Partition problem, Windows 7.

[clampchamp]

Good afternoon.
My wife brought home her friends lappy for me to have a look at. The Wi-fi wasn't working, and the hard-disk is full. The hard-disk is full because it appears to be partitioned into 2 chunks, one of 10gig, and one of 97 gig, as well as three gig set by for what I assume is system rebuild. The wi-fi problem was easy to sort, and the other problems with it are easy to fix, once I have the space to install the software I need to run. (C-cleaner, AVG clean install, and some various other bits and pieces) At the moment, the unallocated part is completely unallocated, and the machine doesn't even recognise it's there. It WAS allocated, but I unallocated it to try and incorporate it back into the c drive, but it didn't work.
I've taken a screen shot, but I'm not sure how to add it to this post, but it should be on my profile. Anyone got any ideas?? BTW, if I removed Windows 7, could I just do a clean install of XP?? Would that sort the partition issue??

 

[expertwitness]

Download this, its free http://www.partition-tool.com/personal.htm
It will let you make the partition sizes whatever you like. Easy to use.

 

[clampchamp]

Well, I would, but I cannot install anything to c, as the machine says it's full. I downloaded a utility earlier to do it for me, but it refused to install, again, because c is full.

 

[Mursal]

Yes, but you will have to get permission from the owner, to delete off the C: drive. Or even better, let them do it.

In my limited experience you need the drive fully backed-up on independent memory (a stick) before starting work on partitions. Well, at least the important stuff.

Hope this helps

PS And you did a disk clean (in properties)?

 

[expertwitness]

If it has nothing on it just use the reboot at start-up and wipe it to factory settings.

 

[clampchamp]

Tried that, didn't work. I'm tried verbal lubrication, (highly under-rated) I've tried talking nicely to it, I've tried making the unallocated portion into a drive called G, and installing the relevant "unpartitioning" software, yet it refused to do that, too. I'm afraid to say, I really got my arse in my hands and turned it off for now. Anybody seen the screenshot I took?? Make any sense to any of you??
Rich

 

[drnowt]

Use GParted to achieve this:

http://gparted.sourceforge.net/

It's a bootable ISO (so no need to install anything)

Take a look at the website for instructions etc. and backup any important data first.

If the unallocated space was adjacent to the current C drive (to the right) you could use the Windows Disk Management tools to extend the volume. As it is not, the option to extend will be greyed out.

 

[joinerjohn]

+1 for the above. /\ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\

 

[clampchamp]

Lovely job. Took me a while to get to grips with it. Had to move the "system reserved" part of the hard disk to the end of the disk, then the unallocated part of the disk could be added to the 10 gig part of it just by click and drag. Or, like my mate said, "can you not just cut and paste it then"?? It was almost as simple as that. Problem solved, thanks drnowt!!!!
Windows 7 running quite merrily, Microsoft updates and patches added, Avast updated, and Wi-fi drivers updated. Computer can go back to it's owner on friday. Thanks very much all!!!!

 

[EFCLee1]

Lovely job. Took me a while to get to grips with it. Had to move the "system reserved" part of the hard disk to the end of the disk, then the unallocated part of the disk could be added to the 10 gig part of it just by click and drag. Or, like my mate said, "can you not just cut and paste it then"?? It was almost as simple as that. Problem solved, thanks drnowt!!!!
Windows 7 running quite merrily, Microsoft updates and patches added, Avast updated, and Wi-fi drivers updated. Computer can go back to it's owner on friday. Thanks very much all!!!!

Just an afterthought how big is the C drive and how much of it has been used. A flat install of Windows 7 comes in around 8-12 Gig. If there is not much space left on C it could easily get filled up again