me nowadays; I was sort
of 100% certain that I had done this exact procedure with Win2K and
WinXP machines (always with NTFS).

> > Now Vista won't boot; the BIOS-based recovery (from the "hidden"
> > partition) won't work.
>
> That is strange. This one should allways work, unless it was
> screwed up by the people that designed it.

I thought it was strange, but since I don't know the details and the
internals of G-PartED, I'm not sure about the reason why it's
happening.

> If the hidden-partition approach does not work, they ought to
> give you the CDs for free. Don't tell them you installed Ubuntu.
> Tell them it does not boot and the BIOS recovery does not work.

That makes sense; I mean, after all, I do find it an abuse and
very poor service that they give me a lousy hidden partition
with the OS, when I'm actually paying for it (and the physical
media is like, what, a few cents' extra cost?)... Anyway, I'll
stop -- the ranting part *is* indeed off-topic

> Does it not react at all, or does it complain? If it complains then
> the hack would be to go back to the original partition sizes.

Interesting. Before installing Ubuntu (and after resizing the
partition), it would give me a text screen with two choices:
- Repair what's preventing Vista from Starting
- Start Windows Vista normally

In both cases, I do see the Windows logo and the progress
bar moving, but only for a few seconds; then the screen
goes blank and the thing dies.

> > Any hope for me?
>
> Can you tell the BIOS to reconstruct the original Partition
> table?

??? I'm not familiar with this option/procedure; how would
I do that? Is it a special option available on some BIOSes?
How would I determine if I can do it?

I guess attempting to resize it to its original size with G-PartED
itself would be out of the question?

Thanks,
-Zico