I started with Windows 7 on 120GB SSD and Ubuntu 14.04 32bit installed on 60GB partition on separate 1TB HDD. I just did a fresh reinstall of 14.04 64bit on the 1TB HDD. In the installation set up process, I selected the second choice of "deleting Ubuntu 14.04 and all it's files,documents, photos etc and reinstalling" to what I figured would reinstall the 64bit OS on the already existing 60GB allocated partition. Instead, it reinstalled Ubuntu as 43.5 GB and created a separate 15.8 partition. So now it reads that my disk space for Ubuntu ( in settings>details) is 43.5GB (instead of the previous 60GB that my old 32bit had)

The upside is I can now access my 1TB HDD from my toolbar(and all the files located on it) Before, I could only access that through Windows (I can also access the SSD too, but that was always the case) Both drives are mounted now.

My initial reaction was to go into Windows 7> disk management> delete the strange/new 15gb partition>extend the 43.5 to the unallocated space. But I'm not sure if this is necessary or would even work. My question is why did it create a 15gb partition shrinking my ubuntu disk space, and is it useful? I don't want wasted space, so before I go through all my set up of Ubuntu, should I change this. At this time my HDD reads as 43.5 partiton, 15.8 partition, and 874GB exfat32 (939GB total)