Clean install with windows 7 Home Premium

[pare]

Hi to all of you guys.
I did a clean install based on your tutorial but it went a little different than I expected. I did the installation on a 320 GB harddisk that allready had Windows 7 on it but it was messed up. It had one primary partition of 58,6 GB with Windows 7 Pro on it and an extended partition of 239,5 GB with Vista on it and some free space. When I got to the part that asked me where do you want to install Windows, I started to delete those two partitions. What I really wanted was one big 320 GB of unallocated space with the intention of dividing it by two so I can have one primary partition of 160 GB for my Windows 7 Home Premium and the rest for my data. I guess that I must have shrink that extended partition instead of deleting it. There was no way back after the deletion. I was left with the only option of creating new partition and it gave me only 60.000 MB for the primary partition which I did but of course it took away 100 MB for the system reserved.
What I have now is one partition with 100 MB NTFS, one partition with 58,50 GB NTFS with my C:\ drive and 239,49 GB free space. I have not activate yet. But if I do it over again will I be able to do it the way I really wanted? Or maybe that 58,50 GB for my C:\ drive is not that small after all if I don't put to much stuff on it, which brings me to the next question. I want to create what is left on the HD in a data partition but I guess that programs I will have to put on my C:\ drive. Also is there a possibillity that I can dual boot with the same version of Windows 7 Home Premium on another HD (I have an 80 GB HDD)
Well your support is highly appreciated.
Thank you guys.

 

[gregrocker]

I'm not sure why you felt you were stuck with anything using the Drive Tools to partition. You can Delete continually until you Create exactly the partitions you want, then Format before install.

If you are satisfied with your install otherwise, enter Disk Management and extend the Win7 partition into the unallocated space by whatever you want to add, then create your data partition.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2670-partition-volume-extend.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2674-partition-volume-create-new.html
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html

You can post back a screenshot of Disk Management if you have any further questions or would like us to check it over for you. Use Snipping Tool in Start Menu.

 

[pare]

How should I send the screenshot of disk management to this forum. I tried copy/paste with no result.

 

[gregrocker]

Attach the file using the paper clip in reply box.

 

[pare]

View attachment 103914

 

[gregrocker]

The problem is that you have Logical Free Space (shown in screenshot in green) which is blocking the extension of the C Primary partition.

In Disk Management, try rightclicking on the green Free Space to Delete it so it becomes Unallocated Space.

Then extend the C partition to the right as much as you want using this tutorial: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2670-partition-volume-extend.html

Format and assign a drive letter for your data partition.

Let us know if this works. It may require Partition Wizard if it's stubborn.

 

[pare]

I did right click on the green partition with 239,49 GB that indeed says free space but I get a notification that says "this is an extended partition. the partition will become inaccessible if you delete it. I don't know if delete it anyway. Advice please?

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, you want to get rid of the remaining Extended free space. It's sub-partitions have already been deleted, so what remains is only the Extended shell. It's confusing, annoying, so good riddance to the nonsense!

When it's finished you can extend C which is Primary into that space since it will now read "Unallocated" which is the deleted space friendly to Primary partitions.

Partition or Volume - Extend
Partition or Volume - Create New

 

[pare]

 

[pare]

I did it Gregrocker.
I am verry proud.
Thank you. You are great!
Will I have to make a primary partition out of the 149 GB unallocated space in order to have one data partition?

 

[gregrocker]

Good work, Pare.

Primary partition for data is fine. Disk Mgmt will make it that anyway.

Be sure to follow closely the tutorial posted earlier to change default User folders location. Then you'll have your data current and waiting on its own separate partition in case you have to reimage your OS/Programs partition.

Be sure to back up a system image and your data folders externally. You'lll want to use one of the other imaging programs (free Macrium Reflect and Paragon Backup 10 are good) so you can reimage only the Win7 OS/programs partition if necessary since Win7's own built-in backup imaging will want to wipe everything.