Partition the Drive?? Format the Disk? Help!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mignon
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Mignon

Hello! I need help in the worse way. Here are the facts:

Running Win XP Pro SP2 full retail

Two HDs: HD 1 -- 60gb with 29gb free space and 2 partitions that equal 29gb
HD 2 -- 160gb -- no problem

Under "My Computer," C Drive shows total of 52.4gb and 9.26gb free (That's
HD 1)

I need to clean up disk 1. Files are all backed up. Snapshot of Disks shows
a "hot mess" under Disk Management

From Left to Right under Disk Management:

16mb FAT; 16mb unallocated; C: 52.44gb NTFS; B: 15.21gb NTFS; F: 1.95gb;
130.01gb Free Space; K: 13.53 gb NTFS; 15.58gb Free Space

Do I need to format the disk and re-install Win XP Pro SP2? Do I need to
contact MS first? Where do I begin?

We won't even begin to talk about how my HD 1 got in such disarray. :-(

TIA
 
Mignon said:
Hello! I need help in the worse way. Here are the facts:

Running Win XP Pro SP2 full retail

Two HDs: HD 1 -- 60gb with 29gb free space and 2 partitions that equal 29gb
HD 2 -- 160gb -- no problem

Under "My Computer," C Drive shows total of 52.4gb and 9.26gb free (That's
HD 1)

I need to clean up disk 1. Files are all backed up. Snapshot of Disks shows
a "hot mess" under Disk Management

From Left to Right under Disk Management:

16mb FAT; 16mb unallocated; C: 52.44gb NTFS; B: 15.21gb NTFS; F: 1.95gb;
130.01gb Free Space; K: 13.53 gb NTFS; 15.58gb Free Space

Do I need to format the disk and re-install Win XP Pro SP2? Do I need to
contact MS first? Where do I begin?

We won't even begin to talk about how my HD 1 got in such disarray. :-(

TIA
Click to expand...
It's very odd that one of your drives was assigned the letter B:
Anyway...I certainly cannot tell from the disk management report you have
posted...which partitions are on HD1
and which are on HD2 it's kind of difficult to tell you how best to
proceed...
One think I do notice is that you have quite a bit of unallocated free
space...which is doing you no good
 
I've got a similar dilemma, in which my son's laptop HDD is almost out of
free space, but he has unallocated space of more than 16Gb. I'd like to
merge the unallocated space into the partition currently in use. Help?
 
Mike C said:
I've got a similar dilemma, in which my son's laptop HDD is almost out of
free space, but he has unallocated space of more than 16Gb. I'd like to
merge the unallocated space into the partition currently in use. Help?
Click to expand...


You can go into disk management and create a partition using the free space.
It can then be formatted and given a drive letter...
but free space cannot be merged into an exisiting partition unless you get a
third party utility such as partition magic
 
Mike said:
I've got a similar dilemma, in which my son's laptop HDD is almost out of
free space, but he has unallocated space of more than 16Gb. I'd like to
merge the unallocated space into the partition currently in use. Help?
Click to expand...

Are you sure that isn't a recovery partition ?

Why not read the manual first, and see what the disk setup was from the
factory. That might explain what is hiding there.

Also, there may be a procedure to make one and only one set of backup
CDs or DVDs, from the contents of the recovery partition. Or, you
may be required to contact the manufacturer, and have properly prepared
recovery DVDs sent to you. For a new laptop owner, this should be a
priority, making sure that stuff like that is available when an
inevitable emergency arises.

Paul
 
Mignon said:
Sorry about that! The partitions are one HD1. HD 2 has nothing on it yet.
Click to expand...


That's what I (kind of) thought...but did not want to make a guess.

Something is definately not right as the numbers do not add up.

I'd backup *all* data and make sure the data are all good.

Then I'd remove the 2nd drive...
then bootup with your XP cd and from within the context of the
installation...
delete everything on the drive and start over.

I'd probably just create one large partition....format it and install
Windows
 
One comment, by delete everything I assume, your telling him to delete all
partitions, then set the primary hd as one large partition and format using
NTFS.

Or, you can use Partition magic and merge all partitions that don't contain
the operating system into one, so the final result would be primary hd as two
partitions.
one containing the operating system and the other blank and if you want to
start over, delete both of those partitions and reinstall xp fresh.
Partition Magic is a powerful piece of software and I find it very useful.
 
sgopus said:
One comment, by delete everything I assume, your telling him to delete all
partitions, then set the primary hd as one large partition and format
using
NTFS.

Or, you can use Partition magic and merge all partitions that don't
contain
the operating system into one, so the final result would be primary hd as
two
partitions.
one containing the operating system and the other blank and if you want to
start over, delete both of those partitions and reinstall xp fresh.
Partition Magic is a powerful piece of software and I find it very useful.
Click to expand...


Yes...if the data are all backed up...
I'd delete everything and start over fresh.

Though I've used partition magic...and it works well...
that drive seems so "messed up" that I'd really just start all over fresh...

Besides...it's still advised to to a backup prior to using partition magic
 
Thank you. You do mean that I should physically remove HD2, right? Is that
really necessary?

I'm no computer whiz by any stretch of the imagination, and my brother will
kill me if I ask him to remove the HD that he just installed. Of course I
will if I have to.
 
Mignon said:
Thank you. You do mean that I should physically remove HD2, right? Is that
really necessary?

I'm no computer whiz by any stretch of the imagination, and my brother will
kill me if I ask him to remove the HD that he just installed. Of course I
will if I have to.
Click to expand...

I'd just disconnect the data cable...
 
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