Making SATA drive one large drive.

[winr]

Windows XP Pro..service pack 2
Seagate 320 gig Barracuda SATA.

Under disk management:
127.99 GB NTSF
170,10 GB Unallocated

I made one large drive when I first installed this drive and you could see the whole drive in "My Computer" in Local Disk ( C: )

I canna remember how I did this ??

Googled it but all the pages were not specific that I could see


TIA.

 

[Coup27]

Aslong as the unallocated space is to the right of your boot partition under disk management, you can use disk management to extend your boot partition into the unallocated space.

Open disk management, right click your boot partition and click extend. It will automatically enter the maximum value figures in so just click next and the unallocated space will be merged into the boot partition.

 

[winr]

Hi Coup27.

When I right click the left box (C, there is no "Extend"




Ricky.

 

[Coup27]

you right click the c drive, not the unallocated.

edit: sorry, is that what ur doing?

 

[winr]

Posted wrong pic...be right back

 

[winr]

Yes, I am right clicking the c drive

 

[Coup27]

and extend is greyed out?

 

[winr]

No extend, gray or otherwise .



http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s201/winr1/?action=view&current=Thisistherightone.jpg

 

[Coup27]

Right click on Disk 0 and post me a screenshot..

 

[Coup27]

You could try another approach. Right click on the unallocated space and make a new NTFS partition. Then see if you can merge free space by right clicking C.

Maybe XP couldnt merge with unallocated. I know Windows 7 can..

 

[Viper GTS]

Windows 2003 and XP cannot extend a boot partition.

You can do it in 7/2008 though, so if you have another machine you can connect the drive to you can do it there.

Viper GTS

 

[Coup27]

I don't think this is going to work.

I just VPN'd into one of works machines which uses XP and none of the options I am talking about were present. They are all present in Windows 7.

You're likely going to need a partition editor which you can boot off and perform the tasks. My favourite one is GParted. Either grab the ISO or make a bootable USB stick with it. I don't know if you are familiar with Linux but on the initial splash screen hit enter, I think the next option is language, so for me that is 02, then you press enter again so start X normally.

When on the screen your first HDD will be sda, second will be sdb, then sdc and so on. It will default to sda first. From here you can perform all kinds of partition management so it should be simple enough to merge the space into the main partition. You apply changes virtually before committing them.

Once done, double click the top left icon to shut down, remove the disk/stick and reboot into windows.

 

[winr]

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s201/winr1/DiskO.jpg


Clicking on New Partition....it aks if you want make a Primary or Extended Partition.

I believe that is how I did it the first time in some sort of fashion.

 

[Coup27]

See new posts from me and viper. Unfortunately XP doesnt have the options which Windows 7 does so you'll need either another PC or a bootable partition editor.

 

[winr]

Aahh, ok.

How about I just make it so I can use it for storing and such ??

Would I make it a Primary or Extended partition.

Does it need a drive number or formatted depending on which I use ??


Thank yall for going to the trouble to help !!! ( and I will put this in my notes so as not to forget next time )





Ricky.

 

[Coup27]

It can be primary or extended. I would use primary though.

So make a new partition, choose primary, quick format in NTFS. Once you do these steps Windows will allocate it a drive letter so it appears in my computer.

 

[winr]

Cool, thank you very much !!



Ricky.

 

[Coup27]

np