Partiton Drive With

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OldGuy

My Win XP Pro laptop has a 120GByte drive with 40 GBytes Win OS and
data. Approx 80 GBytes free on the single partition.

What is the best app, free would be nice, to partition the drive into
two partitions?

So defrag first?

If there is data in the "upper" 60GBytes, how do I move that to the
"lower" 60GBytes before partitioning?
 
OldGuy said:
My Win XP Pro laptop has a 120GByte drive with 40 GBytes Win OS and
data. Approx 80 GBytes free on the single partition.

What is the best app, free would be nice, to partition the drive into
two partitions?

So defrag first?

If there is data in the "upper" 60GBytes, how do I move that to the
"lower" 60GBytes before partitioning?

Parted Magic. Go here:
http://partedmagic.com/doku.php?id=downloads
and get this:
pmagic_2012_10_10.iso (md5sum: 5ec31e8cb63155be72805b4ac3ea21f2)
Burn to bootable cd.
 
OldGuy said:
What is the best app, free would be nice, to partition the drive into
two partitions?

Easeus Partition Master Home (freeware)
So defrag first?

You should run CHKDSK and defrag the partition(s) you plan to manipulate
using any partition manager.
If there is data in the "upper" 60GBytes, how do I move that to the
"lower" 60GBytes before partitioning?

Defragment. Use the one that came in Windows or the one in Easeus
Partition Master.
 
My Win XP Pro laptop has a 120GByte drive with 40 GBytes Win OS and
data. Approx 80 GBytes free on the single partition.

What is the best app, free would be nice, to partition the drive into
two partitions?

I use GParted--GNU Partition Editor. It's Linux based and comes on a
bootable LiveCD, and is free. I prefer it over Windows based partition
editors as it can recognize and manipulate file systems other than DOS
and NTFS.
So defrag first?

You should run CHKDSK first, then Disk Cleaner, then Defrag. Then
"image" your entire C: partition, so you can restore it in case things go
bad with the resizing/partitioning. At the very least, you should back
up your data.
If there is data in the "upper" 60GBytes, how do I move that to the
"lower" 60GBytes before partitioning?

The partition editor/resizer takes care of that.

Another thing. Check if there is a hidden "restore" partition on the
drive. If so, when repartitioning, etc., take special care not to
destroy or damage it.

Stef
 
OldGuy said:
My Win XP Pro laptop has a 120GByte drive with 40 GBytes Win OS and
data. Approx 80 GBytes free on the single partition.

What is the best app, free would be nice, to partition the drive into
two partitions?

So defrag first?

If there is data in the "upper" 60GBytes, how do I move that to the
"lower" 60GBytes before partitioning?

Defrag is moving data from upper to lower for you.

First go to My Computer
Right Click C: partition

Click Properties.
in the Tab Bar click Tools.

always do Error-checking first

This option will check the volume for errors.
Click Check Now...

you have to run Error-checking or
defrag we not work
and defrag will tell you to run Error-checking
before running defrag.

After running Error-checking

Defragmentation
This option will defragment file on volume.
Click Defragment Now...


Do the same to all partition [C, D, &-if a G] drives on Hard Drive,
before moving Free space to partition [C]
 
This one was a little difficult to navigate.
I finally figured it out but would not recommend it as easy to use.
There must be others that are easy.

Paul in Houston TX pretended :
 
This one was a little difficult to navigate.
I finally figured it out but would not recommend it as easy to use.
There must be others that are easy.

I've played with a number of partition programs.

Interestingly, almost all have identical graphical displays when it
comes to the disk partitions, but varying features and icons to do
things. Personally, I also found Gparted the most difficult to use and
understand. Probably because there's never decent help files for most
of them, or for any program anymore. :-( So, I usually don't bother to
check.

The different free programs never match each other in what they can do.
I suggest you look at a variety, figure out what you can do with them,
and use that one. If you want the full features of any of them, you'll
have to pay for it.

My current choice right now is EaseUS Partition Master Free.

--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.6.8
Firefox 17.0
Thunderbird 17.0
LibreOffice 3.6.3.2
 
This one was a little difficult to navigate. I finally figured it out
but would not recommend it as easy to use. There must be others that are
easy.

I use GParted. Very easy. Very fast. Lots of tools. All GUI based.

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php

Just used it to repartition/resize a 120GB 2.5" notebook hard drive from
3 Windows-based partitions--two NTFS and one DOS--to a single NTFS
partition. Took all of two minutes.

Stef
 
I've played with a number of partition programs.

Interestingly, almost all have identical graphical displays when it
comes to the disk partitions, but varying features and icons to do
things. Personally, I also found Gparted the most difficult to use and
understand. Probably because there's never decent help files for most
of them, or for any program anymore. :-( So, I usually don't bother to
check.

For GParted: Help->Contents gets you a complete step-by-step manual.
Couldn't be easier. I don't know why you found GParted "...the most
difficult...." I found it quite intuitive, but I read the manual
anyway. Of course, I always read the manual. Seems most don't. And,
therein, lies the ultimate problem.

Stef
 
For GParted: Help->Contents gets you a complete step-by-step manual.
Couldn't be easier. I don't know why you found GParted "...the most
difficult...." I found it quite intuitive, but I read the manual
anyway. Of course, I always read the manual. Seems most don't. And,
therein, lies the ultimate problem.

One thing I learned long ago, what is intuitive to me might not be
intuitive for you.

As for manuals, most manuals these days are poorly written, poorly
organized, and poorly indexed (if at all). They aren't as comprehensive
or contain as much information as they used to. I've got the MS manuals
for MS Office 4.3 Professional (Windows for Workgroups days). The pages
are 7.5" X 9", and take up 8" of shelf space. And the manuals came with
the software.

These days, a manual from MS is about 3" thick, sometimes less, and cost
just about as much as the programs. :-( Do you really think that
everything that can be done with the Windows 7 operating system can be
put in a book 1.5" thick? The cover makes a big deal about an included
CD, but the only thing on that is an electronic copy of the book. This
is Windows 7 Inside Out, from Microsoft Press.

Online manuals seem to be the worst overall. And never as easy to use
as something on your desk. I don't buy the argument that paper manuals
are hard to keep updated. You can solve that by the way you create and
setup a manual. I solved that problem years ago.

I'm guilty of not reading manuals, anymore. If you ask why, it's
because the answers I'm seeking are almost never there. As I just
mentioned, today's manuals are just not comprehensive overall.

Another problem with online manuals is many times the manual for one
language is not written by a knowledgeable writer for whom the selected
language is the native language. I've noticed this to be more true with
open source software, like Gparted.


--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.6.8
Firefox 17.0
Thunderbird 17.0
LibreOffice 3.6.3.2
 
One thing I learned long ago, what is intuitive to me might not be
intuitive for you.

True as our experience, education and knowledge levels are different.
And that's the basis of intuitiveness. It is not innate. It is learned.
As for manuals, most manuals these days are poorly written, poorly
organized, and poorly indexed (if at all). They aren't as comprehensive
or contain as much information as they used to. I've got the MS manuals
for MS Office 4.3 Professional (Windows for Workgroups days). The pages
are 7.5" X 9", and take up 8" of shelf space. And the manuals came with
the software.

These days, a manual from MS is about 3" thick, sometimes less, and cost
just about as much as the programs. :-( Do you really think that
everything that can be done with the Windows 7 operating system can be
put in a book 1.5" thick? The cover makes a big deal about an included
CD, but the only thing on that is an electronic copy of the book. This
is Windows 7 Inside Out, from Microsoft Press.

Online manuals seem to be the worst overall. And never as easy to use
as something on your desk. I don't buy the argument that paper manuals
are hard to keep updated. You can solve that by the way you create and
setup a manual. I solved that problem years ago.

I agree. Today's software documentation, even when it exists, is
extremely lacking. (And I refused to spend $40 or more for a third party
manual that the software company should provide in the first place.) But
this lack should never be an excuse for not taking, at least, a cursory
reading. Any knowledge gained is better than none at all.
I'm guilty of not reading manuals, anymore. If you ask why, it's
because the answers I'm seeking are almost never there. As I just
mentioned, today's manuals are just not comprehensive overall.

Your choice. But your loss also. Even a poorly written manual (or
pamphlet as most seem these days to be) can provide a foundation, no
matter how incomplete, for further learning.
Another problem with online manuals is many times the manual for one
language is not written by a knowledgeable writer for whom the selected
language is the native language. I've noticed this to be more true with
open source software, like Gparted.

I've come across this, too. Usually the "manual" is written by the
programmer himself (or herself), who is definitely NOT a technical
writer, or any kind of writer for that matter. Mainly, writing the
instructions is just not "fun" like writing code. So, they spend as
little time, if any, on it.

Yes, open source software is plagued by this. I've been dealing with it
for years, and many times am relegated to figuring out how to use
software by trial and error--mostly error--and perhaps, because of that,
further increasing my intuitiveness.

One thing that has helped is online (and offline) language translation
software. Lousy for Dickens or Steinbeck, but good enough for docs. And
so finally are gone my days of manual translation hell.


Stef
 
J. P. Gilliver (John) said:
As far as I could see, that doesn't address the final question.

The answer is defrag
But that will not get all the unmovable data files.

He said::
single partition 120GByte
Win XP Pro 40 GBytes
free Space 80 GBytes

I say::
With no Recovery partition of 8 GBytes
in Fat32 on D:\Not good and no right..

Now he need to make a DVD with a Recovery OS on it,
before making new partitions..

After the partitioning,
one have to reinstall over the old OS,
by using the Recovery OS DVD..
to put back the unmovable data files,
on the first partition,
before the two partition were made,
or the Win XP Pro OS will not run..

==========
Because no Recovery partition
The right way is to get a:

New Bigger Hard Drive 280GByte & up or the TByte,

1. and the first partition 120GByte for his Win XP Pro..
2. Make a 8GByte Recovery partition in Fat32..
3. Make only a partition side you need for that new partition.
4. do not partition all the GByte on the New Hard Drive if not needed.
 
do you want to partition the free space? If that you can right click My computer-manage-storage-disk management, and then right the partition(i think the free space is a partition) you can shrink this partition to a proper size and then create a new partition on the released unallocated space.Also you can use a partition magic alternative software: http://www.partition-magic.org/
 
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