Re: Creating a disk partition

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• In reply to: Carito: "Creating a disk partition"
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Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 15:14:45 -0500

Hi, Carito.

Disk Management, the utility built into Win2K/XP and later versions of
Windows, can create and delete partitions (and logical drives within
extended partitions). However, it cannot resize a partition or logical
drive; it cannot make one either larger or smaller. Partitions can be
created in unallocated space (not presently included in any partition, or
space in the extended partition that is not yet included in any logical
drive). But, if all your space is currently allocated to existing volumes,
then the only way (without third-party software) is to delete one or more
volumes and create new ones in the unallocated space. There are third-party
programs (such as Partition Magic) that can shrink or expand existing
partitions.

> Should I copy my second
> drive to my first and then then reformat the second with
> an extended partition?

Yes, if your first HD has enough space available to hold the files from your
second HD, then this would be an excellent solution. Just copy everything
(I usually use "Xcopy.exe /c /h /e /r /k" in a "DOS" window), then use Disk
Management to delete the existing partition(s) on the second HD, create a
new extended partition and a new logical drive within it, and format the new
logical drive as NTFS. Then Xcopy the files from your first HD to this new
volume. The whole process should not take more than a couple of hours,
depending on the amount of data to transfer back and forth and the size of
the HD to be formatted.

> Hello, can someone explain this to me. Im kinda lost. I
> have two hard drives. Both are Basic Disks one active and
> one system and both as NTFS.

I understand your post to say that you have two physical drives with a
single partition on each. If that's not correct, then post back with more
details. Usually, the first primary partition on the first physical HD is
Active (bootable); it becomes the "system partition" and is assigned "drive"
letter C:. Typically, Windows is installed into C:\Windows (or C:\WinNT),
which makes C: the "boot volume", as well as the "system partition". Disk
Management cannot manage the "system" and "boot" volumes as freely as it can
the other volumes. So, if I've misunderstood and the \Windows folder is on
your second HD, then post back with further questions.

RC

-- 
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
rc@corridor.net
Microsoft Windows MVP
"Carito" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:1ad8a01c41f1f$4409b2b0$a301280a@phx.gbl...
> Hello, can someone explain this to me. Im kinda lost. I
> have two hard drives. Both are Basic Disks one active and
> one system and both as NTFS. Now the help section says
> that I can right click on a drive and choose Create
> Partition but I dont have that option. Is it possible to
> create a partition on one of my drives without having to
> reformat it and loose the data? Should I copy my second
> drive to my first and then then reformat the second with
> an extended partition? Well I hope someone can explain
> this to me. Was there something that I should have
> specified when I originally set up the drives that would
> have enable me to be able to right click on one and choose
> to create or delete a prtition???  Thanks a lot
>
> Carito

• Previous message: deb: "c drive"
• In reply to: Carito: "Creating a disk partition"
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