Resolved How to partition HDD in new desktop

I just took delivery of a new Dell Studio XPS 8000 desktop that has a 640 GB hard drive with Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) installed on it.

Before I copy too much stuff from my old unit to this new one, I'd like to repartition the HDD. In addition to the primary C:\ drive I'd like to also have a D:\ drive and an E:\ drive. The Windows 7 OS instructions on how to do that leave quite a bit to be desired. Click on Computer Management > Storage and you'll see what I mean.

Part of the problem is that there are two DVD drives and they've already been named D:\ and E:\. Will those designations automatically change if and when I use them to name the new HDD partitions? If not, how do I rename them to make room for the new partition names?

My current understanding is that the first step in partitioning is to shrink the C:\ drive to create some unallocated space. And I use that for the D:\ and E:\ partitions. Do I have that much correct?

After that is where the Windows 7 instructions become weak. How do I get that unallocated space first designated as drive D:\?

I suppose I then do something to split that unallocated space (hopefully now Drive D:\) into two partitions, part remaining as D:\ and some new unallocated space I want to name E:\. Is that right?

(I'm using terms like "disk" and "volume" and "partition" interchangably as synonyms.)

I'm hoping somebody here can provide step-by-step instuctions that are clearer and more helpful than those in the OS Help index. I'd like to get the partitioning job done but I sure don't want to mistakenly pickle the whole HDD by stumbling around feeling half-blind. Upon success, my gratitude will be boundless.

 

BOBBOI

First you rename your two DVD drives. I prefer to use the the last letter(s) of the alphabet. This way they are always out of the way. This frees up D and when you use a flash drive or a USB hub, they are consecutively assigned after the D.

It will differ from program to program. Some times you may have more than one option to pursue the same results. I decided to invest in Acronis Disk Director (DD) (disk partition tool) when I moved into Acronis image backup software. If there is no "unallocated" space on a drive, you have to swipe "free" space from different partition. In DD, I could do this a couple of ways. The easiest is first take option to "Add" a partition. Program will then ask where to acquire free space? In your requirement, you would answer "from C ". It will then provide a minimum and maximum amount (KB/GB) you could take away from "C ". When you decide how big you want "D" (what you leave behind becomes new size for "C "), you "ok / assign ". At this time you have "not" change anything. You can cancel out and no harm done. When you are ready to make the change to the drive, you would select "Commit" and DD will perform all the necessary steps. First re-sizes "C ". Then creating partition "D" and assigning free space acquired from "C" to newly created "D" It may look a little confusing / daunting, but once you get past the fear factor, it just becomes another thing you do on your computer(s). The Acronis products I use are not free. I have heard good reports on EASEUS Partition Master, a free tool that shares many options as Acronis DD.

I'm sure Wiki has the "defined" verbiage, but again this may change from program to program .. somewhat. "Disk and Volume" could be interchanged and generally refer to "whole HDD ". A partition is a "subset" of the Disk or Volume. When drive has only "1" partition (which is what you have with only C on your HDD), math wise all 3 names are equal in KB/GB size.
I hope I did not confuse you. Learning the the terminology and the the software may take a few times, but most good partition software won't let you trash your drive.
With that said, I would never re-size "active C" partition, "create D" partition without first "image" backup of the "C" partition onto a external or 2nd internal drive. I've moved, create, resized numerous drives and partition with NEVER a problem ... but I always continue to image backup (sys) partition or backup a data drive before any partition work.

 

Thanks for your replies.

When I said, "I'm using terms like "disk" and "volume" and "partition" interchangably as synonyms," I should have said "drive," not "disk." Sorry.

I'm about to try some of your suggestions.

 

I can't find any instructions on how to do the very first step, renaming those two DVD drives. Can someone guide me through that, please? Then I'll tackle the partitioning.

(So far I'm not impressed with Win 7's Help system.)

 

Maybe this will help. It,s for Vista, but works for Win7

http://www.lytebyte.com/2008/06/17/how-to-change-drive-letter-in-windows-vista/

 

CaneMan: There were a couple of differences between Vista's and Win 7's Control Panel, but I found a way to get to Storage and Disk Management and got the job done. This new desktop has 4 slots at the top of the case's front for different kinds of storage media (like camera memory cards) and each of them had already been assigned a letter, so I had 6 different letters to change, but it was pretty easy. And that hurdle is now out of the way. Thanks for the help.

 

Dennis L: Your recommendation of the EASUS Partition Master program intrigued me and I went to their Web site to check it out. It's compatible with Windows 7 but only the 32-bit version. Mine is the 64-bit version and I wouldn't want to risk compromising that with anything that involves the configuration of the HDD. They have a Professional level of the program but it's not free. Costs $32. I'll have to think about that -- for a number of reasons our budget is in a shambles right now. But thanks for the tip.

 

One way around that would be to put your new drive in your old machine to manipulate the partitions.

 

Which is what I did. I built a new w7/64bit for my daughter, the first 64 bit in the house. I loaded her new drive (WD 500GB) into my BlacX external attached to my XP/32bit via a eSata connection. Created / sized 2x partitions (Active/system and Logical/Data). Mouinted drive into daughters computer and installed w7/64bit OS .. drive and OS work flawless.

 

to: Dennis L: Good for you, glad things worked out well.

no word from Bobo yet, I wonder...

 

I'm not in a good position to do those things, at least I don't think so.

My old computer is 7 years old, upgraded to Windows XP, 32-bit, and has no SATA connectivity. Partition Magic version 7 is installed on it, and I used it years ago to partition that HDD, but that program is no good for my new 64-bit HDD. And I have no external drive.

It's kind of like trying to get a new Corvette engine into an old VW Bug. Not a natural match-up.

 

Quite the jump for you! I think your best bet would be to use Ubuntu Live cd or install Ubuntu within Windows using Wubi this would give you access to a lot of free software.

If you have only one drive, I highly recommend getting a second one of comparable or bigger size to use as an alternate system and back-up.

 

Success! I did a Google search for partition managers and found what looked like a winner, Partition Wizard Home Edition 4.2. It's compatible with Win7, it's free, looks and works much like Partition Magic used to (in other words, it's simple and user-friendly), and it got very good reviews.

Downloaded and installed it. Shrunk my 580 GB C:\ primary drive to 240 GB, converted the new space to a NTSF logical D:\ drive, then shrunk it to 105 GB and created a new NTSF 235 GB logical E:\ drive. Probably took 20 minutes.

I'll use C:\ for Windows 7 and system stuff. D:\ will be for MS Office and other programs and data files. E:\ will be mostly for images and video files. Just the way I wanted. Assuming it all works now, I'm much relieved and glad to have come out of all this so well.

Thanks to all of you who offered your help, I do appreciate it.

 

Thanks for letting us know, I'll keep that in mind.

I'm still on Vista, but doesn't Win 7 have "run in compatibility" mode like XP and Vista?

 

I believe it does, but for something like partitioning a HDD I didn't want a program that was working on what might be a conditional basis. Most other programs, I wouldn't be so extra-cautious about. For example, I just now installed my old MS Office 2003.

 

The program itself runs at boot time to do most of the operations, but I know how you feel; better safe than sorry!