Partitioning for install

  • Thread starter Thread starter msb
  • Start date Start date
M

msb

I am about to download beta2 of vista to put on my home computer. I do not
want to replace XP but set up a dual boot system. Can someone point me to a
resource/website to accomplish this. I also need software to partition the
drive without losing the data on it now. This is uncharted territory for me
so I want to make sure I get it right the first time. I am looking for a
good freeware solution as I am installing the beta and want to do this on
the cheap. The drive is currently 1 200gig partition only. I do have a
fairly good knowledge of computers I'm just new at partitioning an existing
drive, Used fdisk on a new drive installed on my older computer but that
was easy as there was no data to destroy. Thanks for any advise you can
give.

msb
 
You need to use a third party tool then such as Partition Magic, I am not
aware of any methods available in Windows XP that allows you to create a
partition from a system partition. You could boot from your XP disk, and try
creating a logical partition using the text based portition of setup, boot
back into XP on C: and format that secondary partition.
--
--
Andre
Windows Connected | http://www.windowsconnected.com
Extended64 | http://www.extended64.com
Blog | http://www.extended64.com/blogs/andre
http://spaces.msn.com/members/adacosta
 
You must use 3rd party software to shrink your current partition (Drive C:
most likely). Then you use the same software to create a new "primary"
partition in the unallocated space.

Partition Magic is good for this. Use the very latest version, as earlier
versions "may" cause loss of information or existing partitions.

Hint! Backup all of your important data files before you ever undertake
anything that has to do with partition manipulation. Though it is 99.99%
safe, people have been known to lose everything due to a power failure, or
someone pulling the power plug out of the wall outlet at an inopportune time
(guess that's to be considered a power failure also (-: ).

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!
 
if u have one hard drive u can not make another partition from the boot xp
cd...trust me i tired

u can try partitioning magic 7.0 go here and click the download link next to
the name and don't click 8.0 its retail demo only...exact and run, restart
and look at folder read read me for serial key..copy it and run exe and u
should be good from there
 
if u have one hard drive u can not make another partition from the boot xp
cd...trust me i tired

u can try partitioning magic 7.0 go here and click the download link next to
the name and don't click 8.0 its retail demo only...exact and run, restart
and look at folder read read me for serial key..copy it and run exe and u
should be good from there
 
if u have one hard drive u can not make another partition from the boot xp
cd...trust me i tired
Click to expand...

It is not possible to partition a HD if there is no existing "free"
space on the HD.

Actually, what you people are referring to is "repartitioning" the HD,
not "partitioning" the HD. If an existing partition fills the entire
HD, then there is at least one partition on it, since it's not
possible (or at least, not advisable) to install an OS or write data
to a HD unless it has at least one partition, and that partition has
been formated with a file system. And it does not need to be
"partitioned", only "re-partitioned".

The ONLY way to re-partition an existing partition from the XP setup
installer (or using any Microsoft-supplied utility) is DESTRUCTIVELY
(that is, all programs and data MUST be deleted, then the partitioning
schema must be recreated the way you want it), after which you can
install an OS. Or, do your partitioning from within the OS installer.
u can try partitioning magic 7.0 go here and click the download link next to
the name and don't click 8.0 its retail demo only...exact and run, restart
and look at folder read read me for serial key..copy it and run exe and u
should be good from there
Click to expand...

Partition Magic is a great tool, and will allow you to
non-destructively re-partition your HD into two or more partitions. It
is not necessary in this case to have "unallocated" space on the HD to
do it, since PM 8 will redistribute unused space on existing
partitions to the new partition(s).

Partition Magic 7.0 (and previous versions) will NOT properly create
NTFS partitions for XP or Vista (which use a DIFFERENT iteration of
NTFS than the ones used for Windows NT). You MUST use PM 8.x or
above.

Additionally, it is NOT possible to write new partitions using the PM
8 demo, since it will NOT save any "changes" you make.

If you want to use PM 8.x to repartition your HD, you MUST purchase it
from Symantec. If I remember correctly, Symantec is charging $89US
for a license.


I advise that before repartitioning your HD, you clean your existing
HD up and do a FULL disk defragment. This will compact the used and
free space on the HD, and allow you to create larger partitions using
PM 8.x

==

Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original thread and newsgroup.
=====================================================
 
Hmmm! Somehow my copy of PM 7.0 successfully partitioned (or repartitioned)
my NTFS XP hard drive and permitted installation of Vista which runs just
fine.
 
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