Download the following software on your other PC before you start:
| Primary Official Download Site | Mirror Site for Acer Aspire One Forum Users |
|---|---|
The The Live USB Helper is used in conjunction with the HP USB Drive Key Format Utilty to format your 1Gb USB pen drive so that it can be used as a boot device on the Acer Aspire One.
The Gparted Live zip file is used to create a mini Linux operating system on your USB pen drive with the Gparted disk partitioning tool so you can split the hard disk into Linux and Windows partitions.
1. First download and then install the Windows XP HP drive key utility and live USB helper applications on your other computer. Insert your small USB pen and let Windows recognise it; then run live USB helper and select your pen from the appropriate drop down box. Then hit format and format again, this should automatically format the drive first off, then return you to the main screen.Forum member nig30 points out that it may not return you to the main menu at all. There may be no indication that the process is complete, in fact. Something to bear in mind at this point.
2. Still using the live helper utility, click "install image file" and browse to the location of the Gparted live zip file you downloaded. Then hit install.
3. Once installed click the "make USB drive bootable" button. Once complete quit live USB helper. Remove the drive from your computer and plug into your Acer Aspire One (AAO). Any USB port will work. This has now created a bootable USB stick running a version of Linux, but mainly so that you can use the Gparted disk partition utility on your target machine, the AAO in this case.
By booting from the pen drive you will be in no danger of affecting your Acer. It will simply load a different operating system and leave your hard disk alone until you decide to partition it.