Ni Partitions

[RN1]

My PC already has a 80GB hard disk in which WinXP Pro is installed. I
recently added another 40GB hard disk & created 4 partitions. I intend
to install WinXP in one of the 4 partitions in this new hard disk as
well (so that if WinXP in the first hard disk crashes due to some
reason, I can rely on the new hard disk which will ensure that my work
doesn't get hampered).

But when I booted my PC from the WinXP CD to install WinXP in the new
hard disk, the setup didn't list the 4 partitions separately. Instead
it just displayed the entire new hard disk as a single partition.

What's causing this? How do I make the setup detect the 4 partitions
in the new hard disk so that I can install WinXP Pro in one of the 4
partitions?

 

[John John]

Are you sure that you are looking at the right disk? Do you see both
disks? How did you create the partitions?

You can do all the partitioning work when you run setup from the XP cd.
BE CAREFUL! You may end up losing partitions on your first disk if
you botch things up!

John

 

[Lil' Dave]

And, how many primary AND active partitions can exist on one hard drive?

--
Dave
Profound is we're here due to a chance arrangement
of chemicals in the ocean billions of years ago.
More profound is we made it to the top of the food
chain per our reasoning abilities.
Most profound is the denial of why we may
be on the way out.

 

[RN1]

Are you sure that you are looking at the right disk? Do you see both
disks? How did you create the partitions?

You can do all the partitioning work when you run setup from the XP cd.
BE CAREFUL! You may end up losing partitions on your first disk if
you botch things up!

John






- Show quoted text -

Yes, John, I am sure that I am looking at the right disk.

Yes, I see both the disks not only while installing WinXP in the new
hard disk but also when I log into WinXP from the old hard disk. The
old hard disk is partitioned into C:, D: & E: and the new hard disk is
partitioned into G:, H:, I: & J: When I log into WinXP from the old
hard disk, "My Computer" lists all the 7 partitions but
during,installation, the setup lists C:, D: & E: of the old hard disk
(along with other details like partition type - NTFS or FAT32, total
size of each partition etc.) but it lists ONLY G: of the new hard disk
& neglects the remaining 3 partitions H:, I: & J:.

Actually I didn't create the partitions myself. The hardware guy from
whom I bought the hard disk did the partitioning. I just told him to
make 4 partitions when he asked me how many partitions I want.

Sorry but I am not aware of the intricacies of hard disk partitions.

Any other suggestions, friends?

Thanks,

Regards,

Ronnie

 

[John John]

Yes, John, I am sure that I am looking at the right disk.




Yes, I see both the disks not only while installing WinXP in the new
hard disk but also when I log into WinXP from the old hard disk. The
old hard disk is partitioned into C:, D: & E: and the new hard disk is
partitioned into G:, H:, I: & J: When I log into WinXP from the old
hard disk, "My Computer" lists all the 7 partitions but
during,installation, the setup lists C:, D: & E: of the old hard disk
(along with other details like partition type - NTFS or FAT32, total
size of each partition etc.) but it lists ONLY G: of the new hard disk
& neglects the remaining 3 partitions H:, I: & J:.

I suspect that H: I: & J: may be logical drives inside an extended
partition. If there is nothing a all on the disk you can blow all the
partitions on it away and create new ones when you install Windows to
it. You can create only one partition of a desired size then create
the other ones with the Disk Management tool after Windows is installed.

Why such a mess (pile) of partitions? Also, I don't know how big the
partitions are on the 40GB disk but keep in mind that if you install XP
on too small a partition you will run into problems later on down the road.

John

 

[Gerry]

You may need a Boot Manager? You have not said how you are getting a
choice on which system to boot?
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/examples.html


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[RN1]

I suspect that H: I: & J: may be logical drives inside an extended
partition. If there is nothing a all on the disk you can blow all the
partitions on it away and create new ones when you install Windows to
it. You can create only one partition of a desired size then create
the other ones with the Disk Management tool after Windows is installed.

Why such a mess (pile) of partitions? Also, I don't know how big the
partitions are on the 40GB disk but keep in mind that if you install XP
on too small a partition you will run into problems later on down the road.

John- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Sorry for the late response, friends.

When I have a look at Disk Management, it shows that the first
partition in the old disk is "Primary Partition" & the remaining 2 are
"Logical Drives" but these 2 are "Extended Partitions" as well which
is indicated by a green line bordering them & clubbing them together
whereas all the 3 partitions in the new disk are "Simple Volumes". Has
this got to do something with why Windows is listing the entire new
disk as one partition when I am trying to install WinXP in the new
disk & not listing the 3 partitions?

Also Disk Management indicates that the new disk is "Dynamic" where as
the old disk is "Basic".

Since I have only WinXP installed in the old disk, I don't get any
choice when the system boots. WinXP starts by default.

Thanks,

Ron

 

[John John]

Sorry for the late response, friends.

When I have a look at Disk Management, it shows that the first
partition in the old disk is "Primary Partition" & the remaining 2 are
"Logical Drives" but these 2 are "Extended Partitions" as well which
is indicated by a green line bordering them & clubbing them together
whereas all the 3 partitions in the new disk are "Simple Volumes". Has
this got to do something with why Windows is listing the entire new
disk as one partition when I am trying to install WinXP in the new
disk & not listing the 3 partitions?

Also Disk Management indicates that the new disk is "Dynamic" where as
the old disk is "Basic".

Blow all the volumes (partitions) off the new 40GB disk and start again
from scratch. Either the ones who sold you the disk set it up as a
Dynamic Disk or you inadvertently converted it to Dynamic after you
received it. In any case, unless the Dynamic Disk was properly
"retained", (which I doubt it was), you won't be able to install Windows
on it. You don't need and most likely do not want this new disk to be
dynamic, it will only make things more complicated for nothing.

Use the Disk Management tool and destroy the dynamic volumes, remove
everything on the new 40GB disk and create a basic disk with it. Create
a new "Primary" partition of suitable size on the disk and make sure
that it is marked as active, you will then be able to install Windows on
the new partition. You can create the other partitions as you want them
at any time by using the Disk Management tool.

John

 

[RN1]

Blow all the volumes (partitions) off the new 40GB disk and start again
from scratch. Either the ones who sold you the disk set it up as a
Dynamic Disk or you inadvertently converted it to Dynamic after you
received it. In any case, unless the Dynamic Disk was properly
"retained", (which I doubt it was), you won't be able to install Windows
on it. You don't need and most likely do not want this new disk to be
dynamic, it will only make things more complicated for nothing.

Use the Disk Management tool and destroy the dynamic volumes, remove
everything on the new 40GB disk and create a basic disk with it. Create
a new "Primary" partition of suitable size on the disk and make sure
that it is marked as active, you will then be able to install Windows on
the new partition. You can create the other partitions as you want them
at any time by using the Disk Management tool.

John- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thanks, John, for your suggestion. Actually I am not at all conversant
with disk management & all those stuff. So am a bit apprehensive in
dealing with dynamic & basic disks.

Can I do something like this - disconnect the old hard disk but
keeping the new disk connected, install WinXP in the new disk & after
that,connect the old disk back? I had tried it once (but did not
proceed with the installation) during which the setup listed only one
drive among the 4 partitions in the new disk. The reason I am asking
this is because I think in this manner Windows will automatically
assign itself the size that it deems WinXP will require for a proper
installation. Whatever space remains on the new hard disk after
installing WinXP, using Disk Management I will divide the remaining
space into the no. of partitions I need (I atleast know how to create
partitons using Disk Management).

If that's not a feasible solution, then I will follow your suggestion
but could you please link me to some articles which explains the
suggestion you have given in as much detail as possible?

The bottomline is I don't want the old hard disk to be affected in any
way. That's my primary concern. This is another reason why I have
asked you whether disconnecting the old hard disk & then installing
WinXP in the new hard disk would be a better option.

Thanks once again,

Ron

 

[John John]

Thanks, John, for your suggestion. Actually I am not at all conversant
with disk management & all those stuff. So am a bit apprehensive in
dealing with dynamic & basic disks.

Can I do something like this - disconnect the old hard disk but
keeping the new disk connected, install WinXP in the new disk & after
that,connect the old disk back? I had tried it once (but did not
proceed with the installation) during which the setup listed only one
drive among the 4 partitions in the new disk. The reason I am asking
this is because I think in this manner Windows will automatically
assign itself the size that it deems WinXP will require for a proper
installation. Whatever space remains on the new hard disk after
installing WinXP, using Disk Management I will divide the remaining
space into the no. of partitions I need (I atleast know how to create
partitons using Disk Management).

If that's not a feasible solution, then I will follow your suggestion
but could you please link me to some articles which explains the
suggestion you have given in as much detail as possible?

The bottomline is I don't want the old hard disk to be affected in any
way. That's my primary concern. This is another reason why I have
asked you whether disconnecting the old hard disk & then installing
WinXP in the new hard disk would be a better option.

Thanks once again,

Ron

Sorry, I missed your post and didn't reply earlier.

Yes you can disconnect the old hard disk and install Windows on the new
disk without the old disk in place. Once Windows is installed on the
new disk you can then reconnect the old disk. You should be able to
boot to either disk by toggling them in the BIOS boot order or you can
simply add an entry to the boot.ini file with the ARC path pointing to
the Windows installation on the other disk and you will then be able to
boot to either disk by using the Windows ntldr boot manager.

To install Windows on the new disk boot the computer with your Windows
XP disk and at the disk/partition selection screen delete all the
partitions on the disk and create and format new partitions as you want
them. After you delete and create the new partitions exit the setup
program and restart it again, then when you get to the disk/partition
selection screen just select the install partition that you want.
Rebooting and restarting the setup again will avoid drive letter mix ups
that can sometimes happen when you delete and create partitions then
proceed to install without a reboot, sometimes the installation may end
up with an unexpected drive letter assignment (a drive letter other than
C:\).

John