struggling with the old stuff still on this laptop

ignatzatsonic said:

Thelma:

There's nothing "wrong" with the way the Toshiba is partitioned now into 4 partitions. You can stay with that if you want.

The only problem might be when one of those 4 partitions gets nearly full. It would be a major pain to try to enlarge it at that time. And you can't tell how quickly each of those 4 partitions might fill up. They will likely fill up at different rates.

All 4 are about the same size now. G and H are empty. F is about 10 percent full and I is already nearly half full.

If you wanted to change this, you would likely copy what is now on I to F or maybe to C.

Then delete G, H, and I.

Then add that space from G, H, and I to F.

F would then be the only partition on the Toshiba.

You'd then move any files you may have copied to C back to F.

Hello Iggy :) I am back here. Thanks for the above, I am gonna try doing this with mini tool as Mike mentioned.
The photo files ( windows live photo gallery ) that I backed from my Dell on the Toshiba and then installed on the HP are OK but very slow reacting. Is that because they where moved about ?

Will the (only) orignal I have now on Toshiba get even more slower by doing these partition changes ?

I just don't want that to happen,
Thanks for answer in advance.
Thelma

Barman58 said:

Thelma, if your intention is to wipe and re-install there is no need to treat the wipe and install as two operations. Obviously you need to backup your personal stuff before you start.

If you have access to and decide to use the manufacturer's restore this will by default wipe the disk as part of the restore

If you decide to perform a clean install from "proper" media then part way through the install you have a screen where you have to decide and tell the installer the location you wish to install to - this page contains a drive options (advanced) button which allows you to wipe the disk and also set up partitions etc. If you go this way you will need to make sure that drivers are available and you preferably have them on a USB ready and waiting, also you need to consider if you wish to retain any recovery partition if so just remove all other partitions. You would also need access to the original COA for a key to activate

The issue you have with the original user should be an easy fix, log-in with the original owner ID and create a new user, make sure this new user is an administrator account, log in in future as this new user - set things up as your want and when happy delete the original owner account, (you can also select to place all the Original owner stuff in a folder on the desktop which may be archived just in case

I am reading all this again and try to understand and use. Thanks ( a bit late ) Barman

thelma said:

The photo files ( windows live photo gallery ) that I backed from my Dell on the Toshiba and then installed on the HP are OK but very slow reacting. Is that because they where moved about ?

Will the (only) orignal I have now on Toshiba get even more slower by doing these partition changes ?

The partitioning scheme should have no effect at all on speed. If you have speed issues, it's likely for some other reason.

The advantages of proper partition setup are related to the most efficient use of space, ease of backup, and simplification of file management. Just try to use a single partition when possible with a folder and sub-folder setup that makes sense to you so you can quickly find a particular file when you need to, rather than wondering "where did I put that?".

OK, I have downloaded the mini tool partition wizard and looked several times at the video trying to find out how to put data from one partition in to an other, I think that is called" Merge".

I don't understand it, or the video is to chaotic and unclear ( no voice as well ) or I am to stupid to get it.

Had a look on YouTube as well, nothing, at least, nothing I found.

Does someone know off a good explication knocking about somewhere ?

Thanks,
Thelma

If all you want to do is move personal data from one partition to another, all you have to use is the keyboard or mouse.

You don't need Partition Wizard for that.

Partition Wizard is a tool for modifying, deleting, or making partitions--partition management in general. Moving personal data doesn't involve any of that.

Post back when you have the data copied where you want.

It's been a while since I used Partition Wizard, but I'm not sure you need to use "merge".

The merge is useful in specific circumstances,

Lets say that you have a system with several drives each containing a partition or several. It may happen that you get close to filling a particular partition and if all the space on the drive is used for other partitions, merge allows you to combine two partitions without losing data. if you just want to move data around the file manager is a lot easier :)

All you have to do is copy and paste.

What are you doing now Thelma ? I thought we were about to reinstall windows on the HP, did you abandon the plan ?

I thought you were putting the data onto dvd`s ?

As mentioned, you don`t use PW to move data.

Hello Brian :),

Yes of coarse I am gonna do the reinstall on the HP.

I am preparing for that !

Need the Toshiba nice and tidy because I will be using it during the process.

Also I am reading all there is to know about doing a reinstall. For you geeks an easy thing to do, for me an enormous mountain of uncertainties I need to conquer !

When I totally understand what I am doing I will attack it and not before.

No rush

Hello :),

I have done a lot of home work. Created an image of C drive on the Toshiba with Macrium reflect. It was successful.
I have burned a rescue Disk.
I have been, for the first time into my BIOS and had a look round. On my HP laptop it is F 10.
I have read the tutorial's about a clean install off Brink and Gregrocker, also the Upgrated Windows install, as this laptop was probably sometime upgrated from Vista to Windows 7 SP 1 Pro.

I have some questions.

I have no Ethernet cable, never had one, does that matter ?
When I am asked to give the product key do I put the "-" figures in between the Numbers and Letters.

When I start this clean install is my Toshiba external hard drive in the USB port ? I ask this because all my stuff is now on there.



Somewhere I read I have to backup all my drivers. How do I do that ?
After the first install, there is a moment ( looked at the You Tube video of Seven Forums ), when the screen goes blank and then starts again. I understand that you need to take out the installation DVD at that moment in order to prevent it from starting from that again.
Do I have to deal with EFI Bios and UEFI, CSM, legacy Bios ? As this laptop is 10 years old or more.
There are more but I forgot , should have made a better list .

Thanks in advance for any help.

By the way, there are no passwords set in BIOS, which was the case on my DELL and very annoying if you don't remember them.

I am getting real mixed feelings about this

Your laptop should have a tag on it that has a SNID on it
That is the easiest way to search the manufactures website for the drivers for the machine
Otherwise you have to search the model.... which can be harder to find through their menus

Don't worry about removing the dvd I never have I just wait and use eject from the computer screen
Right click the cd/ dvd drive and select eject after you get to the desktop
Windows will not attempt to reinstall

Yes you'd want to disconnect all attached devices especially back ups.

You would have Legacy bios so nothing to do there Thelma.