Windows Vista Removing a HD partition

My Acer desktop came with a 140 GB hard drive that is partitioned into drive C and drive D.

My programs and data take up about 60% of the C drive. I keep my data back ups on a desktop drive, and the partition is an annoyance to me. I think Acer expected users to use it for data. Well, if the hard drives fails, the partition would be a useless data backup, anyway.

So how do I go about removing that partiton without having to start from square one with a clean install? I would rather just see one big drive with about 75% of it unused.

Thanks in advance,
Rick

 

No, it called for making a set of system recovery disks during the initial setup.

I tend to buy cheap comptuers and then fiddle with them, so if it crashed I would buy a new copy of Vista and do a clean install before I would set it back at the factory settings.

 

The point of keeping your data on a different partition is that you can reinstall Windows, or do a factory reset, and your data remains. Keeping it all inside Windows means that it will need restoring to the drive from external backup "“ if you have full backups. Windows dying is much more common than a hard drive dying so it makes goods sense to keep Windows and data on different partitions. The other reason is that it makes imaging or cloning Windows quicker and easier because it is not huge in size with tens of gigs of personal data inside it. You won't find any computer pros who do not use separate partitions for data. If you get used to keeping things separate now it will make it easier when you tire of reinstalling Windows and learn how to image.

Most bought computers come with a built in recovery system and hidden partitions on the hard drive. It's not advisable to be messing with partitions unless you know what you are doing as you could trash the whole system - including the recovery feature. I don't know about Acer desktops, but the system used on Acer notebooks would allow you to do what you want and retain the factory reset feature, but not the restore to user image, as this would be stored on the other partition.

You can use the Disk Management tool in Vista to delete the extra partition and then extend the Vista partition to use the resulting free space.
http://www.theeldergeek.com/disk_management.htm
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/4156

 

You raise a good point. Lately, all my discretionary income seems to have been consumed by the escalating price of gasoline. So if I can obtain a functional copy of Vista with what is on the system, I will almost certainly go that route.

Reading your post I see the merit in depositing the data on the D drive. And it would probably simplify the back ups to desktop drive. For a long time I kept all my data on a separate D drive. Then after hard drives got so big I just let it all stay on one with the backups only on a different drive.

Thanks for the links. I'll read up on all that.

 

Steve, back to your comment: keep in mind that I will have to be able to burn a copy of my OS to CD's. The computer did not come with system disks per se. So if I can get a fully functioning copy of Vista without having to buy it off the shelf, I will certainly go the more economical route.

After mulling it over night (Hey - I do some of my best thinking while sleeping) I am going to go the partition shrink route.

So factual knowledge, hard earned wisdom, and other general comments at that point will be welcomed!

 

And another thing...

Okay. You all have convinced me on the partition shrink business.

So, I found the Disk Management console, etc. It looks straight forward enough: choose the desired volume, make the changes and Apply.

Fair enough, so my main question is -- "What do I not know that I need to know before I start juggling the size allocations? "

Thanks in advance,
Rick

 

What is it you have decided to do? I thought you wanted to get rid of the data partition and make the Vista one fill the drive? Are you now saying you want to shrink a partition? To make the Vista partition fill the drive you will have to first delete the data partition to make free space. If Vista has any open files on the data partition you might first have to remove its drive letter and reboot, then just choose to delete and click through the confirmations. You can then just choose the option to extend the Vista partition into the free space.

By the way Partition Magic is not compatible with Vista partitions and its attempts to repair what it sees as errors will damage the file system. If the partition that Vista is on was not made by Vista then it is a different matter.

Not sure if the Anytime Upgrade DVD is still available for about $10, but if it is you can use that to do a full Vista reinstall with your own Product key. If you backup your current activation files before you wipe the present Vista install then you can reactivate the new install without the product key or connecting to MS. Full details here: http://directedge.us/node/24

 

That is correct; I started out with one idea (delete the partition) and ended up at a new place (i.e., change the sizes).

My data takes up less than 10 GB. The C and D partitions are about 70 GB each. I need more space on C for programs, and less on D for data.

So my questions now are about how to make the changes in the sizes, thereby increasing the size of C and shrinking the size of D.

Sorry to be so long getting back to the matter; I was traveling with a tour group on a charter bus and was stuck in a place for eight days with no internet access. Imagine that...

 

If you want to shrink the D partition without data loss then you will need specialist software that can do this, but I am not an advocate of shrinking partitions from their front end as it is a long and potentially risky operation. Much better to move the data or back it up to CDs and delete the partition and then recreate it after resizing the C partition, then copy the data back. Safer and usually quicker.

 

Okay, for an update

I followed this procedure:

- Backed up my data from D to a desktop hard drive
- Deleted the D partition using the Vista Disk Management Console

Then, when I went to extend the size of the C partition using the Extend Volume Wizard. Extend Volume got me to a screen that showing this message:

“You can only extend the volume to the available space shown below because your disk can’t be converted to dynamic or the volume being extended is a boot or system volume.â€

It listed some other factual information as --

Disk 0: 75623

(Options)
Add (greyed out)
<Remove
<Remove all

Total volume size in MB: 147071
Maximum available size in MB: 75623
Select the amount of space in MB: 75623

The hard drive is 140 GB, so my intent was to set the C partition at around 100 GB and then reformat what was left to be the D partition and put the data back on there.

But I am now snagged at the point noted above, because (if my reading of the message is correct) it does not appear the system will let me extend C.

Right now everything is working fine (I did not meddle with drive C) but I am still at the snag.

Sooo "¦ what next?

Thanks in advance,
Rick

PS: With thanks to Arie for reopening an old one for a retake.

 

two things i did to gain more space before i did the
extend/shrink was to reduce the size of the paging file and
turn off the restore points (See the built-in help and support).

This did give me more room in the "Maximum available size ".

Dont forget to turn on the restore points when you are
finished. That is, if you use them.

You can set the page size to whatever your system is
comfortable with. I have 6GM of memory so mine is set
pretty low. If you make both the minimum and maximum
the same number, it will not change size but it should
never go over what you set as the maximum.

Always make sure you have good backups of everything
including the "C" drive.

Luck,
savagcl

 

Sorry to butt in, but I was wondering with 70 GB partition, you are running short of space for programs ? What all programs are you using [if you want to share info that is].

I have a 17.5 GB partition & 5 GB is still free. I have been using this computer for last 5 years & have never run out of disk space on C.

I would rather go with savagcl's recommendations & reduce restore points space & move bulk of pagefile to D.

 

You two have raised a new question, i.e., moving the page file. How is that done?

The programs I have installed take up 48 GB, but I also have Pictures still on that drive (back-up on a desktop drive).

Back to the warning message, I took from the "dynamic" and system boot spin on the warning message that the volume (C) could not be extended. Are you all saying it can be safely extended?

 

I think you'll find that the reason Vista will not allow you to enlarge the C' partition is that you just deleted the 'D' partition. Before the freed space can be allocated to the 'C' partition it will have to be formatted.

Roger

 

Hi Rick.........simply adjust the figure shown in the "Select the amount of space in MB:" box to the amount of MB you want to add to your C: partition and click Next, and then Finish. At present it is showing all the space available - 75623MB - and if you clicked Next without changing this it would extent the C: partition to use all of the hard drive.

Oh.......of course you should be aware that Vista created partitions are different from the old conventions and so if you later intend to dual/multiboot or even image or clone then you may want to prevent Vista from using the new rules. It will require a registry tweak.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931760
http://www.multibooters.co.uk/partitions.html

 

If you are very desperate, look here http://gparted.sourceforge.net/index.php. Its an open source Linux based utility which can extend/reduce the partition. But before using it read the manual & take a reliable backup.

There is no sure shot safe way to toy around with partitions. Most of the times, things turn out to be ok but other times...

 

Thanks again to all. Sunday is a work day for me, but when I get in this evening I'll get back on the chore. Updates forthcoming...

Via edit: I had a bit of time, so I reformatted the space that was D, and then shrunk it to half the size it was.

Now, I have a formatted partition (D) that is 37 GB, and an unformatted partition that is 37 GB. However, Disk Management is not allowing me to Extend drive C.

Apparently, it is not as simple as "shrink one side and then extend the other. "

Hey -- this is like one of my semi-annual motorcycle trips: pull over, reexamine the map, and then re-route the trip at every major turn...

At any rate, my question now is, "What angle of attack will allow me to take the un-allocated 37 GB into C? "

 

Correct me if i'm wrong guys...

If i read the above right then your hard drive looks like

"C" partition, "D" partition, Unallocated space??

If you want to increase "C" do this -

*** Make sure you have a good backup ***

1. Delete the "D" partition (whats left is the "C" and
Unallocated space.
2. Run the "Expand" for the "C" Drive (whatever size you
want but leave enough for the "D" drive).
3. Then create the "D" partition using whatever unallocated
space is left.
4. You should have a larger "C" partition, followed by a "D "
partition and no unallocated space (you may have a
recovery partition but leave it alone).

Anyone care to verify these instructions - before it gets
done?

savagcl