Re-installing

I decided to use a new hardrive to re-install windows xp home service pack 2. I did this as I would normally do and just put my x.p. cd into the drive after removing the old h.d. and inserting the new and let the C.D. get on with it.
Everything seemed fine and i used the phone to activate then before going online used my external drive to put Anti Malware on the drive. Then i updated window,(Service pack 3 etc online) Here is where
my problems began.
Some software would install (including a partition manager) some i had difficulty with and continual dabbing at the'ignore. would install some but not others. Eventually I looked at it thro my partition manager and found the following-
2 partitions 'C' 7.81 MEGABYTES primary partition.
And 'D' 239 GIGABYTES (boot partition) logical partion. (250gbs H.D.)
I could not change the partition names-'C' or 'D' Nor could increase the size of 'C' but i could 'D' and obviously the software i had installed installed in 'D'.
It seems to me that if i try and re-install windows that would be useless because 'C' might still be a useless size. Is there a way of increasing 'C' or some other means of altering so maybe 'D' becomes my primary partition? Or am I doomed to purchaing another hard drive?

 

You have installed the OS to an extended partition. Although XP will run from an extended partition, it still requires a primary partition to store the bootloader files.

I would recommend that you boot to the install CD and allow it to delete all existing partitions. You have inadvertantly created a dual partition drive with your install going to the extended partition. It's generally best to install the OS to a Primary partition.

You'll be given the opportunity to do all that during the normal install procedure.