Merge Partitions

[russel]

Is there any way to merge two partitions without making one partition a folder of the other partition?

Both Partition Magic 8 and the Windows XP disk manager will merge two partitions, but it makes one of the parititions a folder of the other partition.

I got into this situation because I have a 200GB hard drive, and when I install Windows XP Pro (cd doesn't have SP1), it only recognizes 127GB. After I install all the updates, it sees the other 60GB, but I can't add it to the original partition. I can only turn the free space into another paritition.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[_WW_]

First thing I would do is slipstream SP1 with XP and then install.

These might be useful to you...
<A HREF="http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/winxpsp1.html" target="_new">http://www.softwarepatch.com/windows/winxpsp1.html</A>
<A HREF="http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstream_01.htm" target="_new">http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstream_01.htm</A>

....WW (5.0)

 

[Flinx]

why not delete the 2nd partition and expand the first ?

The loving are the daring!

 

[russel]

Thanks for the advice.

I tried deleting one partition, and expanding the original partition, but both programs (Windows disk manager, and Partition Magic) won't let me expand the drive beyond the original partition settings.



I'll try the slipstream and then reinstall. Is there anyway to reinstall and still keep my old data and installed programs? Will this cause any slowdowns in my system, or should I just wipe everything and start over?

 

[Codesmith]

Partion Magic 8.0 will most definately let you resize your partion.

Try again. Post more details on the problem with PM.

Are you using NTFS? I think FAT32 has a size limitation?

And if you are deleting all your partions to create one big one when you reinstall then you will lose everthing on those partions.

If you do a repair installation you will keep most of your programs, but your partions will be the same.

 

[khha4113]

I tried deleting one partition, and expanding the original partition, but both programs (Windows disk manager, and Partition Magic) won't let me expand the drive beyond the original partition settings.

I think you only delete its logical drive but not the extended partition.
When you created partitions, usually one is Primary and the other is Extended. The Primary mostly used to contain OS and the extended partition can further create multiple logical drives inside it (in your case you only created 1 to its full capacity).

Good or Bad have no meaning at all, depends on what your point of view is.

 

[Codesmith]

I forgot to ask. What is wrong with the contents of one partion being placed in a folder on the new partion?

Are you perhaps thinking that there will in reality be two partions with one partition being mounted as a folder, like you can do with NTFS?

Because what you get will be one large partion with just a plain old folder with the contents of the 2nd partion.