Multiple Partitions on a 250 GB Hard Drive

[Spiff Rod]

I have a 250 GB hard drive currently setup with only one partition of 127 GB, since that is the largest that Windows will recognize for a single partition. I have information in this partition that I do not want to lose by reformatting and starting over to create two partitions.

In short, I want two partitions. The 127 GB partition is fine but the rest of the hard drive is unused. Is there a way that I can partition the rest of this drive without losing the information already on there? If so, how would I go about doing so?

 

[Harper]

What version of Windows are you using????

You should be able to set up the remain space as an EXTENDED PARTITION with a LOGICAL DRIVE inside that extended partion.

Otherwise, get yourself a copy of Partition Magic.

 

[ekÆsine]

the reason for your 127GB partition is this:

http://forums.devhardware.com/archive/21/2003/11/4/12557

you would do as Silesia says, but all you need is disk management which is a tool of winxp:

http://www.evozero.gamma.timdorr.com/computer-guides/basic_disks.htm#2kxp

 

[Spiff Rod]

Thanks for the replies so far, but I'm still not sure exactly what I need to do. I'm running Windows XP Home and I've updated it as much as possible, so I don't think that having SP1 would be a problem.

When I go to the disk manager I see a drive C, which is 127GB and a drive D, which is my CD-ROM. I believe that I can make further partitions of drive C, but thats not what I want to do. I want to be able to make another partition, say drive F, that will take up the rest of the available space on the hard drive.

What do you think my best approach would be?

 

[Harper]

While we are on the subject of hard drive and partitioning....

Under Windows Xp (and 2000), what is the simplest way of partitioning a new hard drive.

Currently, I am either using Partition Magic, which does an more than excellent job. How ever, not everyone has Partition Magic.
Or I am using the Window Xp OEM set up, and making my partitions there. This works again too, but I found that FDISK was so much faster.

 

[Harper]

Thanks for the replies so far, but I'm still not sure exactly what I need to do. I'm running Windows XP Home and I've updated it as much as possible, so I don't think that having SP1 would be a problem.

When I go to the disk manager I see a drive C, which is 127GB and a drive D, which is my CD-ROM. I believe that I can make further partitions of drive C, but thats not what I want to do. I want to be able to make another partition, say drive F, that will take up the rest of the available space on the hard drive.

What do you think my best approach would be?

Ummmmmmmmmmmm................... (Thinking Thinking Thinking)

Reboot your computer with your Windows Xp Disk in the drive. Follow the usual prompts there to set up windows XP. Then create a second partition there when it prompt you.
After you make the partition, quit set up, reboot the computer, and then you should see Drive D (or maybe E) and your other space that you have on your hard drive.

 

[RyanOldw83]

Right click my computer, Manage, Disk Management, Right click the box on the side of the disk (disk 0) Create logical drive, then theres a wizard that makes that drive usable but keeps all the stuff on your other partition.

 

[Spiff Rod]

Silesia:

If I do what you suggested, is there any way that the partition that I currently have, drive C, will be affected.. or rather formatted? That is something that I would really prefer did not happen.


Ryan:

When I go to disk manager and right click on the box on the side of Disk 0 I do not have the option to 'create logical drive'. I have 'open, explore, change drive letters and paths, properties, and help'. Any other suggestions?


Alternatively, if I were to copy everything off of this 250GB harddrive onto another and reformat the 250GB and set it up with 2 partitions from the start, would that be a better way to go about the whole thing?

 

[Harper]

Silesia:

If I do what you suggested, is there any way that the partition that I currently have, drive C, will be affected.. or rather formatted? That is something that I would really prefer did not happen.

Provided that you do not delete the partition that is all ready on there, I don't see any reason why it will effect your partition with stuff all ready on it.

Provided that you do not do not got on to the next stage of the windows installation where it starts copying stuff onto your hard drive, I don't see any reason why it will effect your partition with stuff all ready on it.

Sorry, but everything is in theory in my head on this issue. Unfortunatly, i have always had partition magic to this dirty work for me.

Although was RyanOldw83 has to say looks about right. My boss should be some thing like that not so long ago on the server.

 

[Spiff Rod]

Silesia:

When I boot from the Windows XP cd I am given the option to install it on my C: drive or unpartitioned space. The only problem with this is that the unpartitioned space is only 8MB and is 'reserved for Windows XP partitioning information'. It seems as though my system doesnt even recognize that there is another 120GB or so of unused space on the harddrive. Any more ideas?