tonyb said:
At present most items and applications go into 'C' which is nearly full.
On the other hand 'D' is massive and virtually empty.
It is suggested I join the two together. Firstly how is this done.
Secondly what are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?
Start : Run : then type in diskmgmt.msc
Are C: and D: on the same disk ? Like this ?
Disk 0 +-------------+-----------------------+
| (C
| (D
|
+-------------+-----------------------+
If the partitions are both on Disk 0, you can do this:
1) Move the files you want to keep from D:, onto C:
If there are too many files, move them to your backup disk.
2) Delete the D: partition.
3) Exit Disk Management.
Now, it looks like this:
Disk 0 +-------------+-----------------------+
| (C
| empty |
+-------------+-----------------------+
Now, use a partition management program, to "stretch" the
C: partition, to cover the entire disk. I use a copy
of Partition Magic to do this, but there are other free
options. For example, Easeus offers a free version.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_disk_partitioning_software
No matter what partition management software that you use,
accidents can happen. You should have a backup copy of C:
and D:, before you begin this adventure. Backups are
easy to make, and the necessary ingredient is a spare
hard drive. You can get USB based hard drivers for around $100,
which can be used to back up the contents of the computer drives.
Once the backup is completed, you can use Easeus or GParted
or whatever you want. The backup method you use, should have
the capability to restore to "bare metal". This usually means,
the backup program will burn a "boot CD", which can be used
if you ruin the contents of all your disks.
GParted, at least to me, is a scary program. I notice
GParted doing unnecessary steps, steps I did not request. And
I can't tell whether those steps are "null" operations of
no physical significance, or not. So while I've looked at
GParted, and have the self-booting CD to be able to use it,
I find the information displayed while it operates, to be
disturbing. All the more reason to have a backup!!!
No partition management program is bulletproof. They've
all caused problems at one time or another.
*******
If your setup looks like this:
Disk 0 +-------------+
| (C
|
+-------------+
Disk 1 +-----------------------+
| (D
|
+-----------------------+
You could solve the problem, like this:
1) Copy the files you want to save from the D: partition, to
space on C:. If there isn't room on C:, store the files on
your "backup" hard drive.
2) Use "diskmgmt.msc" to delete the D: partition. Now the
Disk 1 is empty.
3) Use a partition manager program, or a cloning program,
to move the contents of C:, over to the now-empty Disk 1.
4) Change the boot order in the BIOS setup screen, to select
Disk 1 to boot from, on the next reboot.
Note. If the method you used in step (3), leaves the original
information on C: as well as D:, you'd want to unplug Disk 0,
before letting Disk 1 boot for the first time. If the method
you used in step (3) erased C:, then you'd have nothing to
worry about. Once Disk 1 has booted at least once by itself,
you can then connect C: back to the computer. Windows will
become confused, if it boots from Disk 1, and sees the copy
also present as Disk 0. If Disk 1 boots by itself the first
time only, then you can do whatever you want (like connect
Disk 0 back to the computer), after the next shutdown.
To move a bootable partition, there are two component parts.
There are the files (and we all know of ways, some good and
some bad, to just copy files). But another important part,
is the "boot sectors". A backup program knows about the
boot sectors, and will copy them to the empty disk for you.
The boot flag on the Disk 1, must also be set for the new partition,
which would make that copied and stretched partition, bootable.
(Picture showing boot sector, at the beginning of the partition.)
http://i.technet.microsoft.com/cc781134.737c1f18-1bbc-45c7-9cb7-d61387d78324(en-us,WS.10).gif
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc781134(WS.10).aspx
If all you have, is a program that copies files, then the
boot sectors can be put back, using the Recovery Console
on a Windows installer CD, and issuing the command "fixboot"
and using the correct drive letter, of the partition
to fix. For example, I dual boot another Windows OS, use
Robocopy, to copy files from one disk to another, then
use "fixboot" to correct the fact that I didn't copy the
boot sectors. And then my "cloned" partition, is ready to
boot. I disconnect the source disk, before booting the clone
for the first time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recovery_Console
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058
"FIXBOOT
fixboot drive_name:
Use this command to write the new Windows boot sector code
on the system partition. In the command syntax, drive name
is the drive letter where the boot sector will be written.
This command fixes damage in the Windows boot sector. This
command overrides the default setting, which writes to the
system boot partition. The fixboot command is supported
only on x86-based computers.
You have to know the current drive letter, of the cloned partition,
to pick the right letter to use in the fixboot command.
The first situation above, where the partitions are on the same
disk, is a bit simpler, as you're not "cloning" anything, and
there is nothing to disconnect before a reboot. A stretched
partition, is hardly a change at all.
Did I mention backups ? Backups are so you don't come back,
complaining about bad advice
If you have a backup, you
have a means to recover from whatever happens... In fact,
backups is how I learned (safely), how to do this stuff.
I haven't lost a partition yet, while experimenting. I
had a couple close calls.
HTH,
Paul
