How do I merge two partitions into one?

DanHonemann

Junior Member
Mar 12, 2005
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I've just swapped a 200 GB Win XP boot drive (C: system drive) for a 300 GB one. I used Acronis True Image to create a copy of the C: drive, then restored it to the new 300 GB drive. All worked fine: I am able to boot off the new C: drive, but True Image created the same partition size as the original drive (186.25 GB) leaving 93.20 GB of unallocated space (unpartitioned too for that matter).

I simply want to reclaim that 93 GB of space. How do I do this without re-partitioning C: (and thus losing my data)? It's formated using NTFS.

Many thanks in advance,
Dan
 

Hardlin

Senior member
Aug 27, 2004
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If you have Partition Magic you should be able to stretch (or shrink) the partition.
 

DanHonemann

Junior Member
Mar 12, 2005
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Ok, thanks guys. I do have PM but haven't installed it yet. Was kinda hoping I could do this easily through Win XP.

Dan
 

Sentinel

Diamond Member
Jun 23, 2000
3,714
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can you do it with partition commander?

edit: anything free that you can use to do the same thing?
 

DanHonemann

Junior Member
Mar 12, 2005
17
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0
The solution was to restore the C: partition again using True Image, this time selecting just the C: partition rather than the entire disk. When doing it this way, True Image gives the option to select the destination partition size and I simply dragged and dropped the right edge of the partition to fill the entire 300 GB drive. Rebooted and all is fine... I now have a 300GB bootable C: drive.

Gotta love Acronis True Image!

Dan
 

imported_fatal

Senior member
Feb 6, 2005
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Originally posted by: DanHonemann
The solution was to restore the C: partition again using True Image, this time selecting just the C: partition rather than the entire disk. When doing it this way, True Image gives the option to select the destination partition size and I simply dragged and dropped the right edge of the partition to fill the entire 300 GB drive. Rebooted and all is fine... I now have a 300GB bootable C: drive.

Gotta love Acronis True Image!

Dan

The real question is why you would want a 300 gig single partition :confused:
 

DanHonemann

Junior Member
Mar 12, 2005
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Originally posted by: fatal
The real question is why you would want a 300 gig single partition :confused:

Why not?

I'm a digital photograher / videographer and so require a LOT of storage space. Over the years, I've accumulated ten external hard drives. Add these to the three internals I have in the case, plus the various partitions I've already got, plus a couple of mapped network drives, a CD/SD card reader, MP3 player, etc. and I've used up all 23 letters available to me for logical drive assignments.

Yeah, I know: with NTFS I can do some folder mapping thingamajig and get around the letter-assigning limitation. I may have to resort to that down the road.

Eventually--once I sort out intermittent BSODs with this unit (see this link)--I will relegate it to file server on my network and build a proper box using a 10,000 rpm SATA raptor drive for the OS.

For now, I'm content to have my big fat pokey 300GB ATA-100 drive. and all those (1394a) externals.

Dan
 

qbek

Member
Mar 12, 2005
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Originally posted by: Sentinel
Originally posted by: qbek
Originally posted by: Sentinel

edit: anything free that you can use to do the same thing?

You can use ntfsresize.

Which should I use? but thx.


I would go for Knoppix 3.7 since it offers a GUI (QTParted). However it requires quite a substantial download. If you cannot do that, then BG-Rescue is sufficient (2.8MB, can be downloaded fast even over a dial-up), however offers only a line command, which isn't as user friendly. Your choice.
 

aatf510

Golden Member
Nov 13, 2004
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Backup all your data before you merge partitions with Partition Magic.
Last time PM encountered an error and screwed u all my partitions, and I lost 80GB of data :(
Partition Magic is a great program, but beware that things *could* happen!!
 

Machine350

Senior member
Oct 8, 2004
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Originally posted by: toattett
Backup all your data before you merge partitions with Partition Magic.
Last time PM encountered an error and screwed u all my partitions, and I lost 80GB of data :(
Partition Magic is a great program, but beware that things *could* happen!!

Absolutely. Good thing you pointed that out. That happened to me also last time I changed my partitions. Take heed.