Format/Partition External HD

[PT]

I have an external 80 GB HD, currently divided into two 40GB partitions,
both FAT32. I'd like to end up with a single partition NTFS.

I know how to do the format. Is there an easy way to replace the two
partitions with a single partition, without purchasing Partition Magic or
other third party software?

 

[John John]

Use the Windows XP built-in Disk Management tool to delete, recreate and
format the new partition.

John

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Use the Windows XP built-in Disk Management tool to delete, recreate
and format the new partition.

No, that's not possible. He can't fomat the partition Windows is on from
within Windows. That's like sawing off the branch of the tree you're sitting
on.

PT, the answer to your question depends on whether you want to maintain
what's on the drive or wipe the disk clean and start over with a new
installation of Windows.

If you want to maintain what's on the drive, unfortunately, no version of
Windows provides any way of changing the existing partition structure of the
drive nondestructively. The only way to do what you want is with third-party
software. Partition Magic is the best-known such program, but there are
freeware/shareware alternatives. One such program is BootIt Next Generation.
It's shareware, but comes with a free 30-day trial, so you should be able to
do what you want within that 30 days. I haven't used it myself (because I've
never needed to use *any* such program), but it comes highly recommended by
several other MVPs here.

Whatever software you use, make sure you have a good backup before
beginning. Although there's no reason to expect a problem, things *can* go
wrong.

If you want to start over, there's no need to format in advance. Just boot
from the Windows XP CD (change the BIOS boot order if necessary to
accomplish this) and follow the prompts for a clean installation (delete the
existing partitions by pressing "D" when prompted, then create a new one).

You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

 

[PT]

I've never come across this tool. It's not in my System Tools nor Computer
Management folders,
Is it something to install from the WinXP SP2 disk?

 

[John John]

Hi Ken,

Do you think PT has Windows installed on an External Drive?

John

 

[John John]

It's part of Standard Windows XP installation, look in your help files
for mor information or see here:

How to use Disk Management to configure basic disks in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309000/

If you can't start or run Disk Management post again and someone will
help you getting it running.

John

 

[FrontPage Novice]

PT,

John John gave you the info. Is there a reason you have not clicked Disk
Mgt open?

You will never get the correct answer cause they think you have windows on
the External and are running Windows on the External.

They do not know you have Windows on your PC and only data on the EXTERNAL
drive.

So, PT, unless you plainly make them understand you only want to;

1. format
2. delete 2 partitions
3. create 1 new partition on the EXTERNAL drive

We could read this story forever and ever if you don't use the info from
John John;
"Use the Windows XP built-in Disk Management tool to delete, recreate and
format the new partition."

 

[Nepatsfan]

(e-mail address removed),

I have an external 80 GB HD, currently divided into two 40GB
partitions, both FAT32. I'd like to end up with a single
partition NTFS.
I know how to do the format. Is there an easy way to
replace the two partitions with a single partition, without
purchasing Partition Magic or other third party software?

Keep in mind that using Windows built-in tools to make these
changes will result in the loss of all data on the external
hard drive. If you don't have this data backed up, your only
option will be to use third party software such as Partition
Magic or BootIT NG.

That said, you can do the following:
Right click My Computer and select Manage from the menu that
drops down.
Note: You can also go to Start -> Run and enter diskmgmt.msc in
the Open box. Click OK.
In the left hand column of Computer Management, click on Disk
Management.
Look for your external drive displayed in the lower right hand
pane.
Right click on each partition and select Delete partition from
the menu.
Once you've removed both partitions you can create one
partition on the drive and proceed to format it NTFS.

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[PT]

I'm sorry about my incomplete OP's.

The HD is to be used as a data backup and currently carries nothing to be
retained after the repartiton/format.


PT

 

[FrontPage Novice]

So, when will you click this or you prefer not to use it? ""Use the Windows
XP built-in Disk Management tool to delete, recreate and
format the new partition."

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Hi Ken,

Do you think PT has Windows installed on an External Drive?

My apologies, to both you and PT. Yes, you're right--I completely missed the
reference to its being an external drive.