Formatting

What I want to do is take some space from E and allocate it for C instead. If I run the Windows XP SP2 setup from a cd, can I reformat partitions C/D/E with different space allocations while keeping F compeletely intact?

I just don't want to be surprised by something like, if you want to resize partitions, you have to format the whole drive. So am I good?

You can delete specific partitions while leaving others.

So you'll be fine with leaving the F:/ drive while formatting the other 3. Unless what you mean is actually resizing without touching the data on the partitions, in which case you'll need another tool, as the XP Setup tool doesn't allow resizing, only deleting, formating and creating partitions.

You can delete specific partitions while leaving others.

So you'll be fine with leaving the F:/ drive while formatting the other 3. Unless what you mean is actually resizing without touching the data on the partitions, in which case you'll need another tool, as the XP Setup tool doesn't allow resizing, only deleting, formating and creating partitions.

G013M

Nope, you got it right the first time around :) Thanks.

I don't think you can remove the c: partition and keep the F: partition since the c: partition contains the master boot record (information about the other partitions).

I've been able to resize C: like crazy using BootIt NG. As far as what you are tryiing to do, I'm having trouble understanding.

You want to extend C: from E-?

You shoulud be able to do it with BootIt NG.

1) Resize E: make sure you do not resize it below what is currently on the disk! This is inherently risky, so keep that in mind.

2) Slide the "freespace" up to undernreath C:. This will take awhile as it literally copies byte-for-byte along the hard drive to basically slide the phsyical position.

3) Resize C: and add in the freespace.

KEEP IN MIND THAT I WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE OR LOSS OF DATA.

I think, I may have used 'partition magic', once... back in the win95 days.... Anyway, back then Partition Magic could do anything you wanted to your partitions.... and do it without messing up the data on the drives, too. I'm sure it's still that way. ...but that program is not freeware, you gotta pay for it.

Window's diskmanager doesn't allow very much.... and won't allow you to do anything with the system drive.

Thanks again for the responses guys. Ill give BootIt NG a try.

And for clarification, Im managing the partitions from the Windows XP CD - as you would when reinstalling windows.

To clarify my followup question, my partitions first looked like this:


[C] NTFS 6GB

[D] NTFS 2GB

[E] NTFS 60GB

[F] NTFS 150GB

After erasing slash unpartitioning C D E (from the windows XP boot disk), it showed the following:

Unpartitioned space 6GB

Unpartitioned space 62GB

[F] NTFS 150GB

As you can see, the space from D and E was combined, but C still remained separate, even though I cleared all three of them.

I was wondering if there was an explanation for this - and a solution. Thanks!

It might be becuase Partition F sits between the two unpartition spaces, and a partition has to be in one continuous block, you can't have it split into sections. Hence the two seperate unformatted spaces.

That's how I'm seeing it anyway.

1.back up all info to selected partition

2. run xp setup

3. delete all partitions but the one you want

4.format unused space

5 Install!