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Sorry for the double post, but it is important.
 
This post contains instructions on repartitioning in OpenSuSE/YaST2, and then installing OpenSuSE.
I used OpenSuSE 11.1 Gnome in this tutorial, however the process is the same for KDE.
This was done with the Live CDs. If you are using the Install DVD, you should be using Windows to partition, unless you know how to manually allocate space for Swap, Root and Home partitions.
Another note, using a separate Hard Disk will always be simpler than partitioning, and safer as well as it is completely separate.
When removing Linux, be sure to rebuild the Windows boot manager, or else it will be like you have gotten the worst virus around, as you cannot boot. I recommend using BCDEdit or a similar tool to ensure that it is rebuilt properly.
 
Resizing and Creating Partitions with YaST2:
1. After booting from the CD, click the Start/Computer button on the bottom left. Click on YaST. (In KDE, use the System portion of the Computer/Start menu).
2. In YaST, click System and then open Partitioner.

 
3. Click Yes to continue past the Warning message.
4. Click the arrow next to "Hard Disks" and choose the drive you will be using. /dev/sda is your primary drive, /dev/sdb is your secondary, etc. You should be able to ID the drives by size. You should be at a screen that will be similar to this:

 
5. Choose the partition you wish to resize. This is identifiable by label or size, or both. In my case, I will be using /dev/sda1, which is my current partition for Windows. You should have at least 30 GB of free space to give up to SuSE. The install is small, however additional software will take up more space, etc.
Note: I strongly recommend naming your Windows partitions and other partitions prior to installation of SuSE, due to the lesser chance for error.
6. Click resize, the following window should appear, showing what you are using, what is free, and the size of the new partition you will be making:

 
7. Slide the slider to adjust the size of the partition now, however I follow the Unused Disk number in the upper right. Move the slider until the Unused Disk number reaches at least 30 GB (or whatever you will be using). You should see something like the following:

(Note: Colors are different in KDE, however the process is the same)
 
8. Now click the Add button. Select Primary Partiton, and hit next. Leave the selection at Maximum Possible, to utilize the full shrink size from before. Hit next. Have the partition format to Ext3 and do not mount the partition. Hit Finish. You should see something like this now:

 
9. Hit next to review the changes you will be making. Make sure that you are changing the partitions and drives you want, and hit finish. Be patient, and the operations will finish.
 
Installing OpenSuSE From the Live CD
1. Open Live Installer/Installer from the desktop
Note: If you get a message about removable media, eject the volume and continue. I've only had this happen in Gnome. Simply right click the volume and choose "Unmount Volume"
2. Choose your keyboard layout, and click next.

 
3. Choose your Time Zone and verify the current time. Change it as necessary. Usually, it is correct from the start.

 
4. Now, here is the critical part. If you followed everything correctly, you should see something like this:

 
The partition that we created earlier should be highlighted in red, and under that the installer will be automatically sub-dividing the partition. There should also be mount points being created to the Windows operating systems. If the installer did not correctly determine your setup, view the following.
 
4.5) To recreate the partition setup if it is not in the desired layout that you want, click Create Partition Setup. Choose the Hard Disk that we just set up earlier, followed by the partition(s) that you wish to use. You should then see something like the above picture.
 
5. Enter in the user information that it requires at this point.
6. Review the information that has been set in this step, once everything is to your liking, click Install twice to begin the installation.
 
Let it sit while it configures. You may see some error messages, especially about Plasma in KDE, however you just should click Ok or whatever it asks you to click in order to proceed. These should not affect the installation.
 
After install, you will see a message about removing the disk, after you see the message, hit Ok and restart the computer. When it restarts, be sure to use the Boot From Hard Disk option, as you no longer will need the CD, however you should not dispose of it. After SuSE configures itself, you can remove the disk, and you can begin using your new OS. Rebooting at this point will allow you to fully use the GRUB bootloader, and choose between OpenSuSE and Windows.
 
To change the default OS choice, use the Boot Loader options in YaST.
 
If you have any questions, post them here.
 
And seriously, double and triple check all of the options and partitioning, etc. You do not want to make mistakes. I seriously recommend backing up to a separate drive before installing, just to be safe.
 
Also, another indicator that I did not mention. By using the Ext3 format for the new partition, you can separate the NTFS partition, to the Linux Native partition.
 
I really hope this works out for you guys!
 
EDIT: Also, Windows may run a Checkdisk on the first boot after installation. It should only take a few seconds.

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Wow, tutorial looking really good - can't wait to be able to do it!

If I bought an external hard drive, 3.5 or 2.5 inch, 40gb or 160gb or whatevergb, USB; can I install OpenSuSE to that external drive, and then boot from it when I want to use OpenSuSE? Just worried about overheating or whatever on my external drive... and of course making sure I buy the right one!

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Why not get an internal one? Save space as well.

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Glomping the internet populace.

One forum at a time.

I'm useless with computer stuff to be honest.

There's a hard drive in my laptop, as far as I know I can't fit another one in here without replacing the old one with it

And wouldn't external be simpler when I get a new computer and so on? I hate the idea of opening computers and sticking hard drives and stuff in them and messing around - I'm terrified of screwing it up

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Well, Hard Drives are pretty easy. One connection to the power supply, one to the motherboard. Done.
 
I don't know about laptops, though; I was referring to desktops.

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Glomping the internet populace.

One forum at a time.

I've got a laptop I know they can be more awkward in some cases, since they are packed fairly tightly and different manufacturers have different methods, I'll see what mine says in the manuals and stuff.

Well I can only have one hard drive in my laptop, so adding an internal one isn't an option, unless I partition and reinstall vista - oh except I don't have install CDs. And I don't want to go through the hassle.

Seems much simpler for me to buy one off ebay - just checking... a 2.5 inch USB 2.0 would work installing and booting from?

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Well, macs can boot from USB no problem. However, only certain PCs can boot from USB.

Just make sure that you plug it into the rear USB ports, and not front ones. You can try to do it, however I can't guarantee any success.

The good news is, if it fails, you will be safe and can remove the bootloader and such (again, be sure to reinstall the Windows one with BCDedit)

Also, (I don't know if you can order from Newegg overseas but...), Newegg has an 80 GB for 34 USD.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136195

EDIT: But then again, you could be getting a 160 GB for 42 USD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136075

EDIT2: So wait, are you installing this on a laptop or desktop? The above are for desktops...

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I'm installing on a laptop - that's all I've got.

EDIT: And it would appear to boot from USB drives but not USB Flash drives.

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It'll probably boot USB Flash drives fine if there is an option in the BIOS to boot from USB.
 
But.. External drives are usually a tad slower than internal drives.. So you should install operating system(s) on the internal and all your files, movies, etc. on the external..

I guess I give up installing OpenSuSE then.

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Start -> Run -> Type in compmgmt.msc then press OK.
 
Select Disk Management from the left. Maximize the window and post a screenshot here.

I'm guessing installing OpenSuSE on 11Gb of space would be mad? If not I could at least do that By wiping the recovery drive - seemingly useless, I have a CD and if I can't boot into Vista chances are I won;t be able to boot into the recovery partition either. (Also doing tons of SMARTPlacement defrags in the hope of making some space (boot time defrags)

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You say that you have plenty of space right even though Windows cannot detect it? As long as the data is in the front of the drive, you should be able to partition in SuSE. Even if you didn't have all the data in front, it still would have worked fine.
 
Partitioning is essentially placing a virtual boundary on a drive. You aren't really going to spice any data I believe.

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So if I just go ahead and do the partitioning in OpenSuSE, even though data is at the front, at the end, and an odd bit in the middle, it'll still be able to stick the virtual boundaries in without wiping nothing? If so I'll go ahead with it And then I guess I keep the recovery drive

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That is how most PCs are. Your data goes in the front, however when you install Windows, that data is placed in the middle (which is why it is usually unmovable). I don't know why that happens but, meh.
 
Just make sure you back-up all of your documents to a separate drive (you mentioned that you had an external one), unplug it before booting into SuSE, and you should be fine. I don't see that big of a risk.

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Well, Weird Windows eh And I don't have an external drive, I mentioned getting one, which I probably still will so I can actually back up. I've come far too close to losing my data several times already... But anyway, I have my most important files backed up on my USB stick, and am backing up to DVD-RW.

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Installing this now - wish me luck!

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Well, we hit a snag in this as well...
 

 
Presumably this inconsistency is why vista won't partition either... ah, if only Windows even considering giving a reason why it fails, it would be so much better.
 
Chkdisk... with a /f parameter... am I going to command line road?
 
(Sorry for triple post, but I'm surrently on limited internet and in KDE (Which works with my wireless card!) so having trouble signing in, though posting new things seems to work as it asks for login at top there. Again, apologies!)
 
Oh and, though only using OpenSuSE (KDE) from the live CD, I'm in love already! OK it's slow from the CD, but I know it'll be way faster when installed, and it looks gorgeous

Cool, I hope it does work.

So, I'd boot into Safe Mode With Command Prompt (it is an option when you press F8 before the Win logo).

Then run it. Then reboot TWICE lol

Also, it may not be able to run since you are booted from the drive. In that case, it will run when you reboot. If this happens, reboot into Normal mode, not Safe Mode. Then restart a few times, and give it another try. If could actually work in Windows now.

Also, the /f option makes chkdsk repair any faults that are found, rather than just report them.

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You ain't serious
GNOME is much better looking. And working on GNOME is faster..

Right, I'll do that now, take the dog a walk and then see if windows will partition - if not I'll go on the xbox for a bit ( ) and try partitioning in Linux later.
 
And sorry Legace, though I haven't seen or used a GNOME version of OpenSuSE - just Gnome on Ubuntu (Which, yes, was beautiful )

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No need to ask sorry..
KDE has some aspects that I think are beautiful, but KDE has also lot of crap that slow you down and are just in your way. In the other hand, never used KDE for longer than a couple of weeks, so maybe I'm just used to GNOME..
 
-> http://en.opensuse.org/GNOME/2.26

OK, I partitioned, installed OpenSuSE, then restarted - OpenSuSE configured, loaded up - lovely.
 
I then went into bootloader and set Windows as the default OS. Now when I start my laptop it just says "Error no Operating system. Operating system not found"
 
I am panicking, I am going mad! It would appear I have no way ofg ettign into Windows or OpenSuSE and have rendered my laptop useless...
 
Please, someone tell me thye can help me to get this to work - I need Windows at the least, and right now I have NOTHING! I am going to cry... how humorous...

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Does OpenSuse use GRUB?
If so, google for reinstall grub.

OK, I'll try reinstalling GRUB. If that doesn't work, can I use the Vista Repair DVDs (Or the repair HDD from HP) to repair Vista? Will tht at least allow me to access Vista, even if I can't get into linux? I need an OS, preferably Vista

EDIT: Reinstalling GRUB I can't do from the Live CD, and I have no way of getting a copy of the DVD with the repair options... I just want Vista back!

God I'm going insane...

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