Accessing Your Hard Disk After Deleting Windows and Installing Linux Mint 17.2

If you're experiencing trouble accessing your hard disk after deleting Windows and installing Linux Mint 17.2, don't worry; this issue can be resolved quite easily. The problem you're encountering is likely due to the Windows partition not being properly formatted or needing to be remounted. This guide will show you how to use the powerful partitioning tool GParted to format and remount your Windows partition—allowing you to access all of your data seamlessly.

Step-by-Step Guide to Remounting Your Hard Disk

LINUX MINT 17.2 uses a different file system than most Windows partitions, which is why you might be seeing the 'Unable to Mount Location' error. Here's what you need to do to resolve this:

1. Install GParted

To install GParted, the partitioning tool that allows you to manage and format partitions, open the Ubuntu Software Center (Ubuntu Software Center is the package manager for Mint) and search for GParted. Alternatively, you can also install it via the command terminal using the following command:

Sudo apt-get install gparted

2. Open GParted

Once GParted is installed, open it by simply searching for it in the application menu or typing GParted in the terminal.

3. Format the Windows Partition

After opening GParted, locate the Windows partition that you wish to remount. Right-click on it and select Format to.... Here, you can choose the file system you prefer. EXT4 and NTFS are common choices, as they are both supported by both Linux and Windows. Once selected, click Apply All Operations to format the partition.

It's crucial to format the partition with a type that is compatible with both your current Linux distribution and any future Windows installations. EXT4 is more suited for Linux systems, while NTFS is compatible with both Linux and Windows. If you plan to dual-boot in the future, leave the partition as NTFS during the initial installation to ensure Windows can write to it.

Advanced Tips and Troubleshooting

Advanced Tips:

If your hard disk is encrypted, you might need to use Encryption Key or LUKS before remounting the partition. This might involve extra steps not covered in this guide.

If you have multiple partitions and unsure about which one is the Windows partition, use the Table view in GParted to get a better understanding of your current partition layout.

Troubleshooting:

If you encounter errors while formatting, it might be due to the partition being in use. In such cases, you need to reboot your system and select the boot option to boot from a live CD/USB to perform operations in Live Mode.

If you receive an error message that the device is in use, you can unmount the partition using the command line or by using a tool like Disks (gnome-disks) in Mint.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you should be able to remount your hard disk and regain access to your files. If you find that the problem persists, it may be due to deeper filesystem or hardware issues that require further investigation. If so, consider seeking help from a more experienced user or reaching out to the Linux Mint community forums for support.