Mdk has a very good partitioning tool that can create the Linux partitions from your Windows. Can you still boot Windows? Before doing anything, defrag and compress Windows before starting. Try the Mdk install again. Once you get into the Mdk install, follow the instructions in the partitioning carefully. If you see a blank space from your previous try, then you should be able to install Linux to it. If you don't, click on your Windows partition and click "resize." When dual booting, I always split the size of my HD in half. Eventually, you should wind up with something that looks similar to this...
 
http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/demos/Demo/Mandrake8.1/Install/Expert/images/expertC1.png
Be sure to use Ext3, (I personally prefer RieserFS) and create a / partition, a swap partition and a /home partition.
 
In all cases...
 
Make sure you back up all valuable Windows files to cd-r or cd-rw before attempting any partitioning!!

what is the what is the swap file name.

It's just "swap". After you've created your / partition, click on the remaining empty space and click on the green swap area up top, then make the size. See my other post about swap space size. The Mdk 9.2 install should at some point express it's desire that you create a swap space...
other that swap, when it gives you the choice of what file system, do not choose ext2. Use ext3.

It doesnt have a swap button it just has a selection of /,/home,/mnt/windows, /tmp, /usr, /var do you think it create one on its own. thanks

The last time you tried the install, did it not ask or give you a opportunity to create a swap partition? Surely it did?! The 'buttons" may be different with RH 9.2, I can't remember, but there has to be something there offering a way to create a swap partition.

From what I remember from the last time I tried installing Mandrake creating a swap partition is exactly the same as creating any other partition except you just have to remember to assing it the filesystem "swap" (there should be a drop down list on the dialog). I could be wrong though, it's a really hazy memory I'm dredging up here I haven't even looked at Mandrake for over a year now.

For some reason, Mandrake 9.1 and 9.2 will not install properly on some machines. Try going back to Mandrake 9.0. This is what I had to do. BTW, you can get used hard drives for very little money these days. I bought a 3.3 gig Western Digital for $30.00 (US), when I could not get a decent resize of my windows drive due to 'unmoveable' files near the end of the drive. Mandrake 9.0 fit nicely into this, and it is still working, albeit on my granddaughter's box...
 
Johnny

Quote:..albeit on my granddaughter's box...

Johnny, sounds like I'm not the only old horse around here..