Reassigned Drive letters and System Reserve

[glennc]

theog,
Got it
glennc

 

[gregrocker]

Glenn-

What is the Windows 7 Ultimate folder? Backup?

Looks like you did indeed format F sucessfully and are using it for storage. There are no Win7 OS folders there at all. You just haven't yet deleted the old 200mb partition.

It is a good thing you asked since that 200mb partition is marked Active and as the first Active partition it could have derailed the System MBR into itself if you ever need to run Startup Repair to get Win7 started.

You can simply delete that partition in Disk Mgmt or using DISKPART commands from the WIn7 DVD/CD Repair console if you don't want to burn a Partition Wizard CD. However PW is a great tool to have around and it will also allow you in this case to Resize your F partition into the space created by deleting the 200mb.

Let us know which you want to do and we'll give you exact steps.

 

[glennc]

gregrocker,
First may I thank you for you dogged assistance. When I mess em up I do a good job. Now I will download PC, will it remove the partition and make the F: into on block of storage and also will it retain the files that are currently on it.
I must tell you that the Windows install put the 200 MB SR area on the C: (MBR1) and a 100 MB SR area on F: (MBR2). It really did I know it for sure. So now the 200 MB is on the F: and a 100 MB is on the C:. Does the C: have everything it needs to boot?
I will get back as soon as I get PC up and running. Thanks to you and everyone
glennc

 

[glennc]

The Windows7Ultimate was made by me to store a copy of the Install disk, which I haven't done yet and a backup copy of the keycode in a text message.
The XP Pro folder holds a backup of the XP installation disk which I am running on my old computer with a copy of its keycode.
glennc

 

[gregrocker]

You didn't mess up anything, just held back from formatting the 200mb Sys Reserved since you think it might cause problems with booting.

What we look for to know DISK1 has all it needs to boot is "System Active" in the Sys Reserved, and "Boot" in the Win7 partition. As this appears correctly in your drive listings, there is not a concern about it failing to boot.

If you want to delete the 200mb partition in Disk Management first, it will prompt you if it cannot delete it due to it actually holding the System flag, even though it is not marked as such.

You can then even leave that unallocated space there although it is in the preferred lower HD address (closest to the laser).

If you want to recover the space then back up an image of F to C as Resizing operations can fail. However we have never had one fail in hundreds we have helped with here using Partition Wizard which has data protection that will not allow it to fail - just restart and attempt the operation over until you bail out at the next restart.

Boot PW CD, select 1 for screen res, rightclick F, select Resize, grab left grey border by holding left click on mouse, drag it to the left over the deleted 200mb, then click OK and Apply Steps.




Edit: Smart guy - I also back up all installers whether disk or .exe (in Downloads here).

 

[glennc]

gregrocker,
I must be doing something wrong. I see the drives one is 931.5 GB and to the right it shows a small box and its listed System reserve, a vertical line and MB2 931.32 GB. The MB2 has yellow out partly to indicate I quess the used space and the free space is white. If I click the area of MB2 and choose move/resize option and a box opens up showing the display of the MB2 area. It does not show the partition, it is yellow and then white and on the leftside of the bar it say 931.32 GB. If I move the the left side border to the right the yellow space decreases in GB and the white disappears till I can go no further and it is a small yellow box on the right side that says 329.70 GB.
Which may or may not indicate the used space on the drive. At this point I require clarification and guidance as what to do next. It show a great deal of unallocated space. I can do the same thing if I click on the 200 MB System Reserve area and it acts the same way.
Help
glennc

 

[glennc]

Oh and the pop up resize box has Using Enhanced Data Protecting Mode box checked...
glennc

 

[gregrocker]

You need to delete the 200mb partition first. Rightclick 200mb, Delete, OK.

Then rightclick on F, Resize, grab the left grey border while holding the mouse leftclick, slide it over the deleted 200mb all the way to the left, OK. Apply all steps.

 

[glennc]

OK, I deleted the 200 MB SR area and apply. Now it is still there but says that it is unallocated, and as well as on the Disk Partition shown above the map.
When you say click F exactly what do you mean. the previously described actions seem still to occur.
Help!
glennc

 

[gregrocker]

MB2 = 931gb = F in windows

click on it, select Resize, drag left border all the way to the left over the unallocated space, OK, Apply all steps.

 

[glennc]

Oh and the move/resize option is no longer available for the unallocated 200 MB space, nor is the Modify
glennc

 

[gregrocker]

Nothing should appear for the 200mb now except Unallocated Space as it is cued for deletion until you Apply or Undo it.

Just rightclick MB2 931 gb data partition, select Resize, drag left border to the left until it stops, OK, Apply. This will apply both the deletion and the resizing, after which you can restart.

 

[glennc]

OK now I'm on the page you are. When I click on the F and click on move/resize a pop up box with the F map is shown. The left border is already over on the left side of the map as it was before. It does not show any unallocated space and will go no further left. Underneath the map there is Unallocated Space Before with a box that says 200.29 MB. There are arrows on the side of the display box to increase (which does not function) and to decrease which decreases the displayed amount. When you decrease the Unallocated Space before, another option labeled Unallocate Space After, which is now 0.0 MB increases the amount that the Unallocated Before decreases. It seems to be moving the unallocated space before or after the F partition.
What next boss?
glennc

 

[glennc]

The 200 MB area on the map was clicked which put a redline under it, then I hit delete Partition in the left pane of display. It said in operations pending 1. Delete Partition at which point I hit Apply. At this point the partition changed color and said it is unallocated 200.32 MB, 0 used, 200.32 MB unused, status none and Type Logical.
glennc

 

[glennc]

The only options allowed to the Unallocated Space is Create Partition, Surface Test, Wipe Partition and Show Partition Properties.
I don't know if this has anything to do with anything but shown on the list for F is a Merge function. Don't know what it does. But it is not supported on Partition Wizard Home Edition v5.0.
glennc

 

[gregrocker]

Your partitions in the Disk Mgmt screenshot are all Primary. The deleted 200mb should not now read Logical unless you somehow converted it. This is the only reason I can think of why it should not resize into the MB2 F data partition.

Since you already applied the Delete of the 200mb partition, restart the computer and post up a screenshot of Disk Management.

If it looks any different than the Partition Wizard drive map, install Partition Wizard to Win7, cue up the Resize you were trying, then post a screenshot showing the pop up Resize box and the full drive map.

 

[glennc]

What version are you using. I'm either really dense or there seems to be a functional difference between what you have and the version I have. The Merge function according to the Help menu merges to partitions together adding the sizes together of both partitions chosen to Merge.
glennc

 

[gregrocker]

You dont' want to Merge, you want to Resize your data partition into the unallocated space to its left that was created when you deleted the 200mb partition.

If as you said the Unallocated Space is now logical, that could keep it from Resizing. But you had all 4 partitions showing Primary in the screenshot.

Need to see a screenshot of your full Disk Management drive map and listings now.

If it looks any different than what you are seeing in PW, install PW in WIn7 and post up a screenshot of its drive map AND the Resize Pop up box showing what you are seeing.

 

[glennc]

Here ya go! It appears to match what PW showed 200 MB unallocated on the large drive MBR2.



The Merge function doesn't work even if I wanted to. Thanks for your help!
glennc

 

[glennc]

The partition I believe changed when it was deleted to unallocated space.
glennc