The only sure way is to back up all of your data and then partition and format the drive the way that you want it. Then, you re-install all of your software from the original disks into the partitions in which you want them. Last, you bring back your data into the appropriate program subdirectories, where the programs will expect to find it.
There are other ways to do this, one of which uses the Norton's Ghost program. You install a new hard drive, of the size you desire. You partition and format the partitions the way that you want, making the first partition bootable.
Then you use Norton Ghost to move the applications and their data files to the places where you want them on the other drive. Now you go into CMOS and make the new drive the primary drive and boot from it.
You can now fdisk and format your original drive any way you want. You can even make an image of the new drive and clone it onto the old drive, if you wish. Then go back and reset the CMOS to boot from the old drive.
After this is done, you have the perfect backup system. Just periodically image the old drive to the new one. If the old one fails, or is corrupted, you can reformat it and image the new drive back to it again. Or replace the old drive and put an image of the backup drive on it and keep right on keepin' on.
It's a lot easier to do than it is to tell about it and new hard drives are really very cheap. If what you have on your computer is important to you, the machine should have two drives set up like this with a third drive sitting on a shelf just in case one of the two operating drives should fail.
There are other ways to do all of this, this way minimizes risk and hair tearing.
Len
---
From: "Dr E D F Williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: Re: XP question
Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 16:15:01 +0200
Quite easy and you have several opportunities to decide whether what the
program is about to do is actually what you want. Of course you should back
up your files first; just in case the power fails in the middle of the
operation. To do this there is another program, by the same people, called
Drive Image. This will make an exact image of your drive that can be put
back easily in case of trouble. Of course - if you just buy Drive Image and
do a backup you can then use DOS's Fdisk to re-partition your drive. You can
then format the new partitions, make the first active and put everything
back from the image and save some money. You need to be sure that the new
partition is big enough for the image. But when I did it I merely backed up
some important files to CD and then re-partitioned the drive with PMagic. It
went smoothly.
_______________
Dr E D F Williams
http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams
Author's Web Site and Photo Gallery
Updated: March 30, 2002
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Brooks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 3:57 PM
Subject: Re: Re: XP question
> Don.
> I'm thinking of getting Partition Magic to
> slice up my 40 Gig HD(XP Home version)Is it relativley
> painfree to use:)
>
> Dave
> ---- Begin Original Message ----
>
> From: "Dr E D F Williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 08:42:25 +0200
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: XP question
>
>
> I use XP Pro and used Partition Magic to change the partitions on C:
>
> Don
> _______________
> Dr E D F Williams
> http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams
> Author's Web Site and Photo Gallery
> Updated: March 30, 2002
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Butch Black" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 1:20 AM
> Subject: OT: XP question
>
>
> > Hi:
> >
> > Is it possible to partition the main HD in XP? I just installed an
> 80GB HD
> > and was able to partition that no problem. Using the same
> techniques on
> the
> > C (main) HD the format option is grayed out. I have a format option
> in My
> > Computer but I'm leery of using it for fear of wiping out all of my
> > programs.
> >
> > Any help appreciated
> >
> > TIA
> >
> > BUTCH
> >
> > Each man had only one genuine vocation - to find the way to himself.
> >
> > Hermann Hess (Damien)
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> ---- End Original Message ----
>
>
>
>
> Pentax User
> Stouffville Ontario Canada
> "Art needs to be in a frame.That way we know when the art
> stops and the wall begins"--Frank Zappa
> http://home.ca.inter.net/brooksdj/
> http://brooks1952.tripod.com/myhorses
> Sign up today for your Free E-mail at: http://www.canoe.ca/CanoeMail
>
_________________________________________________________________
Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
