Help Moving and Resizing Partitions

MitchellLutzke · 05-04-2008, 07:11 PM

Ok, so here is my problem. My hard drive is currently formatted like this

|-------D: empty 146gig-------|--------C: Windows Vista 143gig---------|

I cannot extend the windows vista partition to take advantage of the empty space because it is placed after the empty space on my hard drive, preventing me from extending the partition.

Vista is letter C and the empty space is formatted as D. What I need to do is somehow move the vista partition to the front of the disk so I can extend it to take up some of the empty space. I would like it to be like this.

|------C: Windows Vista---250gig------|--D:small_backup_partition--50gig|

Is this possible at all WITHOUT reinstallation? What might help is the vista partition is smaller than the space of the empty partition.

Thanks for any help anyone can provide me with. I do not have any other hard drives to move data to besides an 80gig, so I'm pretty much limited to moving data around on this disk. Also if needed I can use the partition editor on my ubuntu live cd, but it tends to be a little flaky at times so I would rather not.

Edit: Sorry, just realized this probably should be in the hard drive category, sorry about that, new to the forum.

What I was thinking I could do was copy the contents of the vista partition to the empty partition, then I would probably have to change the BCD to pick up the right partition when booting or I could probably run the cd and see if it repairs and recovers it. Then I would change the drive letter to C.

g25racer · 05-05-2008, 03:47 AM

Go to start menu and right click "computer" and click "manage". Then click "disk management" under storage. Right click on the drive and you can change the drive letter and path and also extend the volume's.

MitchellLutzke · 05-05-2008, 08:44 PM

I can't do that because windows vista partition is at the end of the disk while the free partition is at the front, I can't extend it to include the free partition in the front because apparently the free space has to be in a partition after the windows vista partition :/

g25racer · 05-05-2008, 09:09 PM

Then I would say just backup all your data on another pc or an external HDD and reformat and do it the correct way!

MitchellLutzke · 05-05-2008, 10:27 PM

I was hoping to find a way to do this without reinstallation, but I guess it just isn't possible. I was trying to do it without reinstallation because I'm the main tech person in the family and my dad goes nuts when I have to take up 3-4 days setting up the computer. Thanks for your help anyway though.

g25racer · 05-05-2008, 10:35 PM

Sorry that I couldnt help

jammiedodger · 05-06-2008, 08:30 PM

Use a program like Norton Ghost to copy from one partition to the other, but then you are going to have to get another program such as partition magic to make the other partition as an Active MBR!

hackapelite · 05-07-2008, 05:51 AM

I've heard that GParted can play around with your partitions without wiping anything out... and it's a free program.

05-04-2008, 07:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
MitchellLutzke New Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Middle of Nowhere Posts: 13	Help Moving and Resizing Partitions Ok, so here is my problem. My hard drive is currently formatted like this \|-------D: empty 146gig-------\|--------C: Windows Vista 143gig---------\| I cannot extend the windows vista partition to take advantage of the empty space because it is placed after the empty space on my hard drive, preventing me from extending the partition. Vista is letter C and the empty space is formatted as D. What I need to do is somehow move the vista partition to the front of the disk so I can extend it to take up some of the empty space. I would like it to be like this. \|------C: Windows Vista---250gig------\|--D:small_backup_partition--50gig\| Is this possible at all WITHOUT reinstallation? What might help is the vista partition is smaller than the space of the empty partition. Thanks for any help anyone can provide me with. I do not have any other hard drives to move data to besides an 80gig, so I'm pretty much limited to moving data around on this disk. Also if needed I can use the partition editor on my ubuntu live cd, but it tends to be a little flaky at times so I would rather not. Edit: Sorry, just realized this probably should be in the hard drive category, sorry about that, new to the forum. What I was thinking I could do was copy the contents of the vista partition to the empty partition, then I would probably have to change the BCD to pick up the right partition when booting or I could probably run the cd and see if it repairs and recovers it. Then I would change the drive letter to C. __________________ Current System: >> AMD 5000+ Brisbane Black Edition 3.2Ghz - $135 >> 2Gb Mushkin ram >> Gigabyte S-Series Motherboard >> PNY 8800gt 512mb >> Rosewill 400 watt PSU >> 320Gb Seagate Hard Drive Last edited by MitchellLutzke; 05-04-2008 at 08:00 PM.

05-05-2008, 03:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
g25racer Diamond Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,750	Go to start menu and right click "computer" and click "manage". Then click "disk management" under storage. Right click on the drive and you can change the drive letter and path and also extend the volume's. __________________ CPU - AMD Athlon 64x2 5200+ @ 2.6ghz Ram - 2GB Stock clock HD - 320gb seagate & Samsung 750gb 32mb cache GPU - XFX 8600GT XXX Zalman @ 680 or 700mhz PSU - Ultra X-finity 600watt OS - Vista Home Premium(32) & XP Pro and Vista Audio - JVC 460watts Control - Logitech G25 Wheel & Logitech Rumblepad 2 Games - GTR2 and LFS -- Race Sim's for Life --

05-05-2008, 08:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
MitchellLutzke New Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Middle of Nowhere Posts: 13	I can't do that because windows vista partition is at the end of the disk while the free partition is at the front, I can't extend it to include the free partition in the front because apparently the free space has to be in a partition after the windows vista partition :/ __________________ Current System: >> AMD 5000+ Brisbane Black Edition 3.2Ghz - $135 >> 2Gb Mushkin ram >> Gigabyte S-Series Motherboard >> PNY 8800gt 512mb >> Rosewill 400 watt PSU >> 320Gb Seagate Hard Drive

05-05-2008, 09:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
g25racer Diamond Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,750	Then I would say just backup all your data on another pc or an external HDD and reformat and do it the correct way! __________________ CPU - AMD Athlon 64x2 5200+ @ 2.6ghz Ram - 2GB Stock clock HD - 320gb seagate & Samsung 750gb 32mb cache GPU - XFX 8600GT XXX Zalman @ 680 or 700mhz PSU - Ultra X-finity 600watt OS - Vista Home Premium(32) & XP Pro and Vista Audio - JVC 460watts Control - Logitech G25 Wheel & Logitech Rumblepad 2 Games - GTR2 and LFS -- Race Sim's for Life --

05-05-2008, 10:27 PM	#5 (permalink)
MitchellLutzke New Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Middle of Nowhere Posts: 13	I was hoping to find a way to do this without reinstallation, but I guess it just isn't possible. I was trying to do it without reinstallation because I'm the main tech person in the family and my dad goes nuts when I have to take up 3-4 days setting up the computer. Thanks for your help anyway though. __________________ Current System: >> AMD 5000+ Brisbane Black Edition 3.2Ghz - $135 >> 2Gb Mushkin ram >> Gigabyte S-Series Motherboard >> PNY 8800gt 512mb >> Rosewill 400 watt PSU >> 320Gb Seagate Hard Drive

05-05-2008, 10:35 PM	#6 (permalink)
g25racer Diamond Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,750	Sorry that I couldnt help __________________ CPU - AMD Athlon 64x2 5200+ @ 2.6ghz Ram - 2GB Stock clock HD - 320gb seagate & Samsung 750gb 32mb cache GPU - XFX 8600GT XXX Zalman @ 680 or 700mhz PSU - Ultra X-finity 600watt OS - Vista Home Premium(32) & XP Pro and Vista Audio - JVC 460watts Control - Logitech G25 Wheel & Logitech Rumblepad 2 Games - GTR2 and LFS -- Race Sim's for Life --

05-06-2008, 08:30 PM	#7 (permalink)
jammiedodger Bronze Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 29	Use a program like Norton Ghost to copy from one partition to the other, but then you are going to have to get another program such as partition magic to make the other partition as an Active MBR!

05-07-2008, 05:51 AM	#8 (permalink)
hackapelite Platinum Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Solicitor's office Posts: 518	I've heard that GParted can play around with your partitions without wiping anything out... and it's a free program. __________________ BY READING THE ABOVE POST, YOU AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING: "The above post is provided solely for entertainment purposes and is not to be taken as professional advice. Therefore, I shall not be held responsible for any damage or losses that are result from anything I have posted, to the extent applicable by law. In the unlikely event that I CAN be held responsible, I have never been here, I am not here, and I will never be here, and it will be highly questionable whether I even exist."

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