More computer help...

[Mijo]

I need some help with deleting a partition. I saw another thread in here describing someone having problems and it got a bunch of replies so I’m hoping someone can help me. I was having problems with my computer freezing and or running slow. So I re-installed Windows XP (clean install) but when all was said and done I still had the old version on another partition. How do I get of the problematic partition or the older XP install? Please help.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Sorry to say but you're hosed. The only way to get rid of that partition is to reformat the whole disk (XP will do this for you) and start over.

[Useruser666]

There are a few disk partition utilities that I believe will allow you to join partitions. I can't remember which ones of the top of my head. It may be a rather risky process though. I'd go get a new hard drive and copy the partition you want to the new drive. Then copy what ever you want from the old drive to the new one. This way you have a backup if anything goes bad. A new 80 gb drive is like $40 at Best Buy.

Otherwise, try formatting the partition, or joining the two with a utility.

[ChumpDumper]

Partition Magic has worked in the past for me. You can delete the old partition and resize the one you have the new Windows on to take up the whole drive. You can find older versions of the program which work just fine at places like softwarediner.com

Of course you need to backup anything you can't live without from both partitions before doing any of this.

[Slomo]

Partition Magic has worked in the past for me. You can delete the old partition and resize the one you have the new Windows on to take up the whole drive. You can find older versions of the program which work just fine at places like softwarediner.com

Of course you need to backup anything you can't live without from both partitions before doing any of this.
Beside the small possibility that you'll lose all the data on the disk (BACKUP!) Partition Magic is probably your best bet - I use it a lot and so far so good.

[SpursFanDan]

just make a boot up disk.. and load your computer witht he disk in it, and when you get a command prompt.. type fdisk

[MannyIsGod]

Yeah, if you just want to delete the partition, run Fdisk in dos mode. You can then delete it and create a new one. Super easy. If you actually want to keep the data, use Partition Magic.

[Kourtnie]

just use partion magic its easier

[SequSpur]

User Error.

[Mijo]

User Error. Yeah it was.

I'll try some of your suggestions and report back. Thanks.

[Slomo]

http://www.cikava.com/gallery/albums/Fun/backup.gif

[Mijo]

The only way to get rid of that partition is to reformat the whole disk (XP will do this for you) and start over.

I guess I'm more inclined to settle for this option. I've backed up everything I'm not willing to part with. So if I do a clean install, will it rid me of the unwanted partition? Is it that easy?

[MannyIsGod]

No, if you reinstall the partition will still be there. You're going to have to remove it at some point.

If you want to remove it and just have the entire drive under one partition you'll have delete all the paritions in Fdisk then make one parition taking the entire drive and install XP again.

[Nbadan]

He can certainly run FDisk from the DOS prompt, but if he is installing WindowsXP back onto the computer it will automatically examine the partisians on the HD during install and allow him to delete all the partisian and repartisian the HD in NTFS format (better for larger drives). Much easier.

[Nbadan]

...by the way, I would just get a copy of partisian magic and repartisian the drive. It's powerful, but if you got your data backed-up anyway, what have you got to lose?

[Mijo]

Problem solved. Thanks for all the advice. Computer is cruising once again.