Partioning problems

KHalli · 25 Aug 2010

I have a 320Gb hard drive and made a clean install of Windows 7 Pro 64bit. During the installation, the recommended partition on my 320Gb hard drive was to allocate 50Gb for the system C: and the rest D: for data. Not being any wiser, I agreed to this and the installation continued. It is now only when the installation is complete (it is all working fine at the moment) and the programmes installed (incuding some heavy ones like Photshop and Pinaacle studio14) that the C: partion is very close to being full (only 7.13Gb left). There is, of course plenty of space on the remaining D: (over 200Gb). Is there anyway I can merge or remove the partion so that I don't have to worry about the C. disc filling up as I add documents or additional programmes? This is my first post and I am not an expert in these matters. I also don't want to lose any of my own data. I do have a la Cie 500 Gb hard disc for back up purpose. I hope that there is somebody who can throw some light on this. Many thanks in advance.

severedsolo · 25 Aug 2010

Hi KHalli welcome to Sevenforums :)

I have good news! what you want to do can be done, relatively easily.

First, can I make a small request? Please properly paragraph your posts, it makes it very difficult to read otherwise. Not being nasty about it, just a friendly request :)

Anyway: onto your problem.

If D has nothing on it, then this problem is VERY easy
1) First delete D: using this Tutorial: Partition or Volume - Delete
2) Then extend C using this tutorial: Partition or Volume - Extend
3) Finally recreate D using this tutorial: Partition or Volume - Create New

As a guideline, I always try to go for a ratio of OS partition 1/3 of the drive vs Data Partition 2/3 of the drive. so on your drive, I would make c: roughly 100GB and D roughly 200GB.

If there is stuff on D: DONT PANIC! and don't follow the above instructions. Just let us know, and we'll talk you through some alternative ways.

KHalli · 25 Aug 2010

Thank-you Martin and my apolgies for the grammatical errors. I had been dealing with a help-line earlier which wouldnt' accept any syntax whatsoever, so I guess I just stayed in "that " mode

To answer your question, there is data on the D: partition. This is mainly personal stuff and some programme files from an earlier XP Pro installation. I have the La Cie 500Gb hard drive available, so I suppose I could transfer the D: partition data to that and then carry out the various steps you have outlined in your post. What do you think?

I am mightily impressed with the rapid feedback. This is real help and friendly too:)

whs · 25 Aug 2010

Yes, after you saved your data from D, you can proceed as Martin has posted.

But I would probably leave C at a maximum of 50GBs and move all my user folders (Documents, Pictures, etc.) to D. This would be the simplest solution. It has the added advantage that your data is safe in case your system needs to be reinstalled from scratch or from an image.

If you like to persue that option, let me know and I give you the detailed instructions on how to do that correctly.

KHalli · 25 Aug 2010

Thanks to you too WHS. I hear what you are saying about leaving the C: at 50GB. The thing is is that I have already transferred "My Documents" Photos Music etc to the D:

The problem is that I have some very greedy, but necessary to my work programmes linked to the system on C: and this is what is making it so bulky.

I really think that for some decent breathing space, I should, as Martin suggests increase the C: to 100 GB and then I stiill have 200GB for the D: As this is a brand new machine and very fast, I might add an extra internal hard drive at some point for extra data and I still have the 500GB la Cie as back-up. What do you think?

whs · 25 Aug 2010

If you have already moved the user folders, then I guess you have to extend your C. I suppose I was going from my own C which never exceeds 20GBs - but that is not your case.

Bare Foot Kid · 25 Aug 2010

Hello KHalli, welcome to Seven Forums!

You should be able to do an in-place resize with the progran listed in the tutorial at the link below; be sure to look over the whole tutorial first to get a good understanding of how things can be done with it. Be sure to make back-ups of anything first that you would not want to lose, few, if any have had issues with Partition Wizard but you would not want to be the first.

Be sure to keep us informed.

Partition Wizard : Use the Bootable CD

Alphamale · 25 Aug 2010

Hey severedsolo that is really cool. Works great thanks.

gregrocker · 25 Aug 2010

If you don't want to move your data off D, use free Partition Wizard CD as suggested by BFK.

Boot PW CD, selecvt 1 for screen res, rightclick on D, select Resize, grab left grey border and slide it to right to make enough room to expand your C Win7 partition to where you want it, click OK.

Now rightclick on C, select Resize, grab right grey border to slide it all the way to right up to the new left border you made for D, OK, Apply all steps.

KHalli · 25 Aug 2010

My Dear Cyber friends, my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for your friendly and speedy expert advice. As a log-term hater of wading through thousands of FAQ's,

the "hands-on" experience on this Forum has been a soothing balm to my sweating brow.

In the end and after weighing up the situation, I decided to go with severedsolo's aka Martin's solution. I have to say that this went surprisingly easily and logically. Mind you, I would have never found those tools without this Forum:)

So, I now have a resized C: of about 100GB and a new D: at just over 200GB, without tears or loss of any valuable data. I can't thank you enough. Have a wonderful Autumn.

Best regards, Keith