Use Existing Partitions

If this option is available, then existing Linux compatible partitions have been found and may be used for the installation.

Use Free Space

If you have unused space on your hard drive then this option will use it for your new Mageia installation.

Use Free Space on a Windows Partition

If you have unused space on an existing Windows partition, the installer may offer to use it.

This can be a useful way of making room for your new Mageia installation, but is a risky operation and should be a last resort!

Note that this involves shrinking the size of the Windows partition, which is not without some risk. The partition must be "clean", meaning that Windows must have closed down correctly the last time it was used. It must also have been defragmented, although this is not a guarantee that all files in the partition have been moved out of the area that is about to be used. You should check this carefully before proceeding.

Erase and use Entire Disk.

This option will use the complete drive for Mageia.

Note! This will erase ALL data on the selected hard drive. Take care!

If you intend to use part of the disk for something else, or you already have data on the drive that you are not prepared to lose, then do not use this option.

Custom

This gives you complete control over the placing of the installation on your hard drive(s).