Installing XP - formatting second drive

[Rhino]

Last night, I did an install of XP Pro (with SP2 slipstreamed into it via
AutoStreamer) on a new homebuilt computer.

I started by formatting one of the two drives for NTFS (NOT the "quick"
format) but found it was taking a very long time. I decided to go to bed and
let it finish formatting overnight. When I got up this morning, I had
expected to find it asking me if I wanted to set up logical drives on the
newly formatted drive or, failing that, asking me how I wanted to format the
second drive. However, neither of those things had happened: it had
proceeded with the install and apparently decided to ignore the second drive
altogether and leave the first drive as one very large C: drive. I probably
should have stopped and posted here right away but I (foolishly in
retrospect) thought it would give me another opportunity to format the
second drive and/or partition both drives into smaller logical drives.
However, it didn't do that.

Do I need to start the install over, this time babysitting it all the way
through so that I can partition and format both drives, or is there some way
to format the second drive and partition both drives after the install is
completed, preferably without having to do to the store and purchase
Partition Magic or some similar program?

Also, is there any real benefit in using the "slow" vs. the "quick" NTFS
format? I assume "slow" is better for some reason but I'd be curious to know
what that reason is....

 

[smlunatick]

Last night, I did an install of XP Pro (with SP2 slipstreamed into it via
AutoStreamer) on a new homebuilt computer.

I started by formatting one of the two drives for NTFS (NOT the "quick"
format) but found it was taking a very long time. I decided to go to bed and
let it finish formatting overnight. When I got up this morning, I had
expected to find it asking me if I wanted to set up logical drives on the
newly formatted drive or, failing that, asking me how I wanted to format the
second drive. However, neither of those things had happened: it had
proceeded with the install and apparently decided to ignore the second drive
altogether and leave the first drive as one very large C: drive. I probably
should have stopped and posted here right away but I (foolishly in
retrospect) thought it would give me another opportunity to format the
second drive and/or partition both drives into smaller logical drives.
However, it didn't do that.

Do I need to start the install over, this time babysitting it all the way
through so that I can partition and format both drives, or is there some way
to format the second drive and partition both drives after the install is
completed, preferably without having to do to the store and purchase
Partition Magic or some similar program?

Also, is there any real benefit in using the "slow" vs. the "quick" NTFS
format? I assume "slow" is better for some reason but I'd be curious to know
what that reason is....

--
Rhino
---
"There are two ways of constructing a software design. One way is to makeit
so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies. And the other way is to
make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies." - C.A.R.
Hoare

No. You can always add additional drives after the main drive has
completed the XP.

Right click on "My Computer"
Select Manage
In Manage, locate "Disk Management"
Then, in "Disk Management", locate your additional drive.

You should now be able to prepare it

 

[3c273]

You can partition/format your second drive from Computer Management>Disk
Management. If you want the first drive partitioned, you will need 3rd party
software or a reinstall. During the reinstall, (if you choose this option),
delete the existing partition and create the partition sizes that you want.
Louis

 

[Mark Adams]

Last night, I did an install of XP Pro (with SP2 slipstreamed into it via
AutoStreamer) on a new homebuilt computer.

I started by formatting one of the two drives for NTFS (NOT the "quick"
format) but found it was taking a very long time. I decided to go to bed and
let it finish formatting overnight. When I got up this morning, I had
expected to find it asking me if I wanted to set up logical drives on the
newly formatted drive or, failing that, asking me how I wanted to format the
second drive. However, neither of those things had happened: it had
proceeded with the install and apparently decided to ignore the second drive
altogether and leave the first drive as one very large C: drive. I probably
should have stopped and posted here right away but I (foolishly in
retrospect) thought it would give me another opportunity to format the
second drive and/or partition both drives into smaller logical drives.
However, it didn't do that.

Do I need to start the install over, this time babysitting it all the way
through so that I can partition and format both drives, or is there some way
to format the second drive and partition both drives after the install is
completed, preferably without having to do to the store and purchase
Partition Magic or some similar program?

Also, is there any real benefit in using the "slow" vs. the "quick" NTFS
format? I assume "slow" is better for some reason but I'd be curious to know
what that reason is....


--
Rhino
---
"There are two ways of constructing a software design. One way is to make it
so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies. And the other way is to
make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies." - C.A.R.
Hoare

Normally, you would use the XP disk to delete all the partitions, you would
then tell it to create new partitions. Then you would format each partition
in the file system that you choose. Next you would choose which partition to
make the install on, and proceed with the install. The routine normally stops
at each of these points and you have to tell it to continue with the next
step. I don't know what kind of Frankenstein disk you slipstreamed. Try the
install again with the SP1 disk and add SP3 after the install. Download SP3
from Microsoft and burn the iso to disk and use that to update your install
with. Also, download the disk checking utilities from the maker of your hard
drive and check your disk. If the format took a really long time, you may
have a problem with the drive.

 

[Richard In Va.]

One other idea to add to the others Rhino.

Unplug the 2nd drive, use the XP install CD to remove the partition from the
drive you want to install on. Use the XP CD to create a new partition
choosing a size you want for drive C:\. Let this be a "primary" or "basic"
drive and set to active if needed.

Install XP... (there will only be one partition for it to install on)

After a complete install, go to XP disk management and use it to create an
"extended" partition to use all available space not used by C:\ . Within
that extended partition, create logical drives sized to your taste... as
many as you want. Format each to suite and assigning drive letters.

After your first hard drive is formatted is all partitioned and formatted
the way you want, hook up the 2nd hard drive and return to XP disk
management. Create one extended partition to use the whole drive then as
many logical drives you want. Format these as well.

Now you have 2 physical hard drives and only one bootable partition for your
XP OS.

At least this is what I do and it keeps me out of trouble during each phase
of the process.

btw, maybe unplug your CD drives before dealing with all the extended
partitions and logical drives. When done, hook the CD drives back up and
they should utilize the next available drive letter... just for drive letter
organization.

Hope this helps!

Richard in Va.
++++++++++++=

 

[Mick Murphy]

You chose to install XP on the 1st HD. It is not going to look at the 2nd
HD, and format it for you at that time.

It is only interested in installing on the HD that you have selected.

Once XP is installed on the 1st HD, you can work on the 2nd HD from Disk
Management, in Control Panel >Admin tools

 

[Rhino]

Okay, I found Disk Management and I can probably figure out how to format
and partition the second drive, which is currently showing as "unallocated",
which I assume is the same idea as unformatted.

But how do I set partitions on the first drive, which shows as a very large
700 GB C: drive ("Primary Partition"). I haven't done this in years but I
vaguely remember terms like logical drive and extended partition.
Unfortunately, I don't recall which comes first and I don't see anything in
Drive Management that lets me do either on the first (formatted) drive. The
only options I get are "open", "explore", and "change drive letter and
paths". "Mark partition as active" looks promising but is greyed out. If I
go to the lower right hand pane, I have the option of making C: a "Dynamic
Disk" but I'm not sure what that is or if I want to do it.....

 

[Rhino]

Please see questions interspersed below....

--
Rhino

One other idea to add to the others Rhino.

Unplug the 2nd drive, use the XP install CD to remove the partition from
the drive you want to install on. Use the XP CD to create a new partition
choosing a size you want for drive C:\. Let this be a "primary" or
"basic" drive and set to active if needed.

Install XP... (there will only be one partition for it to install on)

I have XP SP2 fully installed on C: (Disk 0) now _without_ unplugging the
second drive. Drive 1, the second hard drive, is showing as unallocated.
There's no point in unplugging the second drive at this point is there?

After a complete install, go to XP disk management and use it to create an
"extended" partition to use all available space not used by C:\ . Within
that extended partition, create logical drives sized to your taste... as
many as you want. Format each to suite and assigning drive letters.

How do I create an extended partition on C:? The only options I have are
"open", "explore" and "change drive letter". "Mark Partition as Active" and
"Format" are both greyed out. The first disk, Disk 0, is labelled as a
primary partition. The second disk, Disk 1, is listed as unallocated. Unless
I make Disk 0 a "dynamic drive", whatever that is, I seem to be missing any
options to partition the first drive any further. I'd rather not just leave
it as a big 700 MB C: drive.

 

[Kelly]

Natively you can only partition the drive during a clean install. As for
the second drive, partition away.

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

 

[Anna]

Okay, I found Disk Management and I can probably figure out how to format
and partition the second drive, which is currently showing as
"unallocated", which I assume is the same idea as unformatted.

But how do I set partitions on the first drive, which shows as a very
large 700 GB C: drive ("Primary Partition"). I haven't done this in years
but I vaguely remember terms like logical drive and extended partition.
Unfortunately, I don't recall which comes first and I don't see anything
in Drive Management that lets me do either on the first (formatted) drive.
The only options I get are "open", "explore", and "change drive letter and
paths". "Mark partition as active" looks promising but is greyed out. If I
go to the lower right hand pane, I have the option of making C: a "Dynamic
Disk" but I'm not sure what that is or if I want to do it.....

(And in a later post, Rhino writes...)

I have XP SP2 fully installed on C: (Disk 0) now _without_ unplugging the
second drive. Drive 1, the second hard drive, is showing as unallocated.
There's no point in unplugging the second drive at this point is there?

How do I create an extended partition on C:? The only options I have are
"open", "explore" and "change drive letter". "Mark Partition as Active"
and "Format" are both greyed out. The first disk, Disk 0, is labelled as a
primary partition. The second disk, Disk 1, is listed as unallocated.
Unless I make Disk 0 a "dynamic drive", whatever that is, I seem to be
missing any options to partition the first drive any further. I'd rather
not just leave it as a big 700 MB C: drive.

Rhino:
As to you boot drive - the C: volume - since you've already created a
single-partitioned HDD you will not be able to use any integrated XP utility
to multi-partition that drive. The only way to do that within XP would be to
start over and fresh-install the OS. During the setup process you will be
given the opportunity to partition the disk as you please. I assume you do
not want to go that route since presumably you have data already residing on
the drive.

However, there's a third-party free program that you can now use to
multi-partition your existing boot volume while retaining the existing data.
It's called the EASEUS Partition Manager and it's a very reliable program
based on our experience. You can download it from
http://www.partition-tool.com/download.htm.

You can, of course, partition/format your secondary HDD via Disk Management
accessed from your boot volume. Naturally you'll be able in this case to
create whatever number & size partitions you desire. BTW, you do *not* want
to create "dynamic" disks - just "basic" disks.
Anna

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Okay, I found Disk Management and I can probably figure out how to format
and partition the second drive, which is currently showing as "unallocated",
which I assume is the same idea as unformatted.

No, unallocated is not the same as unformatted. It means
unpartitioned. In other words, none of the drive is in any partition
at all.

But bear two things in mind, that you may not be aware of:

1. You can not use a drive if it hasn't been partitioned. To partition
a drive is not necessarily to divide it into multiple pieces, but to
create one or more partitions on it. Think of a typical computer that
has only a C: hard drive. That C: is a partition, the only partition,
on the only physical drive.

2. In Disk Management, when you format a drive creating a single
partition, it sort of merges the two functions, partitioning and
formatting, together.

But how do I set partitions on the first drive, which shows as a very large
700 GB C: drive ("Primary Partition"). I haven't done this in years but I
vaguely remember terms like logical drive and extended partition.
Unfortunately, I don't recall which comes first and I don't see anything in
Drive Management that lets me do either on the first (formatted) drive. The
only options I get are "open", "explore", and "change drive letter and
paths". "Mark partition as active" looks promising but is greyed out. If I
go to the lower right hand pane, I have the option of making C: a "Dynamic
Disk" but I'm not sure what that is or if I want to do it.....

No, a Dynamic disk is not what you want.

You already have one partition on the first drive, and it's C:. What
you apparently want to do is change the partition structure so you
have multiple partitions, instead of just one, on that drive. But
Windows XP has no ability to change the partition structure of the
drive, without starting over and losing what's already on the drive.
The only way to do that is with third-party software, such as
Partition Magic.

Finally, if you want to have multiple partitions on each of two
physical drives, you are talking about a total of at least four
partitions. That's a very large number, and more partitions than are
appropriate for the great majority of users. How many partitions do
you want, and why do you want so many?

You might be interested in reading my advice on partitioning in this
article I recently wrote: "Understanding Disk Partitioning" at
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=326

 

[Richard in Va.]

Rhino, answers as below as well...

Please see questions interspersed below....

--
Rhino


I have XP SP2 fully installed on C: (Disk 0) now _without_ unplugging the
second drive. Drive 1, the second hard drive, is showing as unallocated.
There's no point in unplugging the second drive at this point is there?

That is correct, really no need to unplug the second hard drive. I only
suggested that as a way to help keep things under control.
I have 4 physical hard drives installed, when I have to do a fresh install
of XP, I prefer to unplug everything I can to be safe, especially when using
XP Disk Manager.

How do I create an extended partition on C:? The only options I have are
"open", "explore" and "change drive letter". "Mark Partition as Active"
and "Format" are both greyed out. The first disk, Disk 0, is labelled as a
primary partition. The second disk, Disk 1, is listed as unallocated.
Unless I make Disk 0 a "dynamic drive", whatever that is, I seem to be
missing any options to partition the first drive any further. I'd rather
not just leave it as a big 700 MB C: drive.

You will not be able to create an "extended partition" on a hard drive whose
space is already allocated to and existing partition, which I think is your
drive C:\ and equals 700GB. The only method Windows XP provides requires
you to un-install XP via the XP install CD. Boot to the XP CD and select to
revome the existing partition. Then create a new SMALLER partition and
install XP.

BUT... if you rather keep the XP install you are now using, I think Anna
sugested a 3rd party freeware application that will let you resize the C:\
partition without affecting XP. Try this... if something fails, you can
always back up and bunt by reverting to the XP install CD to remove your
700GB partition, then start from scratch.

I hear your problem... not long ago, I had drive C:\ too small, 10GB and I
just hated it.

Here is what I have today...

Drive "0" 120GB total
1 primary (basic) partition
C:\ for XP 40GB
1 extended partition containing 2 logical drives
D:\ for applications 30GB
E:\ for documents 50GB

Drive "1" 120GB total
1 extended partition containing 2 logical drives
F:\ for mystuff 60GB
G:\ for backup 60GB

Drive "2" 400GB
1 extended partition containing 1 logical drive
H:\ for media 400GB

Drive "3" 500GB
1 extended partition containing 1 logical drive
I:\ for music 500GB

Notice I only have 1 "primary" (basic) partition in my PC, for the OS. Just
my way of doing things. With my setup, when I get a new PC, I can pull the
"1", "2" & "3" drive, plop them into a new PC and I'm off and running.

Older Windows operating systems called the boot partition "primary", XP now
calls it a "basic" partition... pretty much the same thing. As far as basic
vs. dynamic partition? Dynamic drives are a completely different creature.
please don't use one unless you know you need it. Maybe google for dynamic
partition and do some reading.

One note tho, a physical hard drive can only have 4 partitions on it. An
extended partition can have as many logical drives as you want, well... the
limit might be 128 or 256 or something, not sure. As far as read speed,
write speed and access time? No difference between partition types and
logical drives.

Hope this helps!

Richard in Va.
+++++++++++++

 

[Rhino]

Richard,

Thanks very much for your suggestions and taking the time to explain them to
me.

 

[Rhino]

No, unallocated is not the same as unformatted. It means
unpartitioned. In other words, none of the drive is in any partition
at all.

But bear two things in mind, that you may not be aware of:

1. You can not use a drive if it hasn't been partitioned. To partition
a drive is not necessarily to divide it into multiple pieces, but to
create one or more partitions on it. Think of a typical computer that
has only a C: hard drive. That C: is a partition, the only partition,
on the only physical drive.

2. In Disk Management, when you format a drive creating a single
partition, it sort of merges the two functions, partitioning and
formatting, together.





No, a Dynamic disk is not what you want.

You already have one partition on the first drive, and it's C:. What
you apparently want to do is change the partition structure so you
have multiple partitions, instead of just one, on that drive. But
Windows XP has no ability to change the partition structure of the
drive, without starting over and losing what's already on the drive.
The only way to do that is with third-party software, such as
Partition Magic.

Finally, if you want to have multiple partitions on each of two
physical drives, you are talking about a total of at least four
partitions. That's a very large number, and more partitions than are
appropriate for the great majority of users. How many partitions do
you want, and why do you want so many?

You might be interested in reading my advice on partitioning in this
article I recently wrote: "Understanding Disk Partitioning" at
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=326

Your article was fairly persuasive so I'm going to try it your way and see
how I like it. I've left my first drive as a partition for Windows so it is
C:. I'm formatting my second drive as a data drive; I've set it as a primary
partition and assigning it the letter D:.

Thanks for your suggestions!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Your article was fairly persuasive so I'm going to try it your way and see
how I like it. I've left my first drive as a partition for Windows so it is
C:. I'm formatting my second drive as a data drive; I've set it as a primary
partition and assigning it the letter D:.

Thanks for your suggestions!

You're welcome. Glad to help.