Serious Partition Problem

[BIGJunk8669]

Here are my specs in case you need them:

Gateway 500SE
P4 2ghz 400fsb
128mb ddr pc2100
100gb wd hdd
wxp pro sp1

Now on to the problem, I partitioned my hard drive into 5
parts: 5gb for windows 98se, 15 gb for xp_pro, 40gb for
music,20 gb for extra storage, & the remaining 15gb for a
linux install.
Well, now I deleted the linux partition & am wanting that
15 gb to now merge with my existing 20gb of extra stoarge.
The only problem is that it shows the last partition as
being a primary partition.

But my first partition with win98se is the primary
partition right?

So, I have used the windows xp cdrom & deleted the last
two partitions (the 20gb & the 15gb), and they would
usually merge into 35gb of "unpartitioned space" & I
could format the 35gb as I wanted. They don't, they just
read as being 20gb unpartitioned space & 15gb of unpar.
space separately.

What should I do? I dont want to have to totally wipe out
my hard drive!

How do I merge these last two parttions together? I think
that I first must get rid of the denotation that the
final 15gb is a primary partition.

Can anyone help?

 

[Andrew E]

Go to run,type:diskmgmt.msc
In mgmt.L.click the unwanted partition,edit,delete.or R.
click in my computer,select format,the problem you
have is once xp is allocated drive space or partitioned
a hd,it cant change its own space on the same drive its
on.The new free volumes are just that,they're not going
to regroup into a master volume with xp.Youre other
choice is boot from xp cd,recovery,typeiskPart Delete
each unwanted volume then format the unallocated space.

 

[BIGJunk8669]

I tried your method to no avail.
I dont wanna regroup them with xp. I want the LAST two
partitions to combine. This IS possible. I have win98 on
my C, XP Pro on E, Music on F, now G & H are the two I
wanna combine. It will not let me because it is reading H
as a primary partition. I deleted them both & nothing
happens. They remain as separate unallocated space(s).

 

[Len]

Linux and LILO... you may have a real problem here! My luck with removing
LILO from a boot sector without massive low-level formating has been zero!
The boot loader for Linux can be pretty persistent!

To remove it on a hard drive I have took no less than the HDD mfg's
utilities to write "Zeros" to the entire drive including the boot sector.
Hopefully your luck will be better than mine!

FWIW,
Len

 

[Andy]

Is G: contained in the extended partition?

I tried your method to no avail.
I dont wanna regroup them with xp. I want the LAST two
partitions to combine. This IS possible. I have win98 on
my C, XP Pro on E, Music on F, now G & H are the two I
wanna combine. It will not let me because it is reading H
as a primary partition. I deleted them both & nothing
happens. They remain as separate unallocated space(s).