Windows Vista Vista Partition "Not Enough Memory"

I have just got my first Vista laptop from Dell. The first thing I tried to do was partition down the 250Gd HDD to 3 drives as per my XP laptops. However it seems that as Dell/Vista has created 4 partitions already and I can't create any more.

Can anyone tell me why Dell/Vista has created two partitions simply marked as Healthy but not accessible?

Is there any way if being able to partition the drive, or do I need to return to XP?

 

The four drives are,

118Mb (Healthy - EISA Configuration)
10GB Recovery d:
220Gb OS c:
2.5Gb (Healthy - Primary Partition)

I can only see C: & D: but as there a four patitions I can't create anymore.

Does a normal version of Vista create all these partitions?
Can I remove any of the partitions without endangering the operation of Vista. I don't care about the recovery as the HDD is imaged.

 

The last partition will be for the MediaDirect function.
http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/vista.htm

 

My home XP PC has five partitions visible via "computer management." A techo babble website sais that Vista can't have more than four partitions.

Is this the case? Seems a bit backwards.
I don't care about the lost space in the other Dell created partitions I just want to break the 220Gb remaining in to more managemable chunks.

 

OK. One final post before I completely confuse myself.

XP Disk Management clearly shows 5 partitions and no hidden ones. I loaded this myself and created 1 primary partition and an extended partition which I then split into logical drives.

Vista Disk management shows the above mentioned drives with 3 off them marked as primary partitions (I didn't know you could have more than one primary partition on a drive so I have learnt something new today). I simply want to create the extended patition and logical drives which I assume would allow me to go beyond the 4 primary partitions. I seems that Vistas partitioning software doesn't allow me to do that. So I will find a 3rd party bit of software that does and cross my fingers.

 

OK, I lied, not my last post.

I tried removing the d: recovery drive so i could create atleast two drives of 100Gb but as the d: drive is before the c: drive I can't seem to use DiskMgmt to get that 10Gb back. I did manage to split the c: drive into two primary drives but I can't see how to create an extended partition with logical drives using vista. I have purchased Paragon Partition Manager v9 and will try that tomorrow. Otherwise I may try to install Vista myself and see if I can create logical drives at the start.

 

I had just gave up on you and then noticed you were a fellow Scot, so another go. Do you want or use the MediaDirect facility? If not then delete that extended partition and the new partition made by splitting the main partition can be made an extended, in which you can make as many logicals as you like.

 

To be honest, I'd give up on me as well. I need to change my status to "Technology is now passing me by "

I deleted the d: drive but i can't do anything with the unallocated space as its before c: and neither Vista or Paragons partition Manager will merge it with C:?????????????????

I can now, however, create another partition using space from c: but again it won't allow me to change it from a primary to an extended partition and thus onto the logical drives. Partition Manager goes through the procedure but finishes by saying there were errors so it fails.

As I've messed up the recovery drive I think I will remove the MediaDirect 3 drive and see if it helps in any way. I think I need to reload the Vista OS software anyway and learn a bit about the setup...Vistas not going away.

Just listening to the hits of the 80s.....Aaaaaah simple days.

 

My apologies dishon, I had you pegged as a young hothead that was just going to blunder on regardless and not really listen to advice. Hits of the 80s? Was there any? Now the 70s was a decade. Started with flower power, then Glam, and finished with Punk.

Extending a partition into space before it is always risky for the OS and so never a good idea. It is particularly bad for Vista because in its boot process it uses the partition offset (starting sector of the partition). Change that starting sector and Vista won’t boot. Paragon Partition Manager is about the best around at the moment at fixing this problem when moving Vista, but I have never tested resizing Vista the way you tried, so can’t say if it would work. The only easy way to recover Vista from this problem is by running the startup repairs from the Vista DVD. Do you have a full Vista install DVD? If not, then you can download a partial Vista DVD that includes the Startup Repair options etc - but not actually Vista of course. http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download I would also advise that you make both of the Partition Manager boot CDs, if you have not already done so.

It is advisable to only have one extended partition on a hard drive and most partitioning tools around now won’t actually allow you to create more than one. Because the current MediaDirect partition is a single logical taking up the whole of the current extended, your only option of having more than 4 partitions is to make a new bigger extended, or perhaps resize the current one, but what effect that will have on the correct function of MediaDirect I can’t say.

There are a couple of ways you can proceed now to achieve what you want. Do you want to keep the MediaDirect function? Do you want to keep the small first Dell utility partition? I doubt it is of any use once you have deleted the recovery partition, and besides if you can make and restore images of Vista would you need it anyway?

 

No I am an old hothead who has now completely written of the OS.

I have all the disks including the Vista Ultimate disk and drivers etc. I tried a clean install but after it "Completes Installation" for 1Hr it goes to a black screen with a cursor and that, as they say, is that. I haven't had the chance yet to check the postings on failed vista installs so, back to the bulletin board

 

I’ve not personally had that, and I’ve installed Vista hundreds of times (no exaggeration) on various hardware. What I’d try first is from the PM9 boot disk delete all the partitions and also update the MBR to get rid of any possible non standard Dell MBR. Then I would create the new primary partition I want for Vista with PM9, no need to even format it, then point the Vista install to it. (Vista itself creates partitions in a new style, which at this time is not required and can actually cause its own problems "“ so I recommend always using PM9 to create any partitions).

If you still have the same problem then it’s likely some hardware issue, which a bios setting might fix, so it would be worth searching the Dell support site or any Dell specific forums for others having the same issue with that model of notebook.

McT.

 

There is not much out there on the black screen issue. Most say re-install Vista. The safe mode stops on crcdisk so I'm going to disable all but the essential things in the BIOS.

I've tried installing onto format and unformatted partitions using both Vista and PM9 and they all fail at the same point so I'm not convinced that its a partition fault....yet.

This is my first load of Vista, after a lot of XP. Does the "Completing installation" take around 1Hr on your installs. There is only HDD activity every 15mins or so and the thats only a quick spirt?

I may try to load XP and upgrade to Vista. Not sure if the full Vista Ultimate disk will allow me.

 

Install time for Vista can be as little as 20mins depending on hardware spec, no more than 40 I’d say for your laptop. The only things I’ve got in my bookmarks that may have any relevance are these.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/939210/en-us
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=931369
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946532/en-us

 

I could have your babies.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=931369

This is the problem. I have changed to ATA. I had to disable the Flash Cache mode to do it but it has loaded Vista without any problem. Its always a check box hidden somewhere.

Thank You very, VERY much McTavish

 

Great stuff, and another useful fact to file away in my limited and failing memory, (wish I could slot-in a couple of more gigs sometimes! For that matter it’s a pity I can’t upgrade the processor as well). For curiosity and future reference dishon what model Dell is it?

 

Its a Dell Vostro 1700. Running Vista Ultimate and
Intel Core2 Duo CPU T8100@2.1Ghz
2Gb Ram

Just reloaded Vista. I took about 15mins. Just going through all the drivers now. Taking a little longer.