XP partition

[Colin Bearfield]

Hi

My spare computer has an 80GB drive. The last 40GB is a little used
data drive. I want to cut it in half and have two 20Gb drives.

My big XP Power Tools book says "It's a simple matter to create a
partition. Just right-click the disk and choose New partition to
start the New Partition Wizard." This is immediately underneath an
illustration of the Disk Management Console.

Try as I might I can't get this option to appear. Am I doing something
wrong?

Colin

 

[T. Waters]

This page contains a caveat about resizing existing partitions, and claims
that only a third-party program like Partition Magic will work on a
partitioned drive:
http://www.webtechgeek.com/How-to-Partition-a-Hard-Drive-Windows-XP.htm
I have the options Format and Delete for a partition, among others, but do
not have New Partition either.

 

[Colin Bearfield]

My book doesn't mention Partition Magic on that page (350) but I do
have partition Magic 8. It's not installed so I was hoping XP would
do it.

Colin

 

[Colin Bearfield]

This page contains a caveat about resizing existing partitions, and claims
that only a third-party program like Partition Magic will work on a
partitioned drive:
http://www.webtechgeek.com/How-to-Partition-a-Hard-Drive-Windows-XP.htm
I have the options Format and Delete for a partition, among others, but do
not have New Partition either.

I have just traced this posting from last September. It seems
conclusive.

"The only way you can create, delete, resize or merge existing
partitions,
and not harm your existing Windows installation, is to use
a third-party partitioning program such as Partition Magic 8.
http://www.powerquest.com/partitionmagic/

Otherwise, a "clean install" of Windows XP will be required
since you'll have to delete all the existing partitions and create
new partitions.

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User"

Thanks

Colin

 

[Kelly]

Hi,

If your spare drive is attached as slave and is listed via Windows Explorer
and doesn't have a system installed within the space you want to partition:
Right click My Computer and select Manage. Once there, scroll down to
Storage/Disk Management.

--
In memory of our dear friend, MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[Kelly]

BTW, many MVP's use:

Bing - Boot It Next Generation
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/

If you didn't exactly define your current situation. A bit of info if you
go this route:

Added notes from MVP Alex:

Download, to its own folder, extract from the zip, run the bootitng to make
a boot floppy.

With the new drive plugged in as slave/secondary, boot the floppy,
Cancel Install, entering maintenance, then Partition work. On the
left, select the second Drive (HD1) then highlight and Delete existing
partitions that are to be replaced, leaving it empty. Select HD0
again, highlight your C:,Copy, select HD1 and Paste.

You can then click resize and say to use the whole of the larger
drive.

Close out, swap the disks to make the new one bootable, and remove the
other for the moment,

At this point reboot the BING floppy, again Partition Work, this time
click 'view MBR and in it highlight your C and click to make it
active, then click to write MBR code - this makes the partition
bootable. and you can exit and reboot to XP. (May not be needed for a
drive that was in use before, but do it to be certain)

--
In memory of our dear friend, MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com