Combine partitions and reinstall windows

lee101 · 08-25-2005, 12:51 PM

Hi,
My laptop has 3 partitions of one HDD and i would like to know if it is possible to combine them all into one, C, and then format the HDD and reinstall windows, i know this may sound very simple to some of you but i have never had to install an OS or format my HDD before, i relyed on annoying system restore disks, also if i was to do this where would i find the activation key for XP, is it the code on the windows sticker? Could someone please explain to me how to do this as i need to get my laptop fixed by tomorrow if possible

Thanks,
Lee

elmarcorulz · 08-25-2005, 12:53 PM

download a program called partition magic. this will allow you to merge the partitions, and has a simple interface.

lee101 · 08-25-2005, 12:55 PM

Thnks for the quick reply, i thought i would have to use something like that but once i have done that how do i format my HDD, or do i just restart with my windows CD inserted and then will it do everything automatically?

elmarcorulz · 08-25-2005, 01:27 PM

it wont do it automatically, but it will give you the option just before it installs windows

[-0MEGA-] · 08-25-2005, 01:34 PM

you dont even need partition magic, just restart your system and pop in the windows xp cd, then when it gives you a list of hard drives and partitions, just delete the other partitions and you will have one whole one.

elmarcorulz · 08-25-2005, 01:42 PM

oh damn, good point geoff

lee101 · 08-25-2005, 02:05 PM

Ok, thanks for them replys, i will do it in a min when i have had my dinner

kof2000 · 08-25-2005, 02:37 PM

before you reformat, you can find out your cdkey by running tweak xp.

lee101 · 08-25-2005, 03:45 PM

I have downloaded tweak XP and Magic jellybean keyfinder so i can find the cd key and they both give me the same code, although there is a sticker on the bottom of my laptop which has a different code written on it, should i just ignore the sticker or the keys that i got from tweak XP?
thanks!

elmarcorulz · 08-25-2005, 04:56 PM

i would use the code on the case, but write down the key from magic jelly bean too, just incase.

08-25-2005, 12:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
lee101 VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Age: 17 Posts: 1,150	Combine partitions and reinstall windows Hi, My laptop has 3 partitions of one HDD and i would like to know if it is possible to combine them all into one, C, and then format the HDD and reinstall windows, i know this may sound very simple to some of you but i have never had to install an OS or format my HDD before, i relyed on annoying system restore disks, also if i was to do this where would i find the activation key for XP, is it the code on the windows sticker? Could someone please explain to me how to do this as i need to get my laptop fixed by tomorrow if possible Thanks, Lee __________________ My PC: Core2Duo E6300 @ 1.86 Ghz, Asus P5v-VM DH , 200 GB Maxtor SATA ,2GB (21GB Kingston DDRII), Radeon x1650 Graphics (256 mb), 2 Acer 17 inch TFT's, Windows Vista Home Premium Server: AMD Athlon XP 2800+ 256 Mb Ram, 8Gb IDE for o/s, 2 * 250GB SATAII for storage, Ubuntu Server 7.10

08-25-2005, 12:53 PM	#2 (permalink)
elmarcorulz VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Age: 22 Posts: 6,033	download a program called partition magic. this will allow you to merge the partitions, and has a simple interface. __________________ C2D E6300 @ 2.6Ghz Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 2GB DDR2 667 1TB (1x500GB 2x250GB HDD) BFG 8800GTS 320MB PFC Til I Die

08-25-2005, 12:55 PM	#3 (permalink)
lee101 VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Age: 17 Posts: 1,150	Thnks for the quick reply, i thought i would have to use something like that but once i have done that how do i format my HDD, or do i just restart with my windows CD inserted and then will it do everything automatically? __________________ My PC: Core2Duo E6300 @ 1.86 Ghz, Asus P5v-VM DH , 200 GB Maxtor SATA ,2GB (21GB Kingston DDRII), Radeon x1650 Graphics (256 mb), 2 Acer 17 inch TFT's, Windows Vista Home Premium Server: AMD Athlon XP 2800+ 256 Mb Ram, 8Gb IDE for o/s, 2 * 250GB SATAII for storage, Ubuntu Server 7.10

08-25-2005, 01:27 PM	#4 (permalink)
elmarcorulz VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Age: 22 Posts: 6,033	it wont do it automatically, but it will give you the option just before it installs windows __________________ C2D E6300 @ 2.6Ghz Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 2GB DDR2 667 1TB (1x500GB 2x250GB HDD) BFG 8800GTS 320MB PFC Til I Die

08-25-2005, 01:34 PM	#5 (permalink)
[-0MEGA-] VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Concord, NH Age: 20 Posts: 27,459	you dont even need partition magic, just restart your system and pop in the windows xp cd, then when it gives you a list of hard drives and partitions, just delete the other partitions and you will have one whole one. __________________ Core 2 Quad Q9550 @ 4.1GHz Asus Rampage Formula X48 ATI 4870X2 2GB GDDR5 (800/1900) 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 960 750GB SATAII w/32MB Creative SB X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty SilverStone 750W +12V@60A 3DMark06: 22605

08-25-2005, 01:42 PM	#6 (permalink)
elmarcorulz VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Age: 22 Posts: 6,033	oh damn, good point geoff __________________ C2D E6300 @ 2.6Ghz Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 2GB DDR2 667 1TB (1x500GB 2x250GB HDD) BFG 8800GTS 320MB PFC Til I Die

08-25-2005, 02:05 PM	#7 (permalink)
lee101 VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Age: 17 Posts: 1,150	Ok, thanks for them replys, i will do it in a min when i have had my dinner __________________ My PC: Core2Duo E6300 @ 1.86 Ghz, Asus P5v-VM DH , 200 GB Maxtor SATA ,2GB (21GB Kingston DDRII), Radeon x1650 Graphics (256 mb), 2 Acer 17 inch TFT's, Windows Vista Home Premium Server: AMD Athlon XP 2800+ 256 Mb Ram, 8Gb IDE for o/s, 2 * 250GB SATAII for storage, Ubuntu Server 7.10

08-25-2005, 02:37 PM	#8 (permalink)
kof2000 Diamond Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Oahu Age: 27 Posts: 6,273	before you reformat, you can find out your cdkey by running tweak xp. __________________ QX9650@4.2 swiftech \|9600@3.0 9700 nt 780i \| 790fx 8gb ddr1200 \| 8gb ddr1200 2x150gb 3x1tb \|2x250gb 3x8800gtx \|3x2900xt 1gb 2x20xdvdrw \|2x20xdvdrw 15in1 card reader \|15in1 card reader ng15/g9 \|ng15/g9 1200w psu \|1200w psu 2x28" LCD \|2x28" LCD

08-25-2005, 03:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
lee101 VIP Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK Age: 17 Posts: 1,150	I have downloaded tweak XP and Magic jellybean keyfinder so i can find the cd key and they both give me the same code, although there is a sticker on the bottom of my laptop which has a different code written on it, should i just ignore the sticker or the keys that i got from tweak XP? thanks! __________________ My PC: Core2Duo E6300 @ 1.86 Ghz, Asus P5v-VM DH , 200 GB Maxtor SATA ,2GB (21GB Kingston DDRII), Radeon x1650 Graphics (256 mb), 2 Acer 17 inch TFT's, Windows Vista Home Premium Server: AMD Athlon XP 2800+ 256 Mb Ram, 8Gb IDE for o/s, 2 * 250GB SATAII for storage, Ubuntu Server 7.10

08-25-2005, 04:56 PM	#10 (permalink)
elmarcorulz VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: UK Age: 22 Posts: 6,033	i would use the code on the case, but write down the key from magic jelly bean too, just incase. __________________ C2D E6300 @ 2.6Ghz Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 2GB DDR2 667 1TB (1x500GB 2x250GB HDD) BFG 8800GTS 320MB PFC Til I Die

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