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(re)Partitioning a hard drive

Discussion in 'Windows XP' started by johngarnold, 2005/07/18.

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  1. 2005/07/18
    johngarnold

    johngarnold Inactive Thread Starter

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    I cannot find in my "complete guide to Windows XP" or anywhere in this forum how to partition a hard drive. I remember doing it a couple of years ago but cannot remember how. What I do know is that you don't have to (or can't) use FDISK within XP (maybe you can by doing a safe boot).
    I have an existing hard drive (which I use to store video files for editing - it is NOT the C: drive) which already has 3 partitions but I want to change the size of these partitions while it is empty and I don't have a copy of Partition Magic. As all partitions are currently empty I don't mind reformatting or whatever.
    Thanks in anticipation.
     
    johngarnold,
    #1
  2. 2005/07/18
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    If I understand you correctly you have two hard drives installed?

    Right click My Computer > Manage > Disk Management

    Right click on the first partition on the second drive > Delete Logical Drive.

    Repeat for the second and third partitions. The whole drive should show 'Free Space' (XP Pro SP 2)

    Right click > New Logical Drive - the New Partition Wizard appears. Follow it through to create the first new partition.

    Repeat the process for the remaining free space to create further partitions.

    The new logical drives will be automatically formatted unless you say otherwise in the Wizard.
     
    PeteC,
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  4. 2005/07/18
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Hi John!

    I assume that You have a single partition ( C: ) on the "original" harddisk and the optical drives are D: and E: (depending on how many You have). If You add a harddisk, then any partition on it will get drive letters in sequence, F:, G: and so on (depending on how many partitions there are). To avoid this confusing situation, right-click the "My computer icon" on the desktop and choose Manage > Disk management. Right-click the first optical drive > Change drive letter ... > and make it e.g. X:. There will be a warning that some programs may not function. This will be true if You have installed a program with certain features on a CD. That program will no longer find the CD but will have to be directed to the new drive letter. Repeat for any other optical drive and make it e.g. Y: and restart the computer. Now the added partitions will become D:, E: and so on, with all partitions in sequence (when we are finished, that is).

    Go back to "Disk management ", rightclick the second harddisk and remove all existing partitions (logical, extended and primary). When all space is unallocated, restart the computer. When back in "Disk management ", create a single extended partition, using all space and create Your desired logical partitions within the extended partition. You will be asked to format and You can choose FAT32 or NTFS. I recommend NTFS but whichever You choose, have it do a full format, not a quick format.

    Christer
     
    Last edited: 2005/07/18
    Christer,
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