Windows 7 - Partitioning Trouble

I want to delete my HP C:\ partition which has Vista installed on it, i have Windows 7 build 7100 installed on the Windows 7 A:\ partition.
I want to delete the C:\ partition and extend A:\ over it.
The system will not allow me to delete the C:\ partition, how do i do it?
Thanks in advance

http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l...Untitled-1.png

Move your page file off of C: to H:.

Reboot. Then you should be able to format C:, then combine the two into one partition.

You will need to do a startup repair after combining partitions.

Hi rsv,


From your screenshot, C: is the System partition - it contains the 7 bootfiles.



1. First, make 7 (A) the System partition :

Go to Folder options, dot "Show Hidden Files,folders and drives" and untick "Hide protected operating system files".

You will see bootmgr and a yellow Boot folder on the C drive.

Copy them both to the A drive. ( It won't let you copy bcd - skip it).

Open an elevated command prompt and type:

bcdedit /export C:\Boot\bcd A:\Boot bcd

Go into Disk Management and rt click A and mark as active.

I assume 7 is the default boot option in the boot menu - open msconfig, click the boot tab, highlight the Vista entry and delete.

Reboot into 7.

You no longer need C.

2. You need a 3rd party partition manager to get the 7 partition into the lower address spaces on the left. It cannot be done with Disk Management.

You can use the "Move " function on Gparted boot cd - and do a startup repair to correct the bcd entry.

Or you can delete C and use the "Copy partition"function on the Paragon boot disc to copy A to what is now the unallocated space where C was - it will update bcd for you.

You will be able to boot into both the new copy, and the existing A partition.

To keep only the new copy, Mark it active, reboot and delete A. Then you can extend the new partition into the unallocated space on it's right.

@SIW2

What do you mean by "You need a 3rd party partition manager to get the 7 partition into the lower address spaces on the left. It cannot be done with Disk Management"?

No, Disk management can not move anything to the left.

Unless you want to leave your 7 partition where it and the size it is - you need a 3rd party app.

Gparted is free:

http://sourceforge.net/project/downl...zip&a=94605667

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/download.php

Full instructions here - it says Vista - instructions for 7 are the same - you need a dvd of 7 to do the startup repair afterwards:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windo...sta-partition/

Make A the System partition before you move it.