Computer help forum: (urgent)changing disk type back to basic from dynamic....

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You did back up your important files and data first?

But let's be clear here. Microsoft has never supported installing Windows and leaving other OSes standing. So you would delete all the partitions leaving an empty drive. Now I can boot the Windows DVD and install.

But let me comment about the original post. I never had to shrink partitions like you noted with Ubuntu's installer. I would boot my Ubuntu DVD and it's installer would ask if I wanted to use the entire drive or if it should make space for Ubuntu.

At no point was I shrinking partitions. I think you overcomplicated the Ubuntu install.
Bob

To format the drive would mean there are partitions to format. Try it with a blank drive.
Bob

You can do that with the Windows 7 DVD or go get GPARTED and delete the partitions. Formatting prior to installing is not advised for most folk.
Bob

Since you do not care about the data on the drive, just let Windows 7 DVD clear out the all the partitions on the drive for you. This step will happen when you go to install/setup the new fresh Win 7 installation. It will then format and partition your drive for you, but if you do not remove the old partitions, then you will:

1.) Have much less disk space to work with and install your new os and programs
2.) Disk parameters from the old partition will remain, and the disk is likely to remain as a dynamic disk.

Removing all old partitions will set up your drive as a new one, and Win 7 will default to a basic drive setup when it formats and partitions your drive unless you tell it to do a dynamic setup.

Understanding the difference between basic and dynamic disks here: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/understand-the-differences-between-basic-disks-and-dynamic-disks/5797060

Note that the author states that there is a catch: You can convert a basic volume to dynamic, but you cannot change or go back to a basic volume without erasing all data on the volume first.