Solved Windows 7 Home Premium will not show other hard disk drives &partition

[Ty Tonus Burman]

Windows 7 Home Premium will not show other hard disk drives &partition

Hey there 7 forums!

I've just graduated from the Vista Forums (Thank god) with my purchase of Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

So far, it's great; there is one little problem though:

Upon installation, i created a 50gb partition on my 500gb drive (Drive C: )

So, when I'm on my computer, it only shows one hard drive, drive C:, and with a maximum capacity of 50gb. However, i also have a 750gb hard drive, and the rest of the space on the 500.

I've looked into it, and its simply the "missing drive letter and paths" issue, and that's easy to fix. However, Diskmgmt.msc doesn't give me the option to do anything to the remaining 450gb from my primary drive.

Any help would be appreciated,
Thank you.

 

[Kaktussoft]

please post a full blown picture of diskmanagement (diskmgmt.msc)

 

[ignatzatsonic]

I'd at least consider expanding that C to a bit more than 50, but yeah, post a screenshot.

 

[whs]

If C: is the only partition you defined on this drive, then that is all you will see in Computer. The sceenshot will clarify.

 

[Ty Tonus Burman]

Here you are, hope this helps:

 

[ignatzatsonic]

You can't highlight that 415 GB unallocated space and make a partition?

 

[Ty Tonus Burman]

Would creating a new partition be done with "New simple volume"? And when it asks to format that section, I should accept it correct? I have nothing else on the drive.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Yes--new simple volume.

If you want to make C a bit larger, now is the time to do it--before you make the new partition.

Yes--accept the offer to format.

 

[Ty Tonus Burman]

I looked into what size partition I should create before installing windows 7, and most suggested around 60gb. I don't install many programs, and the ones that I do, namely games, have their files kept on my secondary disk. Should I create a new partition that is around 350gb, so that I can have a sort of, un-partitioned "pocket" that i can use if i ever need to extend either partition?

 

[whs]

You have a few problems:

1. Partitions C: and E: should show in Computer - do they??

2. Your bootmgr landed on Disk0 and not on C:. You should move that to C: - see this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html

3. With all this unallocated space you can make addl. simple partitions. Just right click on the unallocated space and you will see.

4. On Disk0 you have a partition but no drive letter. Right click on that and allocate a letter. But only after you moved the bootmgr to C:.

 

[essenbe]

It appears you had Disk 0 and Disk 1 attached when you installed. It looks like your boot partition is on disk 0 and the OS is on disk 1. The 415Gb unalocated on disk 2, right click it and select create simple partition and when finished with the wizzard, you will be able to see it. To fix it, I would disconnect all disks except Disk !, run diskpart from the installation DVD and mark the C partition active. Then Run Startup repair at least 3 times with reboots in between, or until it starts. Then reconnect the other drives and mark Disk 0 inactive.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

No, I wouldn't create a 350. The resulting "pocket" will show as unallocated space off to the right. If you wanted to later add that pocket to C, you would have to use a third party program such as Partition Wizard. Doable, but why get yourself in that situation?

If you want to expand it, do it now.

If you leave C at 50 and later want to increase it, you can still do it--most likely you would need to use Partition Wizard.

50 is OK if you are careful, but if you have plenty of space remaining, I'd probably kick it up to 70 or 80. Not a big deal.

 

[Ty Tonus Burman]

1) Partitions C: and E: DO show in my computer.

2) Bootmgr has been moved to disk C:

4) When renaming the drives, a warning pops up saying that some programs that rely on drive names may not work correctly. If possible, i want the partitions with the OS to be B:, the remaining partition on that drive to be C:, and my secondary drive to be D: (although D: conflicts with the cd drive)


Ignatz -- What does this partitions size affect, anyway? It simply allows for more programs to be installed in the Program Files (x86) folder, amongst other folders, correct?

 

[Kaktussoft]

You have a few problems:

1. Your bootmgr landed on Disk0 and not on C:. You should move that to C: - see this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/209885-bootmgr-move-c-easybcd.html

Easybcd is very simple to move the bcd-store and bootmgr to another drive. Didn't know that. I always did that manually: make partition active, copy bootmgr and bcd

 

[Kaktussoft]

1) Partitions C: and E: DO show in my computer.

2) Bootmgr has been moved to disk C:

4) When renaming the drives, a warning pops up saying that some programs that rely on drive names may not work correctly. If possible, i want the partitions with the OS to be B:, the remaining partition on that drive to be C:, and my secondary drive to be D: (although D: conflicts with the cd drive)


Ignatz -- What does this partitions size affect, anyway? It simply allows for more programs to be installed in the Program Files (x86) folder, amongst other folders, correct?

Always keep your windows partition C!!! As many settings in registry point to C. Never ever give it another driveletter. You can name your DVD Q,X,L whatever you want. Your old drive didn't have an driveletter (where bootmgr was on). You can give it any letter you want. But don't change it after you install something on it!!

 

[Ty Tonus Burman]

Alright, C: shall remain C:, Dvd will become O:, second partition on C: will become D:, and the 750gb drive will become E:. Is that alright?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Is disk 2 (E) an external usb drive? What's on it?

 

[Ty Tonus Burman]

Disk 2 is indeed an external Hard drive. Nothing but documents and pictures on it, no applications.

 

[whs]

C must remain, the rest is up to you. But what do you care. The system may flop the lower letters around anyhow as soon as you attach another USB device. If you want to make sure your letters stay in place, take R,S,T,U,V

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Ignatz -- What does this partitions size affect, anyway? It simply allows for more programs to be installed in the Program Files (x86) folder, amongst other folders, correct?

Unless you have an unusual situation, I'd put Windows and programs on C and data on D. There is usually no reason to get cute with some other configuration. For that matter, you could put everything on C and just use one partition for the entire drive. It's a personal choice.

Windows alone takes circa 20, plus updates over months and years.