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Second HardDisk Primary or Extended Partitions

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by Christer, 2003/09/24.

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  1. 2003/09/24
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Hello all!

    From How to install an additional hard drive using Windows XP Disk Management :

    My current HardDrive has one primary partition and one extended partition with two logical partitions.
    This setup was created using WinME-FDISK. The primary was formated to NTFS during the installation of WinXP and the two logicals were formated to NTFS from within WinXP.

    If I add a second HardDisk and have no intension to multi boot, would it be correct to choose extended with logicals only?

    Thanks for Your time,
    Christer
     
    Last edited: 2003/09/24
    Christer,
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  2. 2003/09/24
    Chiles4

    Chiles4 Inactive

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    I'm guessing that you wouldn't be allowed to create an extended partition on a hard drive that contains no primary partition even if it's a separate, "empty" drive.
     
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  4. 2003/09/24
    BillyBob Lifetime Subscription

    BillyBob Inactive

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    ????HUH ??????? What ???? and why not ????

    Has something changed that I am not aware of ? Am I missing something ?

    Unless XP is TOTALY different I do not know why not.

    I have two machines with a 2nd HD that is all extended with 2 or 3 partitions .

    But then again I just took the 2nd HD out of this XP system and it was all extended. with 3 partitions.

    And all HDs involved were set up with 98 Fdisk.

    No Primary on any of them. Never was.

    In fact having a Primary partiton on the 2nd HD messes up drive lettering of the 1st if the 2nd is added later. And if a 2nd with a Primary on it is removed it also can mess up the drive lettering of the 1st HD.

    Also Unless proper steps are taken before adding or removing the 2nd HD it can also mess up the CDROM lettering.

    BillyBob
     
    Last edited: 2003/09/24
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  5. 2003/09/24
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    The "guide" to which I provided a link discuss this and it appears like XP allows the user to assign driveletters of his/her choise.

    In a situation like mine, where C:, D:, E: are partitions and F:, G: are CD-ROM/DVD, I would first have to assign other driveletters to the latter two to be able to get the partitions on the second harddisk "in sequence ".

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  6. 2003/09/24
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Chiles4,
    my apologies for forgetting to mention that according to the "guide" it is possible, there is the option to choose either.

    Christer
     
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  7. 2003/09/24
    BillyBob Lifetime Subscription

    BillyBob Inactive

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    You are correct.

    That is why before even installing ANY OS you sit down with a good old fashined pencil and paper and do a little PLANNING.

    Start with this is what I want right now.

    Next. Well maybe I will want to add another HD later.

    OK. I have C D & E. MY CRDOM will by be default be F:

    HUH OH !! that leaves me no room for another HD without messing things up. So I will get the CDROM(s) up to S: & T: as soon as the OS is installed and BEFORE installing anything from the CRDOM.

    In fact my 98Startup disk and my Bootable CDROM put them up there in DOS also. And it makes no difference whether I boot to the XP or the 98SE HD. The CDROMS are in the same place. Both in DOS and the OS.

    This saves a LOT of time and confusion/aggrevation let alone work later. And also may well ( and did ) stop XP from having to mess with drive letters.

    I had C thru H: the 2nd HD picked right up as I: J: K: ( no Primary ) and had absolutlely no effect on the CRDOMS. And when I removed it nothing other than that changed.

    A lot of problems can be prevented if a little planning is done before even installing the OS.

    BillyBob
     
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  8. 2003/09/24
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Well, I don´t see myself running out of harddisk space in the near future and don´t plan on another HD.
    This is more a spinn-off from tenbob's thread and it can be regarded as planning ahead.

    When I decide to take the new bull by its long horns ...... :D ..... , I´ll probably keep this in mind ...... :( ...... if I remember it.

    Christer
     
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  9. 2003/09/25
    Chiles4

    Chiles4 Inactive

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    Apparently, I stepped beyond my experience on this one. I seem to remember FDISK saying that you can't create an Extended partition without first creating a primary...but I guess I was wrong.

    Maybe I was thrown by the naming convention. The term itself, Extended, implies an extension beyond the primary partition. The term doesn't make too much sense if there's no primary. Maybe "bootable" and "non-bootable" would have been better terms. Considering the time period in which FDISK was written, I'm surprised by this ability.
     
    Last edited: 2003/09/25
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  10. 2003/09/25
    rond36

    rond36 Inactive

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    Yes it would be correct to choose extended with logicals only, even if you plan to multi-boot.

    My two drives are set up like this:
    HDD 0
    C: 25GB primary active (Win ME)
    D: 25GB Extended logical (Downloads)
    E: 25GB Extended logical (Win XP Pro MS Office XP Pro)
    F: 25GB Extended logical (Win XP Pro Games)
    HDD 1
    G: 20GB Extended logical (Win XP Pro Lotus Smart suite)
    H: 20GB Extended logical (Win XP Pro Perfect Office)
    I: 20GB Extended logical (Music)
    J: 20GB Extended logical (Video)
    20GB reserved for Linux Mandrake 9
     
    Last edited: 2003/09/25
    rond36,
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  11. 2003/09/25
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Chiles4,

    Not necessarily, I actually think that You´re right ...... :) ...... !

    IIRC Win9X systems need a primary partition set as active. I would think that if Disk0 has a primary partition, then Disk1 doesn´t need to have one.

    BillyBob will know if I´m right.

    It was probably confusing that I mentioned having partitioned my first HardDisk using FDISK but my question was regarding Windows XP Disk Management.

    There´s the choise between the two possibilities as I mentioned in my first post. I could have elaborated more, though, to make it clearer.

    The "guide" to which I linked deals with the installation of a second HardDisk and Windows XP Disk Management can only be used from within an already installed OS.

    When I let the XP install CD format my pre-partitioned HardDisk, no questions were asked about primary or setting as active. It only asked on to which partition I wanted to install XP and then it got formated. The other two partitions were formated from within XP and I ended up with one primary and one extended with two logicals.

    So, maybe Your knowledge applies to XP as well but I seem to remember that XP doesn´t need to be installed on a primary partition ...... :confused: ......

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  12. 2003/09/25
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    Hi rond36,
    thanks for Your reply!

    Wow, does it really take me over half an hour to type a post ...... :eek: ...... ?

    Well ...... :eek: ...... I guess I was on the phone or brewed a cup of coffe or something ......

    Christer
     
    Last edited: 2003/09/25
    Christer,
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  13. 2003/09/25
    BillyBob Lifetime Subscription

    BillyBob Inactive

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    IIRC Win9X systems need a primary partition set as active. I would think that if Disk0 has a primary partition, then Disk1 doesn´t need to have one

    You are right. And that goes for ME & XP also.

    And if by chance you should have a 2nd HD with Primary partition on it do not figure on removing it. Because what was E: on the 1st HD will now be D:

    This is where PLANNING comes in before installing the OS. ANd do a little planning for the future.

    but I seem to remember that XP doesn´t need to be installed on a primary partition

    And neither does 98.

    The OS does not need to be actually installed on a Primary partiton. But the System in general does need a Primary partition to put the Boot files on and boot from. Then the rest of the files go where ever.

    BillyBob
     
    Last edited: 2003/09/25
    BillyBob,
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  14. 2003/09/26
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff Thread Starter

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    BillyBob,

    Thanks for the clarification!

    Christer
     
    Last edited: 2003/09/26
    Christer,
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  15. 2003/10/01
    Chiles4

    Chiles4 Inactive

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    Uh...yeah...of course I was right - I was just being modest. :D
     
    Chiles4,
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