Windows Format Partition Request

[tetatate]

Hi
I've recently installed Windows 7 as a dual boot with the documents folders on a seperate partition.
It's working fine but windows 7 keeps telling me I need to format the drive.
Whys it doing that and how do I stop it ?
Thanks
Paul

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello tetatate, welcome to SevenForums!



Before we make any specific recommendations will you please post a snip/screen-shot of the entire disk management drive map with a full description as to which drive/partition is which, so we can see what you have going on as there may be a fairly simple way to resolve the situation.

In the Windows start menu right click computer and click manage, in the left pane of the "Computer Management" window that opens click disk management and post a maximized snip of that.



How to Upload and Post a Screenshot and File in Seven Forums

 

[tetatate]

Hi

Thanks for your reply .
I have uploaded the screenshot as suggested .
There is one partitioned hard drive .
D . contains XP OS
C. contians Win7
E contains folders shared between the two operating systems


I'ts E that win7 keeps telling me to format .

I'm not sure what the 3 gb partition is about .

Regards
Paul

 

[seavixen32]

I don't quite know how you've managed it, but you've got Windows on a logical partition, which is not good.

What are partitions and logical drives?

This screenshot shows my dual-boot disk management setup:



Your first partition should only be 100-200Mb or so and holds the boot information.

If you are dual booting, your C and D partitions need to be primary partitions.

You can have up to four primary partitions on a single drive. If you need more you would have to create logical partitions in your last primary partition.

Looking at your setup you need to back anything important up, wipe your drive and start again.

 

[Britton30]

Yes tetatate, see if you can change your Win7 partition to a Primary drive.

 

[tetatate]

Hi

Thganks .

Ok it does look a bit odd but it is working , and does this explain the prompt to format drive E ?
I guess the only way to change a partition to a primary drive is during the formating process ?

You say the first partition should contain the boot information , how is that done , that is how do I load
the boot information on that partition ?

I see that all your partitions are primary drives , I know that the operating systems should be on primary drives ( thought I'm not clear why ) but why do you have E your backup on a primary drive , wouldn't a logical drive be more usual ?

Thanks for your help .
Paul

 

[whs]

I don't quite know how you've managed it, but you've got Windows on a logical partition, which is not good.

There is nothing wrong with your Win7 partition to be a logical partition. Since the XP partition is the active partition, it contains the bootmgr.

It looks like you installed Win7 after XP was already present. Then you get this kind of configuration. And there is no 100MB active partition if you install win7 into a predefined partition.

Bottom line - you need not change anything as long as you keep XP around.

I know that the operating systems should be on primary drives

Only if it is the active partition.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

There is nothing wrong with your Win7 partition to be a logical partition. Since the XP partition is the active partition, it contains the bootmgr.

Bottom line - you need not change anything as long as you keep XP around.

Wolfgang is correct, there's nothing at all wrong with Windows on an Extended partition / Logical drive, have a look at this tutorial at the link below.

System Reserved : Multi Boot from Logical Partitions


... and Method Two of this one!

Partition / Extended : Logical Drives

 

[dsperber]

Ok it does look a bit odd but it is working

As others have said, there is nothing at all wrong with your configuration. Adding Win7 as a second OS to an existing WinXP environment can do exactly what you've got... Win7 installed into a logical partition. There is absolutely NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS.

There is no need to change your Win7 partition to "primary". It's fine as "logical".

and does this explain the prompt to format drive E ?

This is really the issue.

When does this prompt get issued? Only at boot time? Is it completely unusable under Win7?

Is the partition usable when you boot to WinXP with no complaints from WinXP?

I guess the only way to change a partition to a primary drive is during the formating process ?

Forget this whole discussion. There's nothing wrong with your Win7 and WinXP partitions at all. The mystery is strictly regarding this prompt to format E.

You say the first partition should contain the boot information , how is that done , that is how do I load the boot information on that partition ?

It's already installed into your WinXP partition, which is marked as "active".

When you added Win7 as the second OS into the existing WinXP environment, the Win7 installer placed its own boot manager files into that "active" partition (i.e. the WinXP partition) and created the boot manager menu offering both your old WinXP and the new Win7 as boot choices.

It's currently working perfectly, as you say. There is nothing for you to do.

Again... the mystery to be resolved is just as you originally asked: why does E request formatting when you boot to Win7?


Can you please provide any further details or observations about when/why you get that "request to format" your E partition.

 

[gregrocker]

Please post back or google the verbatim text of the formatting message you are getting. It seems strange.

Did you link the Documents folder to E using this exact method: User Folders - Change Default Location. If not try doing it this way to see if the message persists.