Help Installing Windows7 and merging two partitions

[patmos]

I need help before installing new Windows7. My present configuration is Drive D: WinXP (Home office) 59 GB for general use
Drive F: WinXP (Home Studio) 40 GB for music
Drive C: Win7 RC - have been testing it since RC launch.
Now I want to install a new win7 32-bit . I intend to have more space for it. I plan to merge Drives C and F, format and install win7 on it.
secondly convert Home Office to Home Studio and shrink Drive D to 40GB.
My question is how to do it. My experience is with Win XP. If it were WinXP,I would boot from CD and delete partition / create partition. Is it same with win7. Can I start this way.

 

[Dave76]

I need help before installing new Windows7. My present configuration is Drive D: WinXP (Home office) 59 GB for general use
Drive F: WinXP (Home Studio) 40 GB for music
Drive C: Win7 RC - have been testing it since RC launch.
Now I want to install a new win7 32-bit . I intend to have more space for it. I plan to merge Drives C and F, format and install win7 on it.
secondly convert Home Office to Home Studio and shrink Drive D to 40GB.
My question is how to do it. My experience is with Win XP. If it were WinXP,I would boot from CD and delete partition / create partition. Is it same with win7. Can I start this way.

Please fill in your specs, this will allow us to understand your hardware so we can give better answers.

For all the information use this free program:
SIW - System Information for Windows

If you can get a snip or screen shot of Disk Management it will let us see what your trying to do.

 

[theog]

Hi patmos

Have look at this tutorials:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1649-clean-install-windows-7-a.html?ltr=C
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2672-partition-volume-shrink.html

 

[patmos]

Thank you for reply. I've installed SIW but do not know what you need to know from it.My PC is Win XP/windows7 32bit SP2 RAM=4GB DDR2 667MHz kingston ,INTEL Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4Ghz
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R
GIGABYTE Nvidia GEFORCE 9500GT 512MB (Twin DVI)

 

[wallyinnc]

Patmos, please filll in your specs in the "My system Specs" session. You can get to it clicking the link on the left bottom of your posts. It will allow people to see them without having to come back to this post
Has theog answered your doubts? If not, another possibility is to use Gparted to move / format / resize the partitions around. It is a good program for that.

 

[Dave76]

Thank you for reply. I've installed SIW but do not know what you need to know from it.My PC is Win XP/windows7 32bit SP2 RAM=4GB DDR2 667MHz kingston ,INTEL Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4Ghz
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-DS3R
GIGABYTE Nvidia GEFORCE 9500GT 512MB (Twin DVI)

At the top tool bar of any page you will see "User CP" click on this, it will bring you to your User Control Panel.
Near the top left side you will see "Edit System Spec", click it
Fill in as much as you can, list all hard drives that you use, IDE or SATA, Size, Internal and external, brand name etc.

Click "Save Changes" at the bottom when you are done.

 

[patmos]

cannot find user cp on the toolbar. Here is my screen.All partitions are on my 160GB drive.
Thank you theog. I think I got most of the answers on the tuto links.
one more question. since my first winxp is on drive D, I understand it has the boot.ini. That's why I told I would keep it though I would prefer to keep Home Studio on Drive F. Is it possible to delete the first WinXP and keep the second?

 

[Dave76]

cannot find user cp on the toolbar. Here is my screen.All partitions are on my 160GB drive.
Thank you theog. I think I got most of the answers on the tuto links.
one more question. since my first winxp is on drive D, I understand it has the boot.ini. That's why I told I would keep it though I would prefer to keep Home Studio on Drive F. Is it possible to delete the first WinXP and keep the second?

The system specs go in the Seven Forums web site, not in SIW.

First, be sure to backup your hard drive in case things don't work like we hope. Keep the backups in a separate physical HD or media.

To move your MBR:
How to Restore the Windows 7 MBR (Master Boot Record)

If your comfortable using Diskpart or Gparted these will do the job for you.

As another option you can try the free program:
Partition Wizard

It will move the partitions and keep the data intact.

 

[patmos]

Ok thanks. already updated.

 

[Tews]

Click on the link in my sig and fill yer specs out.. If you are unable to do this simple thing, how do you expect to follow the suggestions of those trying to assist you?? Im not trying to give you a hard time, I'm just saying.....

 

[patmos]

Tews thank you I'm following. see my reply.

 

[wallyinnc]

Good job. Nice rig
Let us know if you get it to work as you want

 

[patmos]

I just want to keep on XP drive for music.

 

[Dave76]

Ok thanks. already updated.

OK, specs look good

I edited the previous post with some more information, decide how you want to proceed.

If I understand what you want to do, I would suggest to:
Install your new Win7 32bit OS into the 'Home Office (D)' partition first, let it run for a little while to make sure everything is smooth. This is the best location on your HD for an OS.

You can easily extend the (D) partition later, when you move the others around to get them the way you want.

You can delete (C), expand (D) all the way to (F) and you won't have to touch (F), with Disk Management, Partition Wizard or Gparted, include the 16 MB free space and 8 MB unallocated space at the same time. This will give you a large partition for your new Win7 OS. Your HomeSTUDIO partition can remain as it is.

Either way, let us know how everything goes.
Reply here if you have any questions.
Good luck

Edit:
Installing the new Win7 in your (D) partition will take care of the boot.ini issue.

 

[patmos]

I now have winxp with boot.ini on on Home Office.if I install win7 on it Won't this affect dual boot operation? Home studio (F) has the second WinXp on it. If what you suggest is possible it would be nice.

 

[Dave76]

I now have winxp with boot.ini on on Home Office.if I install win7 on it Won't this affect dual boot operation? Home studio (F) has the second WinXp on it. If what you suggest is possible it would be nice.

So you have 2 each winxp and 1 each Win7RC, is that correct?
Triple boot ?

 

[patmos]

yes Dave you're correct. Triple boot.

 

[zigzag3143]

patmos

What do you want your final config to be.

 

[Dave76]

yes Dave you're correct. Triple boot.

Yes, you can install the new Win7 in 'Home Office (D)' on top of the old xp with the boot files, Win7 will make the new boot menu.

Be sure to backup everything before you start.

Let us know how it goes,

zigzag3143, here is his current Disk Management

 

[zigzag3143]

looks good to me. just make sure to backup.

ken