creating a new partition problem...

So im trying to create a new 55GB partition so i can have a dualboot for vista/xp. I wana give vista a test drive before i just give up windows xp.

But the trouble is that partition magic is giving me weird errors and scary warnings. The last thing i want is a dead windows xp with my data lost.

So i try to resize my only visable partition (C using the "task" area and it gives me the following error:



So I go ahead and try using the "partition operations" area and click the "resize/move partition" button. I want 55GB subtracted out of my (C partition so i can create a new partition with 55GB for windows vista. Currently my hard drive is using 47GB and has 182GB's free. My hard drive is 230GB.

So i didnt touch the controlls yet and get this image:



I then adjust it so it will subtract 56,321.6 MB or roughly 55GB from my (C but it gives me a weird warning about a 1024 cylinder boundry...See below picture:



Do i go ahead and continue?

What can i do to create a new partition with about 55GB's for a new operating system? I would have to first resize C, then create/format a new primary partition correct?

what to do? thanks!

 

Well i did make a backup using 2 floppy disks. are those 2 floppy disks enough to save my pc from death if i mess up?

I really dont have the money for a 2nd hard drive at the moment. what i dont get is that i have 182 free GB on C. how is it gona mess up if i take 55 gigs away?

 

Now, I could be wrong, but here's how I understand it.

You can't repartition because your whole hard drive has been written to, already. Yes, you might have that much free space, but it's not all in the same location. Think of it like a series of numbers, each number is a hole to contain data.

You have filled holes 1, 4, 10, 18, and 20 with data from Windows XP's installation. You have holes 2, 9, 14 and 16 free to install something to. Some Windows files can't be moved (for example) out of hole 20 without messing the whole thing up.

A partition would require contiguous space (say holes 11-20, if you're dividing your drive in half) to be installed to. And if you can't move data from hole 20, you're just going to simply fail, or ruin your windows xp install by trying to move what can't be moved.

I mean, that's really *really* over-simplified, but it's also the short answer as to why you should get a second drive.

(Also... what two floppy disks did you make? I... can't imagine a floppy disk able to save XP if it dies...)

 

Ok well that at least gives me some kind of logical explination. Thanks! and it made 2 floppy disks, it backed up autoexec.bat command.com and some other stuff. I'm guessing it would run partitionmajic in dos if the computer messes up?

Thats a bummer i gota get a new hard drive, i already spent a good chunk of change on software

 

You don't have to buy a new hard drive... What you could do is wipe your current system after backing up your files* and then install both operating systems, with each system taking up half your drive.

When you install windows, it will give you an option to partition or install using the whole disk. Follow the prompts that tell you to partition and just divide the number of available space in half. That way, to bastardize the example from earlier, you'll have xp in holes 1-10 and vista in holes 11-20.

Not the prettiest solution, but it's a simple way to get both vista and xp onto your computer.





* The floppy disks you made sound like boot disks - I don't think any of your documents or programs have been backed up. Even if you have recovery software to resurrect a dead operating system, I always keep an extra CD with all my work saved on it, in case I do have to nuke the drive.

 

Well that leads me to another problem. I dont have 40GB/s of free space on any other computer or hard drive to back up my current mess haha.

It looks like i need to get a cheap hard drive either way, i was afraid id have to start fresh and basicly nuke my hard drive of data either way.

 

Two options for saving money on a new HDD, if I can offer...

Buy and install one into your tower. Maybe I just read your posts wrong, but it sounds a little to me like you were thinking of getting an external for this. The best thing you can do is just drop another one into your machine and hope you've got another SATA port on your motherboard.

Or your could buy a normal hard drive and then buy an enclosure to put it in. External drives (which are the same thing, but already done for you by, say, Maxtor) cost more for something you can do yourself.

But, personally? I'd pass on one of the name brand "external" hard drives. But that's a price-point issue for me. I couldn't say yes or no from a mechanical standpoint - I don't know if performance would be better on an external versus one you put in an enclosure. So, caveat emptor.