Hello,

I have a PC with one hard drive, which the previous owner split into two
logical drives, C and D. I'm converting them from FAT to NTFS. Once I do
that, I'd like to make them into one logical drive instead of two. What's
the easiest and safest way to do this?

I do NOT have the option of re-installing the OS. Can I just delete the D
partition and then expand the C? I don't have any special utilities, just
what came on Windows XP Pro.

Thanks!

Doogie wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have a PC with one hard drive, which the previous owner split into
> two logical drives, C and D. I'm converting them from FAT to NTFS.
> Once I do that, I'd like to make them into one logical drive instead
> of two. What's the easiest and safest way to do this?

Use a 3rd party partition manager.

>
> I do NOT have the option of re-installing the OS.

Of course you do! Unless you have a pirated os, in which case you are going
to have many more problems coming up, so any assistance you get will become
moot.

Can I just delete
> the D partition and then expand the C?

No, it doesn't work that way.

I don't have any special
> utilities, just what came on Windows XP Pro.

Then Backup your data and use the CD to reinstall windows, creating only one
partition in the process. XP comes with a backup utility auto installed in
Pro but not in Home; HOme you have to install it from the CD separately.

>
> Thanks!

"Doogie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:77AB5A70-ADDD-4154-9B6D-(E-Mail Removed)
> Hello,
>
> I have a PC with one hard drive, which the previous owner split into
> two logical drives, C and D. I'm converting them from FAT to NTFS.
> Once I do that, I'd like to make them into one logical drive instead
> of two. What's the easiest and safest way to do this?
>
> I do NOT have the option of re-installing the OS. Can I just delete
> the D partition and then expand the C? I don't have any special
> utilities, just what came on Windows XP Pro.
>
> Thanks!

You could use something like the time limited Paragon Partition Manager
8.5 from this website:

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/downloa...tition-manager

They used to have Paragon Partition Manager 2005 free on this site. But
I don't see it free anymore. Plus there are free ones out there, but I
don't know much about them. Like from:

http://www.bootdisk.com/

Well I can't find it there. But maybe I am just missing it. But it does
have other things that will help you too.

--
Bill

"Poprivet" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)
> Doogie wrote:

[clip]

>> I do NOT have the option of re-installing the OS.
>
> Of course you do! Unless you have a pirated os, in which case you
> are going to have many more problems coming up, so any assistance you
> get will become moot.

[clip]

I disagree! There are tons of legal users out there that don't have to
option to format and reinstall. As many OEM give you the authentic
sticker and all, but don't give you an install or a recovery CD/DVD.
Worse, some don't give you an option to create them.

For example, this refurbushed Gateway MX6124 laptop I bought last year
came with a recovery DVD. But after I got online, Gateway warned through
their BugFix software:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for your purchase of a Gateway notebook computer. In an effort
to provide you with exceptional support, Gateway has identified an
inaccuracy with the Operating System (OS) media CD that was included in
the box with your new Gateway notebook computer. An incorrect revision
of the Microsoft® Windows® operating system media CD was inadvertently
included in the packaging during the manufacturing process.

Please note that the correct version of the operating system was
pre-installed on your computer, and should be functional. While this CD
is not necessary for normal everyday functionality of your computer, it
is important that you have a correct revision of the operating system
media in the event that a restoration from CD to the original factory
image is necessary.

WARNING: Do not attempt to load the operating system from the media CD
that came with your system-it may cause loss of data.

To obtain a free copy of the correct operating system media CD, click
the link below and complete the requested shipping information. The CD
will be shipped to you at no cost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And guess what? I filled out the required forms and 8 months later.
Still nothing. Nice, eh?

Thus already legal users have to go out and buy another retail copy of
Windows XP. I have multiple copies of Windows for every machine I own
because of this nonsense. I think this is a plan to make extra money
from honest people. This milking of honest people needs to stop! As this
is just as low as what the pirates are doing IMHO.

--
Bill

"Doogie" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
> Hello,
>
> I have a PC with one hard drive, which the previous owner split into two
> logical drives, C and D. I'm converting them from FAT to NTFS. Once I do
> that, I'd like to make them into one logical drive instead of two. What's
> the easiest and safest way to do this?
>
> I do NOT have the option of re-installing the OS. Can I just delete the D
> partition and then expand the C? I don't have any special utilities, just
> what came on Windows XP Pro.

XP has no tools to do what you want non destructively. You'll need a 3rd
party tool such as Partition Magic, Acronis Disk Director Suite, or BootIT
NG (BING). BING has a 30 day full featured free trial version that will
work for what you want.

Note: with a used computer I recommend installing the OS clean and then
reinstalling apps from original media. That way you don't inherit the
system problems, malware and other nasties like child porn.

You will need a means to recover the system sooner or later, whether it's an
installation CD, or a recovery CD from the computer OEM. Reinstalling might
become a necessity. What are you going to do if the hard drive where
Windows is installed crashes? You might as well take care of it now while
there are no system problems then later when you're in a panic because of
problems.

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]

BillW50 wrote:
> "Poprivet" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)
>> Doogie wrote:
>
> [clip]
>
>>> I do NOT have the option of re-installing the OS.
>>
>> Of course you do! Unless you have a pirated os, in which case you
>> are going to have many more problems coming up, so any assistance you
>> get will become moot.
>
> [clip]
>
> I disagree! There are tons of legal users out there that don't have to
> option to format and reinstall. As many OEM give you the authentic
> sticker and all, but don't give you an install or a recovery CD/DVD.
> Worse, some don't give you an option to create them.

Well, you can disagree all you want, but your take on this situation is
completely out to lunch. By Federal law, and ALL MICROSOFT contracts and
licenses, which are the only way to legally sell their OS license, EVERY
computer system which includes an operating system, must by sold with a
method of recovering the computer to its delivered state, including
instructions for doing so. If there is no option, then there is no license
and thus nothing to discuss; the person accepting the machine accepted
pirated software on it.

Further, the OP didn't say he didn't WANT to buy an OS, he said it was not
an option to reinstal the OS. And that is just patently not true; there is
ALWAYS a way to reinstall the OS. Since what you want to do is sidestep the
actual issues and add your own interpretations to what the OP stated rather
clearly, your post to me takes on a more or less useless status.

Nothing more to say on this subject.

Pop`

The rest of your post is pretty much rubbish w/r to the stated topic, and
the fact that you've interjected that you apparently done nothing in 8
months to see where your recovery item is, says to me that you are either
very lazy, or aware that you pirated it, or are pretty low on the IQ scale,
or all of the above and probably more.

On Sat, 21 Apr 2007 11:31:19 -0500, "BillW50" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>"Poprivet" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed)
>> Doogie wrote:
>
>[clip]
>
>>> I do NOT have the option of re-installing the OS.
>>
>> Of course you do! Unless you have a pirated os, in which case you
>> are going to have many more problems coming up, so any assistance you
>> get will become moot.
>
>[clip]
>
>I disagree! There are tons of legal users out there that don't have to
>option to format and reinstall. As many OEM give you the authentic
>sticker and all, but don't give you an install or a recovery CD/DVD.
>Worse, some don't give you an option to create them.

Many computers do NOT come with a restore CD, but do have a recovery
partition that is accessed via a BIOS option during boot. Yes, that
can be used, but many of them repartition and when they do so they
recreate the exact same partitions that existed when the computer
rolled off the factory floor - which is useless in this case.

Try the free and very user friendly gparted, a user friendly partition
editor that boots on its own CD.

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/

It may be a good idea to do a full disk defrag before you start and, I
can't stress enough... BACK EVERYTHING UP BEFORE YOU BEGIN.
I've resized a fair few drives with gparted, but even so things can and
do go wrong. If you cannot reinstall your operating system, then use
something like Acronis true image
http://eu.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/


------------------------------------------
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advice for Windows users. All our video
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On Sat, 21 Apr 2007 20:32:19 -0400, "Poprivet"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>BillW50 wrote:
>> "Poprivet" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)
>>> Doogie wrote:
>>

>Well, you can disagree all you want, but your take on this situation is
>completely out to lunch. By Federal law, and ALL MICROSOFT contracts and
>licenses, which are the only way to legally sell their OS license, EVERY
>computer system which includes an operating system, must by sold with a
>method of recovering the computer to its delivered state, including
>instructions for doing so. If there is no option, then there is no license
>and thus nothing to discuss; the person accepting the machine accepted
>pirated software on it.
>

I bought two DELL computers last year and had to pay extra ($10) for
"reinstallation CDs". No documentation. Nothing what so ever about how
to restore the operating system if it becomes necessary. No
instructions. Of course instructions may be on the disk, I haven't had
occassion to use it. I have no idea hoe to go about re0installing the
operation system without a CD. Perhaps you could enlighten us?

>Further, the OP didn't say he didn't WANT to buy an OS, he said it was not
>an option to reinstal the OS. And that is just patently not true; there is
>ALWAYS a way to reinstall the OS. Since what you want to do is sidestep the
>actual issues and add your own interpretations to what the OP stated rather
>clearly, your post to me takes on a more or less useless status.
>
>Nothing more to say on this subject.
>
>Pop`
>
>The rest of your post is pretty much rubbish w/r to the stated topic, and
>the fact that you've interjected that you apparently done nothing in 8
>months to see where your recovery item is, says to me that you are either
>very lazy, or aware that you pirated it, or are pretty low on the IQ scale,
>or all of the above and probably more.
>
>
>


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

> On Sat, 21 Apr 2007 20:32:19 -0400, "Poprivet"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>>BillW50 wrote:
>>> "Poprivet" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
>>>> Doogie wrote:

>>Well, you can disagree all you want, but your take on this situation is
>>completely out to lunch. By Federal law, and ALL MICROSOFT contracts and
>>licenses, which are the only way to legally sell their OS license, EVERY
>>computer system which includes an operating system, must by sold with a
>>method of recovering the computer to its delivered state, including
>>instructions for doing so. If there is no option, then there is no
>>license
>>and thus nothing to discuss; the person accepting the machine accepted
>>pirated software on it.

> I bought two DELL computers last year and had to pay extra ($10) for
> "reinstallation CDs". No documentation. Nothing what so ever about how
> to restore the operating system if it becomes necessary. No
> instructions. Of course instructions may be on the disk, I haven't had
> occassion to use it. I have no idea hoe to go about re0installing the
> operation system without a CD. Perhaps you could enlighten us?

Check for documentation on the CD or on the Dell tech support site or
contact Dell tech support. You should go to them since it's their process.

<snip>

--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]