Deleting a partition on a system disk

[Visitor No 3]

I've had problems with WinXP and I have done a complete install on a clean
hard drive. I now have two versions of WinXP. Both SATA Drives are
partitioned in half. Windows is on the primary partition of both drives.

In Disk Manager, my new version of WinXP is shown as a Boot Partition. The
other, duff, version of WinXP is shown as a System Partition.

I want to delete the partition in the system disk to use it size for large
recordings but I can't reformat the disk as it is a system disk.

Both root directories have a copy of the following files:
Boot.ini
Config.sys
IO.sys
MSDOS.sys
NTDetect.sys
NTLDR
Pagefile.sys

In addition, the disk I want to reformat has a file called $LDR$ on it which
I am unable to find out any about it on the web.

My question is: Can I just zap everything on the System Disk and will I then
be able to remove the partition or do I have to make the boot disk into a
system disk. If so, how do I do that. I want to finish up with my good copy
of WindowsXP on the primary half of a drive which is both the System disk
and the boot disk.

I formatted the disk which is my boot disk from the duff copy of windows but
when I did the install, I disconnected the SATA cable to the second disk. I
suppose if I had used the option in the install process to format the disk,
it would have created it as a system disk. Too late now, I don't want to go
through all that again.

Any ideas?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I've had problems with WinXP and I have done a complete install on
a clean hard drive. I now have two versions of WinXP. Both SATA
Drives are partitioned in half. Windows is on the primary partition
of both drives.

In Disk Manager, my new version of WinXP is shown as a Boot
Partition. The other, duff, version of WinXP is shown as a System
Partition.

I want to delete the partition in the system disk to use it size
for large recordings but I can't reformat the disk as it is a
system disk.

Both root directories have a copy of the following files:
Boot.ini
Config.sys
IO.sys
MSDOS.sys
NTDetect.sys
NTLDR
Pagefile.sys

In addition, the disk I want to reformat has a file called $LDR$ on
it which I am unable to find out any about it on the web.

My question is: Can I just zap everything on the System Disk and
will I then be able to remove the partition or do I have to make
the boot disk into a system disk. If so, how do I do that. I want
to finish up with my good copy of WindowsXP on the primary half of
a drive which is both the System disk and the boot disk.

I formatted the disk which is my boot disk from the duff copy of
windows but when I did the install, I disconnected the SATA cable
to the second disk. I suppose if I had used the option in the
install process to format the disk, it would have created it as a
system disk. Too late now, I don't want to go through all that
again.

Sounds like you reinstalled incorrectly. You may be able to boot with the
Windows XP CD, get to the point where it asks you which partition you want
to install on and delete the partition there - then boot into Windows and
create the partition you like out of the now empty space.

However - not knowing the exact configuration - that could also render the
machine unbootable - so you'll want to back things up first.

 

[John Barnes]

You are installed fine. First step is to change the boot order in your BIOS
so that the new WinXP is the system disk. Making that partition the active
partition on the hard drive and then making that hard drive the first hard
drive in your boot order should have everything working fine. You may have
to clean up your boot.ini later, but test things out first and let us know.

 

[Visitor No 3]

<< You are installed fine. First step is to change the boot order in your
BIOS
so that the new WinXP is the system disk. Making that partition the active
partition on the hard drive and then making that hard drive the first hard
drive in your boot order should have everything working fine. You may have
to clean up your boot.ini later, but test things out first and let us
know.>>


Cracked it!

Many thanks John

 

[Michael Stevens]

I've had problems with WinXP and I have done a complete install on a
clean hard drive. I now have two versions of WinXP. Both SATA Drives
are partitioned in half. Windows is on the primary partition of both
drives.

In Disk Manager, my new version of WinXP is shown as a Boot
Partition. The other, duff, version of WinXP is shown as a System
Partition.

I want to delete the partition in the system disk to use it size for
large recordings but I can't reformat the disk as it is a system disk.

Both root directories have a copy of the following files:
Boot.ini
Config.sys
IO.sys
MSDOS.sys
NTDetect.sys
NTLDR
Pagefile.sys

In addition, the disk I want to reformat has a file called $LDR$ on
it which I am unable to find out any about it on the web.

My question is: Can I just zap everything on the System Disk and will
I then be able to remove the partition or do I have to make the boot
disk into a system disk. If so, how do I do that. I want to finish up
with my good copy of WindowsXP on the primary half of a drive which
is both the System disk and the boot disk.

I formatted the disk which is my boot disk from the duff copy of
windows but when I did the install, I disconnected the SATA cable to
the second disk. I suppose if I had used the option in the install
process to format the disk, it would have created it as a system
disk. Too late now, I don't want to go through all that again.

Any ideas?

I have two installations of Windows/Windows XP on the same partition.......
#20 on the FAQ list
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/xpfaq.html



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Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
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http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
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