C Drive=50 GB, want to format it, help

ashu888ashu888 · 13-12-2006, 11:47 PM

Guys, i knw tat the WIN XP installation needs at the max 7-10 GB for installation, but my C Drive on wich the current XP is installed is 50 GB (not my fault while setting the space during partition creation)

So i need to delete this partition and make a fresh install of XP on a new C Drive partition of say 10 GB ONLY. (so tat my 40 GB more space is used for other purposes).

So shud i jus use the Repair Console of WIN XP (while booting from XP CD) and go abt it to delete my C drive partition and create a new partition of 10 GB and install XP on it ?? please tell me wat things i need to take care abt.. ???

Cheers n e-peace....

Vishal Gupta · 14-12-2006, 12:01 AM

Nah repair will not do the job, u'll hv to do a fresh installation! Just boot using ur XP CD and at the stage of selecting the partition, delete the C: drive and then create a new partition of 10 GB and select it for installation

And if u don't want a fresh installation, then simply use Partition magic and then resize the partition

ashu888ashu888 · 14-12-2006, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vishal Gupta

And if u don't want a fresh installation, then simply use Partition magic and then resize the partition

Thanx alot for ur reply bro,

Will this prevent me from doin a fresh install of XP and also recover my 40 GB of space (from the 50 GB) ??

Cheers n e-peace....

Vishal Gupta · 14-12-2006, 12:13 AM

Yes!
1.) Just install partition magic.
2.) Set the size of C: drive acc. to ur requirements.
3.) Then click on APPLY button. It'll ask for restart. Just accept it and it'll resize the C: drive at next reboot.
4.) After that ur C: drive will be of 10 GB and u'll get free remaining space. So just create another partition of the remaining space

ashu888ashu888 · 14-12-2006, 12:15 AM

Thanx

Is the partition magic s/ware from Norton? As i will search from net and d/load it tats y asking the full info of wich company is it from...

Vishal Gupta · 14-12-2006, 12:25 AM

Yeah! Partition magic is a Norton product now!
But I think its no more available as a trial download.
But u can also try Acronis Disk Director Suite 10.0:

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing.../diskdirector/

Or FREE Ranish Partition Manager:

http://www.ranish.com/part/

ashu888ashu888 · 14-12-2006, 12:27 AM

My total C Drive is 50.7 GB,
Used is: 29.3 GB
Free is: 21.3 GB

So will this Partition Magic still recover my 40 GB Space ?? or will I hv to first transfer sum files onto another partition b4 the reduction takes place, coz there must be sum other place where the Partition MAgic will transfer the rest of the files other than OS XP files?? I hope u got wat i mean...

Vishal Gupta · 14-12-2006, 12:35 AM

Yes! If u want to reduce ur current partition to 10 GB, then it must contain data less than 10 GB.
So u'll hv to move ur data from it to another partition, if possible!

I'll advise u to first resize it to 30 GB and create another partition of remaining space, then move ur data from C: to new partition. After that when u'll hv less than 10 GB data in C: drive, u can easily resize it again to 10GB

ashu888ashu888 · 14-12-2006, 12:42 AM

Thanx a lot, will try tat

Cheers n e-peace....

Vishal Gupta · 14-12-2006, 12:45 AM

My pleasure!

But be very careful while resizing the partition

s18000rpm · 14-12-2006, 09:22 AM

i've tried the Trial version of Acronis Disk Director for same purpose (C:=32GB), but the trial s/w doesnt do any changes

.

Quote:

Ranish Partition Manager can create, copy, and resize primary and extended partitions.
It includes command line interface and simulation mode that works with large files
so you can safely experiment before working on the real hard drive partition tables.

source- Ranish Partition mngr. website

^^ i dunno nothing about command line thing.
will it show GUI during the partition process...

P.S. i dont have XP installation CD, i got two Recovery Disks as my XP is OEM (HP Pavilion).

digiFriend · 14-12-2006, 12:09 PM

trail version of partition magic or acronis disk director will NOT resize or create new partition
try freeware Ranish Partition Manager

but back up data before it)

ax3 · 14-12-2006, 01:40 PM

instead of trying OUT all trialwares & messing ur p. table .......

just DO FRESH INSTALLATION ..... hassel FREE .......

follow whot @Vishal told U regarding fresh 1 ......... (ie ur 1st reply) ......

s18000rpm · 14-12-2006, 01:53 PM

thats where my problem is.

the Recovery DVD (2 nos.), dont give any option of creating a partition. when restarted with the Recovery DVD in the PC, the re-install option is only ONE, & that involves restoring the HDD to Factory settings.
in which case C:=70~GB, D:=7GB(recovery partition). & as you noticed all the other drives will be deleted during XP re-install.

but i used a inbuilt feature to create the present other two partition (F:, K: ), now that CD (which i created using the in-built feature) does not allow to resize the C: drive eventhough i have 12~GB free space in C: drive.

ashu888ashu888 · 15-12-2006, 01:51 AM

I did a fresh install of XP on a new partition of 14 GB (jus to be on a safer side, i gave it 14 GB of space) now the -=-=-=-= PROBLEM -=-=-=-

Wen i checked in Control Panel>Administrative tools> Computer Management> Storage> Disk Management, there was approx 36 GB Unallocated space :

It must hv caused due to my resizing of the original 50 GB space (as in my 1st post), so please tell me wat can i do with this Unallocated space, I tried making it a new partition (Logical Drive), bit there is only one Option of PRIMARY PARTITIN

now wat??

screenshot:

How can i utilise this Unallocated space guys >>

Cheers n e-peace....

Vishal Gupta · 15-12-2006, 02:47 AM

So what?
Just create another primary partition of remaining space

shankar_ganesh · 15-12-2006, 01:13 PM

use gparted live cd available at:
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php

ashu888ashu888 · 15-12-2006, 02:00 PM

@ Vishal,

Is that it ?? I mean will this partition work in same way as my other LOGICAL partitions ?? or will it conflict with the Win XP C Drive PRIMARY partition ???

Cheers n e-peace....

Vishal Gupta · 15-12-2006, 02:28 PM

Yes! It'll work properly without any problem

**r4gs** · 15-12-2006, 03:21 PM

Does Gparted partition without data loss?
I have a HP PC and the HP recovery CD does not let me partition my HDD.
IS there any other software(free) that can partition the HDD with no data loss?

s18000rpm · 15-12-2006, 05:29 PM

^^ for HP PC's, there's a in-built software that'll let you create a "PC Recovery Tools CD".

that Recovery tools CD will let you create Partitions. but make sure the C: Drive has as much Free Space as possible (keep C: drive under 7GB before creating partition using that CD).

b'coz that Recovery Tools CD allows One Time Partitioning of C: Drive.
the PC (windows XP) automatically Allotts a fixed Space for C: Drive (with some ratio - Free Space :Total Space...).
So the more space you have, the Smaller the C: Drive can be partitioned to.

When i was creating Partitions, i didn't know anything about this^^, as a result of that, now i have C: Drive with 32GB size of which more than 13GB is free.

to burn that "Recovery Tools CD" (RTC), goto=> Start-> All Programs->PC Help & Tools-> HP PC Recovery Tools CD.

Follow the On-Screen instructions to create the CD.

If you're going to make Partitions this way then tell me, so that i can give more info on creating the partitions this way.

WARNING = DO NOT DELETE /FORMAT the Recovery Partition in Any case. no matter which s/w you use for the Partitioning.

ashu888ashu888 · 15-12-2006, 09:25 PM

Using the Administrative tools > Computer Management > Disk Management, to create a new LOGICAL partition, shud the QUICK FORMAT option be selected or shud it be left unchecked ??

I usually make partitions with the option Unchecked, Please tell me by doin this (not selecting QUICK FORMAT) am i harming the sectors or my HDD in any way ?>>

I currently want to format a >30 GB unallocated space in my HDD using the Disk Management option, shud i go in for a QUICK FORMAT or no ??

Cheers n e-peace....

Vishal Gupta · 15-12-2006, 09:26 PM

If its a free space (not a partition), then u should do a full format not a quick format!
But if u want to format an existing partition, then u can safely choose quick format.

s18000rpm · 15-12-2006, 10:44 PM

guys i need URGENT HELP

i downloaded & installed the Paragon Partition Manager (Thanks to Kiran_Tech_Mania

).

=>I tried to RESIZE C: Drive (size=32.1 GB, free space=18.1GB).
=>i'm trying to create 15GB partition (from C: Drive).
==>i gave all input needed (new partition size...), but when i click APPLY Changes, the software gives me the ERROR (see the Pic).

will selecting REBOOT from the option allow the Software to Create/resize the new Partition at/durin Windows booting.

& is that method safe

Vishal Gupta · 15-12-2006, 10:49 PM

^^
Buddy u can't resize system partition while running windows

All softwares resize a system partition at the boottime, i.e., before starting windows

s18000rpm · 15-12-2006, 10:56 PM

so is it safe to select the "REBOOT OPTION" then???

do i need any boot cd for this, coz i dont have one, got only 2 Recovery DVD's

Vishal Gupta · 15-12-2006, 10:59 PM

Its completely safe!

And u don't need any CD, it'll automatically start itself after the boot screen

s18000rpm · 16-12-2006, 09:18 AM

THANKS A LOT Mr.Vista

You saved the DAY.

__________
hi again,

i got a little bit problem now. i was sucessful in resizing C: drive to 17.1GB.

but the free Unallocated Space=15GB is not accessible.

i'm not able to Delete that Unallocated space & create a new partition from it.

when i right click over the Unallocated space, the "Delete Partition" option is greyed out (not accessible).

what do i do next. i restarted the PC three times already

.

i tried Windows Disk Management too, but same result.

URGENT HELP needed.

My PC config. HP Pavilion, XP Home Edition SP2, P4-3.06GHz, 256MB RAM, Intel 915g(m/b)

Vishal Gupta · 16-12-2006, 01:58 PM

I can't understand the exact problem, try to create the partition using Linux or also try Norton Partition Magic!

s18000rpm · 16-12-2006, 02:18 PM

in the above pic, you can see there are two partitions (free space 1.5GB & 13.5GB), which are result of the RESIZING of C: Drive (initial size 32.1 GB, present resized size=17.1 GB)

My Problem=> i'm not able to create a partition from those two Unallocated free space, as they dont give any option of formatting/deleting/...

somehow i was able to Resize my K:drive (initial size=17.1GB, present size=20.1GB by merging the 1.5GB free space)

right now i've only 13.2GB unallocated free space from which i want to create a 10GB partition & a 1 GB partition (virtual memory) the rest i'll merge it with F: drive.

sorry, i dont have Norton's s/w & dont know anything about Linux.

i nearly fainted b'coz this resizing

, what happened was, the letter K: got changed to G:, which has all s/w (Kaspersky....) & all started giving "Insert Disk" error.

, i disconnected the card reader & changed the drive letter back to K:. (now everything's working fine)