Mismatched Partitions

[Simsarmy]

As a result of some unfortunate and probably irrelevant problems earlier this week, I've had to wipe my Hard Drive and install a fresh copy of Windows from my Backup DVD.

Everything is now set up at Factory Installation:

 

Packard Bell
Pentium 4 CPU 2.93GHz
2.50 GB of Ram

Description    Disk drive
Manufacturer    (Standard disk drives)
Model    SAMSUNG HD321KJ
Bytes/Sector    512
Media Loaded    Yes
Media Type    Fixed	hard disk media
Partitions    4
SCSI Bus    0
SCSI Logical Unit    0
SCSI Port    0
SCSI Target ID    0
Sectors/Track    63
Size    298.09 GB (320,070,320,640 bytes)
Total Cylinders    38,913
Total Sectors    625,137,345
Total Tracks    9,922,815
Tracks/Cylinder    255
Partition    Disk #0, Partition #0
Partition Size    29.30 GB (31,461,663,744 bytes)
Partition Starting Offset    32,256 bytes
Partition    Disk #0, Partition #1
Partition Size    268.79 GB (288,608,624,640 bytes)
Partition Starting Offset    31,461,696,000 bytes

Drive    A:
Description    3 1/2 Inch Floppy Drive
   
Drive    C:
Description    Local Fixed Disk
Compressed    No
File System    NTFS
Size    29.30 GB (31,461,662,720 bytes)
Free Space    19.19 GB (20,604,915,712 bytes)
Volume Name    HDD
Volume Serial Number    BCBD62EF
   
[b]Drive    D:
Description    Local Fixed Disk
Compressed    No
File System    NTFS
Size    239.49 GB (257,146,892,288 bytes)
Free Space    239.37 GB (257,026,871,296 bytes)
Volume Name    
Volume Serial Number    9C008194[/b]
   
Drive    E:
Description    CD-ROM Disc
   
Drive    F:
Description    Local Fixed Disk
Compressed    No
File System    NTFS
Size    465.76 GB (500,105,216,000 bytes)
Free Space    78.92 GB (84,740,890,624 bytes)
Volume Name    HD-CEU2
Volume Serial Number    4C7E5BF7

Unfortunately something wrong seems to have happened when my Restore Disks partitioned the Hard Disk, in My Computer I can see two Partitions:

 

HDD (NTFS) with 29.3 GB of space

and

Local Disk (NTFS) with 239 GB of space.

 

Am I able to simply reduce the size of "Local Disk" and increase HDD?

Can I merge the two?

Or is has something slightly more serious gone wrong?

 

I had also recently used Gparted to give 30 GB to Drapper.

 

Thank you for any help.

 

- Simsarmy

Edited April 20, 2009 by Simsarmy

[Tootech]

Am I able to simply reduce the size of "Local Disk" and increase HDD?

Can I merge the two?

 

Yes you can.

 

Assuming C: and D: are the same drive, you can use a partitioning tool to reduce D: size, and give it to C: drive.

 

Or Use Disk Management to delete D: drive, and then use a partitioning tool to increase C: drive to take all of the now free space.

 

Have a look at this partitioning tool - well recommended.

 

Norton Partition Magic alternative: Partition Manager freeware for Windows 2000/XP/Vista - FREE EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition

 

I had also recently used Gparted to give 30 GB to Drapper

 

Not quite sure about this bit - your printout doesn't show another 30GB partition - was that before or after the rebuild?

[Simsarmy]

Yes you can.

 

Assuming C: and D: are the same drive, you can use a partitioning tool to reduce D: size, and give it to C: drive.

 

Or Use Disk Management to delete D: drive, and then use a partitioning tool to increase C: drive to take all of the now free space.

 

Have a look at this partitioning tool - well recommended.

 

Norton Partition Magic alternative: Partition Manager freeware for Windows 2000/XP/Vista - FREE EASEUS Partition Master Home Edition

 

 

 

Not quite sure about this bit - your printout doesn't show another 30GB partition - was that before or after the rebuild?

 

Hmm, the interesting thing is that Local Disk isn't empty.

 

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l137/simsarmy/LocalDisk.jpg

 

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l137/simsarmy/LocalDiskContents.jpg

 

Also, I've shown that information after I installed HardyHeron* (*got it wrong last time), I don't know why it doesn't display the 30GB partition.

[Tootech]

Now it makes sense - Windows can't see Linux Partitions under normal circumstances - thats why its not there. Its probably an Ext3 partition.

 

Disk Manager and Easeus will just see it as a 30GB healthy partition, with an unknown file structure.

 

I am guessing that the standard computer didn't use a 300GB Samsung drive, and that you've changed it at some point.

 

It looks like the recovery has setup your Windows partition as normal, and left the rest of the space as D: drive - I bet if you look at the contents of D, its less than 1GB. D: is often reserved as a recovery partition.

 

Does that sound sensible?

 

Check it all in Disk Manager, and run the Easeus and check again to confirm it sees the same structure.

 

Post a Disk Manager screenshot if you need more help.

 

Then decrease the size of the large partition, leaving your D: Windows in place and the 30GB Linux partition. There may also be another partition showing - the Linux swap file, leave that as it is.

 

Reboot and increase your C: drive size accordingly.

[Guest Wolfeymole]

We definitely need a Disk Management screen shot.

[Simsarmy]

As requested:

 

 

http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l137/simsarmy/DiskManagment.jpg

 

 

 

 

Ignore HD-CEU2, it's my External Hard Drive (used to back up when I did the wipe).

[Tootech]

Thanks for the info.

 

Did you ever change the hard drive - from the info it shows as a large Samsung drive - I don't think Packard Bell would ship with one of those beasts.

 

Just one other thing - the contents of D: drive, can you check the used space - ie the full capacity of that Windows folder. Looking at the D capacity, and used space, a Windows backup seems not possible. Just be wise to check it out before diving in.

 

The Linux partition and Swap File partition check out - they are the 28.05 GB and 1.25GB.

 

All considered, the only unknown is that set of files on D:, but there is a massive amount of free space so check them out, make sure all the numbers add up and shrink D drive.

 

Again, if you wish to drop back some more info before you start, please do.

 

I should perhaps add that you ought back up any important files before you start - you probably have done, but its worthy of mention :)

[Simsarmy]

Thanks for the info.

 

Did you ever change the hard drive - from the info it shows as a large Samsung drive - I don't think Packard Bell would ship with one of those beasts.

 

Yup, sorry. It's a newly installed Hard Drive.

 

 

Just one other thing - the contents of D: drive, can you check the used space - ie the full capacity of that Windows folder. Looking at the D capacity, and used space, a Windows backup seems not possible. Just be wise to check it out before diving in.

 

It's actually used 114MB. Which is interesting, since the majority (at least 95%) of the folders are empty. (currently able to see hidden folders, still nothing).

 

 

The Linux partition and Swap File partition check out - they are the 28.05 GB and 1.25GB.

 

All considered, the only unknown is that set of files on D:, but there is a massive amount of free space so check them out, make sure all the numbers add up and shrink D drive.

 

Again, if you wish to drop back some more info before you start, please do.

 

I should perhaps add that you ought back up any important files before you start - you probably have done, but its worthy of mention :)

 

Just want to be totally sure before changing the partition sizes.

Based on the current 114MB size of Local Disk, what size do you think I should make it?

[Tootech]

Just looking in Disk Management again, your used space is about .11GB, which works out at about the 110 ish MB you have checked - thats all in order.

 

If it was mine, I'd take out about 235GB from D and add it to C. Otherwise its just wasted space. That leaves about 5GB D partition.

 

Its a new drive, a disk check isn't strictly necessary, but all considered I'd do it anyway before resizing, on both C and D.

 

Its really dotting the I's and crossing the the T's!

 

Do it from My Computer, right click over C: drive, down to Properties, Tools, Error Checking. Tick both boxes, and Start. For C: drive, the check will be done on reboot. Same for D, but a reboot won't be needed.

 

Once done, start work on your partitions.