Windows Vista Removing a HD partition

Savagcl, thanks. As I have thought about it (between log-ins) I believe the problem now is that the formatted D partition is between C and the unallocated space on the other end of the drive.

So the approach you have outlined (while slightly different from what I thought of during my ministers sermon ) should work.

The somewhat different approach that occurred to me follows --

As I look at the drives in Disk Manager I see (in order of appearance):

EISA, C, D, Unallocated.

I take that EISA is the recovery partition, and C is obviously the boot drive.

So, if I format the unallocated space at the end of the drive (away from C) and name it anything (let's say Z) it will become 37 GB of manageable space.

Then, I can delete the D partition, and run Extend for C because the space next to C will read by the utility as available. The default will be for Extend to occupy all remaining available space.

Finally, I can rename the Z partition as D and be done with it.

Does that square with your thinking?

 

Well ... I've arrived at a place I didn't anticipate.

As in, the utility behaved as McTavish anticipated in his post. "C" immediately filled all the space on the drive when I clicked Finish.

So, I have two partitions on the drive: the EISA is 9.76 GB, and the C partition is now 143.62 GB.

My data is all backed up on a desktop drive. After all this I am somewhat inclined to simply change the shortcuts to access the data on that drive and leave it there for the time being. Then, later one I can pick up another SATA internal drive at the local shop and install that for D.

Thanks again to all for the various insights and instructions.

Rick (still filling in the holes in his Swiss cheese body of knowledge) in AL

 

That looks like it might work also. Pretty sure that to
extend a partition the space must be available right at the
end of the partition to be expanded.

A shorter process would be (since you already have a "C "
and "D" drive, just make a partition of the unallocated
space and name it "E ". Keeping the drive letters in
sequence and at the beginning of the alphabet is wiser
i think.

"C" and "D" would not need to be changed. This would
give you a little more separation for what ever you wanted.

For example my HD is:
C = windows and programs
D = downloads, utilities, pictures, etc
E = music and music utilities
Hidden partition (required by a program i have).

I need 2 more but they will be logical partitions when i
figure out why vista is not letting me create an extended
partition (extend is different from expand). I want one for
the only game i have (massive space requirements) and
one for zips, setups and stuff i want to keep but dont need
to go through a formal backup process onto an external
HD.

good luck,
savagcl

 

Thanks. I can live with it the way it is, but I do like the idea of the redundant backup, i.e., the data on drive D, and that automatically backed up periodically to the desktop drive. A partition for D on the existing drive will work fine for that purpose, and it will save me $50 or $60 at the store for another physical drive.

Actually, I have an extra 60 GB EIDE drive in an old Dell in the basement. I wonder if I can put that in this system and get by without spending the extra $$?

Anyway, it's well past quitting time in terms of my daily schedule, so I'm turning in for the night! I'll have to piddle with it some more after I get in tomorrow evening.

Best,
Rick

 

OK,
If your sys (motherboard connections, empty HD slot) will handle another HD
. go ahead and put it it.

I dont know your system but on the old HD there may be a jumper
connection on back of the HD. You need to check that this jumper is put
to the "Cable Select" position (not master position).

If it has windows on it, I would format it and use it as a backup only. Of
course, if it has data on it that you want to keep, move them to your "D "
before the format, then put them back after formatting.

savagcl

 

Just a point -

If one day, your system will no boot up then how do you get to your data?

Much better to have data / backups on a different physical HD.

savagcl

 

I agree. I'll have to pull the extra drive out of the old computer and look. It may already be jumpered for D. Either way I'll end up putting in physical drive and configuring it to hold the data.

It will be this weekend before I can get back to this chore, so for now I'm going to leave it with the shortcuts set for reading and depositing data on the desktop drive.

Hey -- all my computers have eventually become a little bit like the infamous Cadillac car in the old Johnny Cash country & western song...

Stay tuned.