How Do I Extend the bootable partition on my Hard Drive

[Guest]

Just bought a SeaGate 320gb and did a fresh install of XP Home edition,
downloaded all updates (including SP3). Unfortunately, Windows only
partitioned the first 128GB of the drive as the bootable sector, leaving
170gb unpartitioned.

Now, I understand that I can easily partition the last 170gb as a SEPARATE
partition using the that the computer management tool within Windows XP.
However, I think I'd prefer to extend the original partition (if possible) so
that the entire C volume shows the full capacity of the drive.

I know that there are pros and cons to extending the original boot partition
vs. creatind a secondary partition and I'd be open to hearing from more
knowledgeable people on this matter.

And, assuming I go ahead with extending the bootable sector to the maximum
of the drive's capacity, I would also be soliciting recommendations from any
respondents for RELIABLE utilitities/software apps that will help me achieve
this ONE SECTOR goal of mine.

Thanks to all in advance...

Best,
Mark D.

 

[Anna]

Just bought a SeaGate 320gb and did a fresh install of XP Home edition,
downloaded all updates (including SP3). Unfortunately, Windows only
partitioned the first 128GB of the drive as the bootable sector, leaving
170gb unpartitioned.

Now, I understand that I can easily partition the last 170gb as a SEPARATE
partition using the that the computer management tool within Windows XP.
However, I think I'd prefer to extend the original partition (if possible)
so
that the entire C volume shows the full capacity of the drive.

I know that there are pros and cons to extending the original boot
partition
vs. creatind a secondary partition and I'd be open to hearing from more
knowledgeable people on this matter.

And, assuming I go ahead with extending the bootable sector to the maximum
of the drive's capacity, I would also be soliciting recommendations from
any
respondents for RELIABLE utilitities/software apps that will help me
achieve
this ONE SECTOR goal of mine.

Thanks to all in advance...

Best,
Mark D.

Mark:
Your original problem was that you installed the XP OS onto your HDD without
the OS containing SP1 and/or SP2 at the time. Because of that you ran into
the 137 GB (approx 128 GB binary) disk capacity limitation which is imposed
by the XP OS when it does not contain either SP1 or SP2.

After you installed SP1/SP2 the system would recognize the total capacity of
your HDD but the remaining disk space above that 128 GB was "unallocated"
disk space, which, of course, you could partition/format using XP's Disk
Management utility.

At this point you really have two options if you want to have a single
partition encompassing the entire drive...
1. You need a third-party disk management utility such as Partition Magic
which will non-destructively merge your two current partitions into a single
one, or...
2. You can simply start over. Now that you have installed SP1/SP2 you can
make a fresh install of the OS and create a single partition if that's what
you want to do. Of course, by so doing you will be deleting all the updates
(including SP3??????) and will have to re:install them.
Anna

 

[JohnO]

I know that there are pros and cons to extending the original boot

partition
vs. creatind a secondary partition and I'd be open to hearing from more
knowledgeable people on this matter.

Not sure I have more knowledge. But it's a matter of personal
preference. I like to think it's safer to keep my data on a separate
partition, including My Documents. I also like the organization of a
separate drive for 'stuff,' and the system partition for the OS and apps.
The idea is that I can lose the C: drive and it'll cost me a just few hours
to rebuild. The E: drive is the one that needs regular backups. Easy to
remember. (new Intel mobos (e.g. DG965SS) are smart about CDs...they get
called D: no matter how many other hdd partitions you throw at XP.)

And, assuming I go ahead with extending the bootable sector to the maximum
of the drive's capacity, I would also be soliciting recommendations from
any
respondents for RELIABLE utilitities/software apps that will help me
achieve
this ONE SECTOR goal of mine.

Partition Magic, or maybe these guys:
http://terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html

If the partition you are resizing contains valuable data, be certain you
have a backup before you start. Sometimes things go wrong, and if they do
with a resize there's generally no way back.

-John O

 

[Anna]

Mark:
Your original problem was that you installed the XP OS onto your HDD without
the OS containing SP1 and/or SP2 at the time. Because of that you ran into
the 137 GB (approx 128 GB binary) disk capacity limitation which is imposed
by the XP OS when it does not contain either SP1 or SP2.

After you installed SP1/SP2 the system would recognize the total capacity of
your HDD but the remaining disk space above that 128 GB was "unallocated"
disk space, which, of course, you could partition/format using XP's Disk
Management utility.

At this point you really have two options if you want to have a single
partition encompassing the entire drive...
1. You need a third-party disk management utility such as Partition Magic
which will non-destructively merge your two current partitions into a single
one, or...
2. You can simply start over. Now that you have installed SP1/SP2 you can
make a fresh install of the OS and create a single partition if that's what
you want to do. Of course, by so doing you will be deleting all the updates
(including SP3??????) and will have to re:install them.
Anna


Mark:
Just to clarify my "option 2" above...

I assume you're working with the XP installation CD that does not contain
SP1 and/or SP2. So it would be necessary to "slipstream" SP2 with the XP so
that the service pack would be integrated with the XP OS installation CD.

If you don't know how to do that, do a Google search on "slipstream xp sp2".
Also, take a look at
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=223562
for a download of the Autostreamer program which simplifies the
slipstreaming process.
Anna

 

[Lil' Dave]

Just bought a SeaGate 320gb and did a fresh install of XP Home edition,
downloaded all updates (including SP3). Unfortunately, Windows only
partitioned the first 128GB of the drive as the bootable sector, leaving
170gb unpartitioned.

Now, I understand that I can easily partition the last 170gb as a SEPARATE
partition using the that the computer management tool within Windows XP.
However, I think I'd prefer to extend the original partition (if possible)
so
that the entire C volume shows the full capacity of the drive.

I know that there are pros and cons to extending the original boot
partition
vs. creatind a secondary partition and I'd be open to hearing from more
knowledgeable people on this matter.

And, assuming I go ahead with extending the bootable sector to the maximum
of the drive's capacity, I would also be soliciting recommendations from
any
respondents for RELIABLE utilitities/software apps that will help me
achieve
this ONE SECTOR goal of mine.

Thanks to all in advance...

Best,
Mark D.

Ran into the problem recently. 200GB connected to onboard PC ide connector.
Used a 3rd party partition software to make 2 FAT32 partitions, used the
entire hard drive space. Later, had to move it to make room for my clone
(hidden) of my boot drive. Moved to a Promise Ultra100 ide connection,
recognized by the Promise bios. I wanted to go ahead and make one NTFS
partition. While using disk manager of XP w/sp2, deleted the 2 FAT32
partitions. Requested disk manager to use the entire space for NTFS logical
drive. It turned out 128GB in size. Found out later, despite the Promise
bios display of the proper mfr etc of the drive, it was limited to 132GB
drive capacity (128GB formatted).

Lesson learned by myself. XP w/sp2 can see partitions beyond 128GB
threshold, but cannot create them if the bios that controls that drive does
not do so properly.

Dave

 

[Guest]

Dave,
Thanks for the info...
I'm not sure about the proficiency (or lackthereof perhaps) of my BIOS.
However, the partitioning question I originally posed stemmed from an entire
system rebuild which included a very new design mother board (and I'm
assuming the BIOS is current as well).

I have gotten a few good responses and suggestions. Now I must discern
whether it's better to keep two separate partitions (one for boot/os and
other for data) or to merge the two partions into one. Again, there are pros
and cons to both approaches and that's what I'm in the midst of deciding on.

Nonetheless, just wanted to acknowledge your suggestion and express my
appreciation.

Regards,
Mark DiRollo

 

[Guest]

Anna,

Thank you so much for the thorough and insightful response. I would
definitely classify you as one of the "more knowledgeable people" I referred
to in my original posting.

As for your suggestions...well, as you'd probably guess, the idea of
starting over and reinstalling the OS (XP) doesn't exactly rank high on my
"stuff I really wanna do" list. So, instead I am going to consider looking at
third party software...such as the Partition Magic program you suggested as
well BootItNG, another app that was suggested by a couple of respondents.

Or...I may just keep two separate partitions...the benefits of which are
apparent to me.

Anyway, thanks again to you for taking the time to share your knowledge.
Much appreciated...

Best wishes,
Mark DiRollo

 

[Anna]

Mark:
Let me leave you with one final thought...

If you decide to retain the two current partitions, fine. There's really no
"one size fits all" concept in determining what's the best partitioning
scheme. For the most part it comes down to what the individual user finds
most comfortable in his or her day-to-day computing operations.

When all is said & done these multi-partitioning schemes have as their basic
objective a kind of safety net. For the most part there's the notion that
separating the OS from programs & applications as well as user-created data
affords a significantly greater degree of security in the event of some
catastrophic event affecting the PC.

My own feeling is that too many users are overly-concerned with these
multi-partitioning schemes and don't pay nearly enough attention to what (at
least to my mind) is the truly crucial objective -- establishing &
maintaining a comprehensive backup system that will be employed on a routine
basis. It seems to me that there is where our focus should be.

So by all means consider a partitioning management program such as the ones
you mentioned. Both are fine programs. But may I suggest that you also
consider employing a comprehensive backup program such as one of the disk
imaging programs, e.g., Acronis True Image and use that program on a routine
basis to "clone" the contents (or create a disk image) of your new Seagate
HDD to your former HDD? The result will be the kind of security you truly
need.
Anna

 

[Guest]

Anna,
Once again, thank you. . You are a wealth of knowledge and, to your credit,
you are willing to share it and and have the talent to do so clearly and
concisely.

I share in your opinion that regardless how a volume is partitioned, the
important thing (as with anything, but computers in particular it seems) is
the care one puts into the MAINTENANCE of ones machine. And, in regard to
this particular issue, you are spot on...all too often we overlook the
importance of backing up our data.

Unfortunately, I am selling my old hard drive to my friend (actually, it's
not old at all...I bought it a couple of months ago). It's a Maxtor 80gb IDE
hard drive. The machine I'm rebuilding is for my sister and I thought the
80gb hard drive would suffice...until I found (after I bought the Maxtor)
that I had to replace the motherboard...which is when I decided to go with
'the latest and greatest' SATA drive (320gb). Hey...hard drives are like
closets...they can NEVER be too big.

I still haven't made a decision on how to partition my sister's new hard
drive. But, whatever I decide to do, I can assure you...I will set up an
automatic backup of the drive for her.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge. I truly appreciate it...

Best,
Mark DiRollo

 

[shiny 521]

Hello , my friends, last days, I bothered by resize , extend partition problems so much, and search so much innformation from Internet and my friends, I solved my difficulties, and wish to share with you this valuable information, I wish it could give you a hand....Extend Partition

 

[Paul]

Hello , my friends, last days, I bothered by resize , extend partition problems so much, and

That thread is from 2007.

Verify the control settings on your Time Machine, and try again.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disk_partitioning_software

Paul

 

[Bob E. Soxx]

EggHead HoopleHead Alert!
Responding to a post from 2007 and changing the subject.

Do you really think the OP is coming back after all these years to look for
a reply to his post which no longer has the correct subject?

Hello , my friends, last days, I bothered by resize , extend partition
problems so much, and search so much innformation from Internet and my
friends, I solved my difficulties, and wish to share with you this
valuable information, I wish it could give you a
hand....Extend
Partition

Just bought a SeaGate 320gb and did a fresh install of XP Home edition,
downloaded all updates (including SP3). Unfortunately, Windows only
partitioned the first 128GB of the drive as the bootable sector, leaving
170gb unpartitioned.

Now, I understand that I can easily partition the last 170gb as a
SEPARATE
partition using the that the computer management tool within Windows XP.
However, I think I'd prefer to extend the original partition (if
possible) so
that the entire C volume shows the full capacity of the drive.

I know that there are pros and cons to extending the original boot
partition
vs. creatind a secondary partition and I'd be open to hearing from more
knowledgeable people on this matter.

And, assuming I go ahead with extending the bootable sector to the
maximum
of the drive's capacity, I would also be soliciting recommendations from
any
respondents for RELIABLE utilitities/software apps that will help me
achieve
this ONE SECTOR goal of mine.

Thanks to all in advance...

Best,
Mark D.

 

[Hanmei]

Actually, the information shiny521 shared is useful.
And the resource (article) is detail, help us how to work step by step.
The software worked well, too.

Just bought a SeaGate 320gb and did a fresh install of XP Home edition,
downloaded all updates (including SP3). Unfortunately, Windows only
partitioned the first 128GB of the drive as the bootable sector, leaving
170gb unpartitioned.

Now, I understand that I can easily partition the last 170gb as a SEPARATE
partition using the that the computer management tool within Windows XP.
However, I think I'd prefer to extend the original partition (if possible) so
that the entire C volume shows the full capacity of the drive.

I know that there are pros and cons to extending the original boot partition
vs. creatind a secondary partition and I'd be open to hearing from more
knowledgeable people on this matter.

And, assuming I go ahead with extending the bootable sector to the maximum
of the drive's capacity, I would also be soliciting recommendations from any
respondents for RELIABLE utilitities/software apps that will help me achieve
this ONE SECTOR goal of mine.

Thanks to all in advance...

Best,
Mark D.

On Tuesday, April 10, 2007 10:30 AM Anna wrote:


Mark:
Your original problem was that you installed the XP OS onto your HDD without
the OS containing SP1 and/or SP2 at the time. Because of that you ran into
the 137 GB (approx 128 GB binary) disk capacity limitation which is imposed
by the XP OS when it does not contain either SP1 or SP2.

After you installed SP1/SP2 the system would recognize the total capacity of
your HDD but the remaining disk space above that 128 GB was "unallocated"
disk space, which, of course, you could partition/format using XP's Disk
Management utility.

At this point you really have two options if you want to have a single
partition encompassing the entire drive...
1. You need a third-party disk management utility such as Partition Magic
which will non-destructively merge your two current partitions into a single
one, or...
2. You can simply start over. Now that you have installed SP1/SP2 you can
make a fresh install of the OS and create a single partition if that's what
you want to do. Of course, by so doing you will be deleting all the updates
(including SP3??????) and will have to re:install them.
Anna

.Extend Partition

 

[Jean]

Another detail article also can solve the problem.
Take an eye on this article--Guidelines on how to partition a hard drive by Creating, Deleting, Formatting and Resizing Partition.
http://www.extend-partition.com/resource/how-to-partition-a-hard-drive.html

Just bought a SeaGate 320gb and did a fresh install of XP Home edition,
downloaded all updates (including SP3). Unfortunately, Windows only
partitioned the first 128GB of the drive as the bootable sector, leaving
170gb unpartitioned.

Now, I understand that I can easily partition the last 170gb as a SEPARATE
partition using the that the computer management tool within Windows XP.
However, I think I'd prefer to extend the original partition (if possible) so
that the entire C volume shows the full capacity of the drive.

I know that there are pros and cons to extending the original boot partition
vs. creatind a secondary partition and I'd be open to hearing from more
knowledgeable people on this matter.

And, assuming I go ahead with extending the bootable sector to the maximum
of the drive's capacity, I would also be soliciting recommendations from any
respondents for RELIABLE utilitities/software apps that will help me achieve
this ONE SECTOR goal of mine.

Thanks to all in advance...

Best,
Mark D.

On Tuesday, April 10, 2007 10:30 AM Anna wrote:


Mark:
Your original problem was that you installed the XP OS onto your HDD without
the OS containing SP1 and/or SP2 at the time. Because of that you ran into
the 137 GB (approx 128 GB binary) disk capacity limitation which is imposed
by the XP OS when it does not contain either SP1 or SP2.

After you installed SP1/SP2 the system would recognize the total capacity of
your HDD but the remaining disk space above that 128 GB was "unallocated"
disk space, which, of course, you could partition/format using XP's Disk
Management utility.

At this point you really have two options if you want to have a single
partition encompassing the entire drive...
1. You need a third-party disk management utility such as Partition Magic
which will non-destructively merge your two current partitions into a single
one, or...
2. You can simply start over. Now that you have installed SP1/SP2 you can
make a fresh install of the OS and create a single partition if that's what
you want to do. Of course, by so doing you will be deleting all the updates
(including SP3??????) and will have to re:install them.
Anna

.Extend Partition