Solved Partition problem

[buytick]

How do I get rid of the first partition and add it to my C: partition? Baby steps please.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
I'd make a system image first
After that you can use free mini tool
Best Free Partition Manager for Windows | MiniTool Partition Free

 

[buytick]

How could I have 2 primary partitions?
Is that normal?
Can I do anything in Disk Management?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
No disk management is useless in this situation.
Quite frankly looks like you installed windows recently and chose the wrong partition to install on to me ?

If it were me and I had an additional external hard drive I'd create a system image of the 100mb system reserved and the C partition to it
Create the recovery winpe cd that macrium reflect prompts a person to create after first opening it and use it to restore the system image to a cleaned hard drive windows is on now.

Create Backup Image with Macrium Reflect by Britec - YouTube


Otherwise use free mini tool

Click on the C partition and select expand
It will show you you partitions you can take space from choose the first one which doesn't seem to have a partition letter assigned to it that I noticed.

 

[buytick]

I had Linux Mint on this laptop and wanted to put Win 7 back on it. I probably did put it in the wrong partition, but it is working well. I would be scared to go the macrium root, so I will make a system image from control panel on a USB drive. Then I will try to use mini-tool (free, I hope) and expand the C partition. Sounds ok?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I would not use windows to make a system image it is not nearly as reliable as free reflect
You can right click the first 121.06gb partition and select delete it is empty and that will change it to Unallocated space.
Lease the 100mb partition as is it is your boot loader
If you want it on the C partition you'd have to use this
Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD

 

[buytick]

You're losing me. OK I will make a system image with Macrium and pray I don't have to use it. Then I will try to expand the C: drive. I will leave the boot they way it is b/c it's working. Thanks for your help.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Actually you should restore the image after cleaning the disk

 

[buytick]

I tried

OK. I did an image copy to my passport drive. Then i downloaded Mini tool and I added the drive A name to the first partition. When I tried to merge the A to the C partition, it wasn't next to C so it wouldn't do it. I also tried to merge the C to the little partition next to it, but it said I wouldn't be able to boot.

I know I could wipe the HD, then reinstall win 7, but that would be a mess. I have too much stuff already on the c partition. If I wipe the HD, can I then restore the image? If yes, how?

see next post

 

[buytick]

See the Minitool screen print

See attachment

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
As long as you only had the 100mb and C partition selected to make a system image out of the first would of been excluded
Then just create the recovery media cd/ flash drive and boot to it after cleaning the disk of all partitions
SSD / HDD : Optimize for Windows Reinstallation

Refect also has a add recovery to your boot menu options but with the recovery media created you can simply boot to it

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Also the first partition you would want to select it and select delete so it would be unallocated space.

 

[buytick]

Geez, isn't there an easier way to wipe the drive? Clonezilla? Gparted?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yes you can also create a mini cd and boot to it and clean it
Which adding a letter to the first partition was a mistake and never use A-B-C-D but mostly that partition needs to be deleted down to Unallocated space to be able to use it for C.
I'm still on version 9

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Here probably why you could not expand C to it as I said it needs to be Unallocated first

 

[buytick]

Will this work? If I do below, then reboot with the rescue disc and choose Macrium and use the image?
Windows 7 and Vista

1. Insert the Windows 7/Vista installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the computer.
2. When you see the message "Press any key to boot from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
3. Press the Enter key at the Windows Setup welcome screen.
4. When prompted, press any key on your keyboard.
5. On the "Install Windows" page, select your preferred language and other preferences, then click Next.
6. On the License Agreement page, accept the terms and agreements and click Next.
7. On the Installation Type screen, choose the Custom option.
8. Select the Drive Options (advanced) option.
9. For Disk 0, delete all partitions. When all partitions have been deleted, you should see a single entry named "Unallocated space."
10. Click on Disk 0 and select Next.

The Windows installation process will start by creating a new partition, formatting the partition, and installing Windows on the hard drive. The formatting process will erase the hard drive before installing Windows.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yes that should work too

As I said as long as the only 2 partitions that you created a system image of is the 100mb & C partition than it's all good the first partition you called A would of been excluded from the system image
If not you'd be back to square 1.


Remove the drive with the system image BEFORE cleaning the disk.

 

[buytick]

Success!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much for your help. It's wonderful to learn a new skill

A summary of what I did:

1. Downloaded Marcium Reflect Free and made a rescue disc DVD and then did an system image to a USB Passport Drive.
2. Put Windows 7 reinstallation disc from Dell and rebooted into Win 7 installation
3. I followed these instructions

1. Insert the Windows 7/Vista installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and restart the computer.
2. When you see the message "Press any key to boot from CD," press a key on the keyboard.
3. Press the Enter key at the Windows Setup welcome screen.
4. When prompted, press any key on your keyboard.
5. On the "Install Windows" page, select your preferred language and other preferences, then click Next.
6. On the License Agreement page, accept the terms and agreements and click Next.
7. On the Installation Type screen, choose the Custom option.
8. Select the Drive Options (advanced) option.
9. For Disk 0, delete all partitions. When all partitions have been deleted, you should see a single entry named "Unallocated space."
10. Click on Disk 0 and select Next

4. This reinstalled Win 7
5. I put the Macrium Rescue disc in the drive and rebooted to it
6. I chose the Macrium image file restore option
7. I restored my image
8. When I rebooted, a reboot message came up, so I put the Win 7 Installation disc in and chose repair this computer which repaired the boot
9. Booted into the restored Win7

10. Went to my computer and saw the unallocated space still there
11. Went into mini-tool and expanded the correct partition to include the unallocated space

IT WORKED THANKS TO TRASHZONE's INVALUABLE ASSISTANCE

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
You're very welcome
There are many ways to skin a cat all could of been done with minitool bootable cd and reflect free system image
Cheers.

 

[buytick]

One last question. I have 3 computers running Win 7 - 2 pro 1 home. Do I have to make 3 different rescue discs on Macrium?