Confusing Partition Designations in win2K Disk Mgr after Restoration

[Charles V]

BlankHave just completed a CD-ResQ restoration of my win2k system and cannot find means within win2k Disk Manager, to correct some apparent inconsistencies in partition "type designations".

My original win2k configuration was installed on two 3 gig equal sized partitions of a WD 6.4 gig drive. The C partition was used for the operating system and the D partition contained all application programs.

The restoration was made to a WD 80 gig drive after it had been partitioned and NTFS formatted, using win2k DMgr. The 80 gig drive was divided into three partitions, two 4 gig partitions and the remaining 66 gigs allocated to a 3rd partition. The DMgr's Wizard program was used to set up the three partitions ---- and I believe I ended up with all three partitions being designated as "Type -- Basic". I could not find a way to set the 1st 4 gig partition as a Primary ---- or to set the other two as Logical and Extended respectively.

After restoration, the CD ResQ properly allocated the operating and application files to the C and D partitions respectively ---- but the remaining volume of 66 gigs was left as unallocated. The only way I could get DMgr to assign it as a 3rd partition was to designate it as a Primary partition --- which was contrary to my intentions. I also had to again format the 3rd 66 gig partition, which was done using NTFS.

Disk Mgr now shows C partition as a Primary, D partition as a Logical Drive and the 3rd partition as also a Primary ---- however all three partitions are designated as Type Basic in the tabulated entry designations.

I can find no means within Disk Manager to change the 3rd partition from the Primary assignment to an extended Logical Drive.
Is there any way to modify the partition assignments via Disk Manager ---- or will I have to install Partition Magic or a similar program to accomplish this?

My apologies for the lengthy posting, but couldn't explain the problem without going into some detail.

TIA for any suggestions,

CharlesV

 

[Eric Gisin]

Disks are Basic, not partitions. There is no reason to use logicals in Win
2K/XP.

Your recovery program created an incorrect extended partition that doesn't go
to the end of the disk. Disk Manager cannot fix it.

BlankHave just completed a CD-ResQ restoration of my win2k system and cannot
find means within win2k Disk Manager, to correct some apparent inconsistencies
in partition "type designations".

My original win2k configuration was installed on two 3 gig equal sized
partitions of a WD 6.4 gig drive. The C partition was used for the operating
system and the D partition contained all application programs.

The restoration was made to a WD 80 gig drive after it had been partitioned and
NTFS formatted, using win2k DMgr. The 80 gig drive was divided into three
partitions, two 4 gig partitions and the remaining 66 gigs allocated to a 3rd
partition. The DMgr's Wizard program was used to set up the three
partitions ---- and I believe I ended up with all three partitions being
designated as "Type -- Basic". I could not find a way to set the 1st 4 gig
partition as a Primary ---- or to set the other two as Logical and Extended
respectively.

 

[Just D.]

Hi Eric Gisin,

Disks are Basic, not partitions. There is no reason to use logicals in Win
2K/XP.

Bad approach. Having to work hard with my PCs I reinstall the operating
system every 6-8 months. I'm a developer and always store the data, source
codes, documents, archives, video files, message base, installation
packages, disk images, etc. on my second partition, the operating system
compilers, office etc. are stored on the primary partition. THAT'S a very
good practice worked out by years. Only in this case I don't need to backup
all files every time to reinstall the operating system, all I need is to
format C: and install the system from scratch, then all compilers, systems,
etc.

It's not a secret that if you work hard then Windows will be dead in a
half-year, plus-minus a few months. The only one thing was changed during
years - the partitions sizes...) My current boot partition is usually from
15 to 25 gbytes.

Just D.

 

[Charles V]

Sorry, but don't understand your comment. "> Disks are Basic, not
partitions"

It's my understanding that only a single "Primary Partition" should be setup
on a single drive. I now have two "Primary Partitions" on this 80 gig
drive.

After restoration was completed, the win2k op system was properly set up on
C and application files setup on D, as desired. The C volume was
automatically set as a "Primary Partition". The D volume was automatically
setup as a "Logical Drive" The 3rd 66 gig partition was unallocated. The
only option offered by Disk Mgr for proceeding was to set this 3rd volume as
a "Primary Partition" ---- an optional setting for "Logical" was "grayed
out" ---- so I proceeded to set the partition up as Primary. Disk Mgr
proceeded accordingly, followed by the NTFS formatting sequence and ending
with the formatted partition designated as a "Primary Partition" as
identified by the black banner on the Disk Mgr's graphical display.

All I want to do now is to get the "Primary Partition" designation on this
3rd drive/partition changed to "Logical Drive", which is the designation
shown for the D drive/partition.

Your recovery program created an incorrect extended partition that doesn't go
to the end of the disk. Disk Manager cannot fix it.

The recovery program did not do this. The two 4 gig (3.91gig) partitions
and the 3rd (66.71gig) were setup before restoration in the pre-recovery
system with the new drive connected as a slave to the original 6 gig, dual
partition drive. Disk Manager was used to partition and format the 80 gig
drive prior to restoration. To the best of my recollection, the total size
of the 80 gig drive was initially displayed as only 74.73 gigs by Drive
Manager, prior to the restoration sequence ---- so I don't believe that I
have lost any actual capacity on the drive. During this initial
partitioning/formatting routine, I could not find a way in DiskMgr to set
the 1st 4 gig volume as a Primary Partition---- or to set the other two as
Logical and Extended respectively. I believe I ended up with all three
partitions being designated as "Type -- Basic".






I was unable to find means to setup the C volume as a "Primary Partition" or

 

[Eric Gisin]

Sorry, but don't understand your comment. "> Disks are Basic, not
partitions"

The Basic/Dynamic applies to the disk, not partitions.

It's my understanding that only a single "Primary Partition" should be setup
on a single drive. I now have two "Primary Partitions" on this 80 gig
drive.

Nope, you can create 4 primaries. Win 2K/XP will have no problems.

After restoration was completed, the win2k op system was properly set up on
C and application files setup on D, as desired. The C volume was
automatically set as a "Primary Partition". The D volume was automatically
setup as a "Logical Drive" The 3rd 66 gig partition was unallocated. The
only option offered by Disk Mgr for proceeding was to set this 3rd volume as
a "Primary Partition" ---- an optional setting for "Logical" was "grayed
out" ---- so I proceeded to set the partition up as Primary. Disk Mgr
proceeded accordingly, followed by the NTFS formatting sequence and ending
with the formatted partition designated as a "Primary Partition" as
identified by the black banner on the Disk Mgr's graphical display.

All I want to do now is to get the "Primary Partition" designation on this
3rd drive/partition changed to "Logical Drive", which is the designation
shown for the D drive/partition.

Partition magic might do it.

The recovery program did not do this. The two 4 gig (3.91gig) partitions
and the 3rd (66.71gig) were setup before restoration in the pre-recovery
system with the new drive connected as a slave to the original 6 gig, dual
partition drive. Disk Manager was used to partition and format the 80 gig
drive prior to restoration. To the best of my recollection, the total size
of the 80 gig drive was initially displayed as only 74.73 gigs by Drive
Manager, prior to the restoration sequence ---- so I don't believe that I
have lost any actual capacity on the drive. During this initial
partitioning/formatting routine, I could not find a way in DiskMgr to set
the 1st 4 gig volume as a Primary Partition---- or to set the other two as
Logical and Extended respectively. I believe I ended up with all three
partitions being designated as "Type -- Basic".

The lower half of Disk Manager show the disks being Basic, not the partition.
The upper half is misleading.

Basic disks hold four primaries or three primaries and an extended. I'm sure
Disk Manager will do this.

 

[Eric Gisin]

Clueless. Just create multiple primaries.

Hi Eric Gisin,


Bad approach. Having to work hard with my PCs I reinstall the operating
system every 6-8 months. I'm a developer and always store the data, source
codes, documents, archives, video files, message base, installation
packages, disk images, etc. on my second partition, the operating system
compilers, office etc. are stored on the primary partition. THAT'S a very
good practice worked out by years. Only in this case I don't need to backup
all files every time to reinstall the operating system, all I need is to
format C: and install the system from scratch, then all compilers, systems,
etc.

 

[Charles V]

Thanks Eric ---- your comments now clear up my misunderstanding re the
number of primary partitions that can be placed on a single drive.
I just wanted to get it setup as a logical drive to avoid possible confusion
downstream ---- now, I guess there is really no need to make the change, if
it's standard proceedure to have multiple primaries on the same drive.

 

[Just D.]

Eric,

Clueless. Just create multiple primaries.

Are you talking about Windows only?-) In my worst years I was keeping up to
8 different operating systems on one machine and no one system knew about
others if I didn't want so, excluding Linux, this system sees everything.
. A half of these systems were able to load only from the primary
partition. You want to get a whole list and then discuss the clueless?-)

In my current scenario I created one Primary for Windows, one extended for
data for Windows, plus one primary for Linux plus one swap for Linux.
Totally four including two primary.

Keeping in mind the schema that I was using many years ago there were also
IBM OS/2, pure MS DOS for time related driver and disk cache free low level
operations with floppies, Windows NT, etc. Many.

Just D.

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Eric,


Are you talking about Windows only?-) In my worst years I was keeping up to
8 different operating systems on one machine and no one system knew about
others if I didn't want so, excluding Linux, this system sees everything.
. A half of these systems were able to load only from the primary
partition. You want to get a whole list and then discuss the clueless?-)

In my current scenario I created one Primary for Windows, one extended for
data for Windows, plus one primary for Linux plus one swap for Linux.
Totally four including two primary.

Keeping in mind the schema that I was using many years ago there were also
IBM OS/2, pure MS DOS for time related driver and disk cache free low level
operations with floppies, Windows NT, etc. Many.

Just D.

And your point is?