Hi all,

I'm setting a new Dell Inspiron laptop with XP Home for my niece, which came
with a 90 day trial version of Norton's Ghost. The backup space for Ghost
was on logical drive D.

As she has an external hard drive which she uses for her desktop, she said
she didn't want Ghost and for me to remove Ghost. When I removed Ghost via
Add/Remove in the Control Panel, I expected there would be some sort of
option during the uninstall to "merge" the 18 GB in D: with the 57 GB on her
C: drive.

My expectations didn't exactly work out. She now has two separate
partitions -- C & D -- and I'd like to combine them into one C drive.

Can this easily be done and if so, how?

Thanks.

Alan

Not natively, you would need a 3rd party app such as partition magic.

"Alan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi all,
>
> I'm setting a new Dell Inspiron laptop with XP Home for my niece, which
> came with a 90 day trial version of Norton's Ghost. The backup space for
> Ghost was on logical drive D.
>
> As she has an external hard drive which she uses for her desktop, she said
> she didn't want Ghost and for me to remove Ghost. When I removed Ghost via
> Add/Remove in the Control Panel, I expected there would be some sort of
> option during the uninstall to "merge" the 18 GB in D: with the 57 GB on
> her C: drive.
>
> My expectations didn't exactly work out. She now has two separate
> partitions -- C & D -- and I'd like to combine them into one C drive.
>
> Can this easily be done and if so, how?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Alan
>
>

Ghost does not merge the partitions. It only takes a copy of the existing
partition(s). Look for utilities like Partition Magic.

On 24/10/2006 "Alan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>I'm setting a new Dell Inspiron laptop with XP Home for my niece, which came
>with a 90 day trial version of Norton's Ghost. The backup space for Ghost
>was on logical drive D.
>
>As she has an external hard drive which she uses for her desktop, she said
>she didn't want Ghost and for me to remove Ghost. When I removed Ghost via
>Add/Remove in the Control Panel, I expected there would be some sort of
>option during the uninstall to "merge" the 18 GB in D: with the 57 GB on her
>C: drive.
>
>My expectations didn't exactly work out. She now has two separate
>partitions -- C & D -- and I'd like to combine them into one C drive.
>
>Can this easily be done and if so, how?
>
>Thanks.
>
> Alan
>
>

--
---

Y.

Hello Dave and Yves,

Thanks for your quick responses. I guess my niece will learn to be happy
with both a C: and a D: drive then. :>

Alan

"Alan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi all,
>
> I'm setting a new Dell Inspiron laptop with XP Home for my niece, which
> came with a 90 day trial version of Norton's Ghost. The backup space for
> Ghost was on logical drive D.
>
> As she has an external hard drive which she uses for her desktop, she said
> she didn't want Ghost and for me to remove Ghost. When I removed Ghost via
> Add/Remove in the Control Panel, I expected there would be some sort of
> option during the uninstall to "merge" the 18 GB in D: with the 57 GB on
> her C: drive.
>
> My expectations didn't exactly work out. She now has two separate
> partitions -- C & D -- and I'd like to combine them into one C drive.
>
> Can this easily be done and if so, how?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Alan
>
>

> >My expectations didn't exactly work out. She now has two separate
> >partitions -- C & D -- and I'd like to combine them into one C drive.
> >
> >Can this easily be done and if so, how?

It can be done "natively" (i have done it)...

The problem is that my way requires you to backup everything and
reinstall everything....

so you probably wont want to do it....

Go into control panel --> administrative tools --> computer
managemnet.... On the left hand side of this window click 'hard drive
manager'.... Now you should see a hard drive... click on it and it will
show you that it is split into two partitions... The partition on the
far right will allow you to right click and delete.... once you've done
that you will have to re-format the whole hard drive (the remainding
partition) into the maximum size possible (it will tell you)

Really not that complicated but i wouldn't normallly recomend it if the
HD you are working on is your OS one because it would take ages to
reinstall evrything.... but you might feel like doing that anyway...
Just to give the pc a good 'clean'



Obviously you could buy parition-magic or acronis btu i am not sure if
they will just merge two paritions without harming any data?!?

Are you certain that the 18gig partition is not the Dell recovery partition?
If it is, and you delete it, you will forever prevent yourself from bringing
the computer back to the condition it was in, when the computer was taken
out of the box.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Alan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi all,
>
> I'm setting a new Dell Inspiron laptop with XP Home for my niece, which
> came with a 90 day trial version of Norton's Ghost. The backup space for
> Ghost was on logical drive D.
>
> As she has an external hard drive which she uses for her desktop, she said
> she didn't want Ghost and for me to remove Ghost. When I removed Ghost via
> Add/Remove in the Control Panel, I expected there would be some sort of
> option during the uninstall to "merge" the 18 GB in D: with the 57 GB on
> her C: drive.
>
> My expectations didn't exactly work out. She now has two separate
> partitions -- C & D -- and I'd like to combine them into one C drive.
>
> Can this easily be done and if so, how?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Alan
>
>

Hi Richard,

I made sure my niece bought the Win XP Operating System CD from Dell, so in
case I've already "wiped out" the recovery partition, I guess I could always
do a clean install from the CD if I needed to.

Alan

"Richard Urban" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Are you certain that the 18gig partition is not the Dell recovery
> partition? If it is, and you delete it, you will forever prevent yourself
> from bringing the computer back to the condition it was in, when the
> computer was taken out of the box.
>
> --
>
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>
> Quote from George Ankner:
> If you knew as much as you think you know,
> You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
>
> "Alan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I'm setting a new Dell Inspiron laptop with XP Home for my niece, which
>> came with a 90 day trial version of Norton's Ghost. The backup space for
>> Ghost was on logical drive D.
>>
>> As she has an external hard drive which she uses for her desktop, she
>> said she didn't want Ghost and for me to remove Ghost. When I removed
>> Ghost via Add/Remove in the Control Panel, I expected there would be some
>> sort of option during the uninstall to "merge" the 18 GB in D: with the
>> 57 GB on her C: drive.
>>
>> My expectations didn't exactly work out. She now has two separate
>> partitions -- C & D -- and I'd like to combine them into one C drive.
>>
>> Can this easily be done and if so, how?
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>> Alan
>>
>>
>
>

You certainly gave good advice to your niece.

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

"Alan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi Richard,
>
> I made sure my niece bought the Win XP Operating System CD from Dell, so
> in case I've already "wiped out" the recovery partition, I guess I could
> always do a clean install from the CD if I needed to.
>
> Alan
>
> "Richard Urban" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Are you certain that the 18gig partition is not the Dell recovery
>> partition? If it is, and you delete it, you will forever prevent yourself
>> from bringing the computer back to the condition it was in, when the
>> computer was taken out of the box.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> Richard Urban
>> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
>> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>>
>> Quote from George Ankner:
>> If you knew as much as you think you know,
>> You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
>>
>> "Alan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I'm setting a new Dell Inspiron laptop with XP Home for my niece, which
>>> came with a 90 day trial version of Norton's Ghost. The backup space for
>>> Ghost was on logical drive D.
>>>
>>> As she has an external hard drive which she uses for her desktop, she
>>> said she didn't want Ghost and for me to remove Ghost. When I removed
>>> Ghost via Add/Remove in the Control Panel, I expected there would be
>>> some sort of option during the uninstall to "merge" the 18 GB in D: with
>>> the 57 GB on her C: drive.
>>>
>>> My expectations didn't exactly work out. She now has two separate
>>> partitions -- C & D -- and I'd like to combine them into one C drive.
>>>
>>> Can this easily be done and if so, how?
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> Alan
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>

That's not combining, that's deleting and recreating, not the same thing.

"James Padolsey" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> It can be done "natively" (i have done it)...
>
> The problem is that my way requires you to backup everything and
> reinstall everything....

Hi Richard,

I try to teach her and my other nieces and nephews useful things about
computers.

In any case, I hope I never have to use either method to re-create the O/S.
:>

Alan

"Richard Urban" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> You certainly gave good advice to your niece.
>
> --
>
> Regards,
>
> Richard Urban
> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>
> Quote from George Ankner:
> If you knew as much as you think you know,
> You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
>
> "Alan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hi Richard,
>>
>> I made sure my niece bought the Win XP Operating System CD from Dell, so
>> in case I've already "wiped out" the recovery partition, I guess I could
>> always do a clean install from the CD if I needed to.
>>
>> Alan
>>
>> "Richard Urban" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Are you certain that the 18gig partition is not the Dell recovery
>>> partition? If it is, and you delete it, you will forever prevent
>>> yourself from bringing the computer back to the condition it was in,
>>> when the computer was taken out of the box.
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Richard Urban
>>> Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
>>> (For email, remove the obvious from my address)
>>>
>>> Quote from George Ankner:
>>> If you knew as much as you think you know,
>>> You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
>>>
>>> "Alan" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> I'm setting a new Dell Inspiron laptop with XP Home for my niece, which
>>>> came with a 90 day trial version of Norton's Ghost. The backup space
>>>> for Ghost was on logical drive D.
>>>>
>>>> As she has an external hard drive which she uses for her desktop, she
>>>> said she didn't want Ghost and for me to remove Ghost. When I removed
>>>> Ghost via Add/Remove in the Control Panel, I expected there would be
>>>> some sort of option during the uninstall to "merge" the 18 GB in D:
>>>> with the 57 GB on her C: drive.
>>>>
>>>> My expectations didn't exactly work out. She now has two separate
>>>> partitions -- C & D -- and I'd like to combine them into one C drive.
>>>>
>>>> Can this easily be done and if so, how?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks.
>>>>
>>>> Alan
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>