Factory partitioning

Question

Hi,

I want to add two additional partitions (one primary) to my 160 GB new Dell 1525 laptop. As supplied Vista Disk Management shows four healthy partitions, three being primary and a 63MB EISA Configuration. A 140GB primary holds the OS, etc. 10GB primary Recovery and a further unkown 2.5GB primary is shown?

- 1 - I do not know what this last partition is? If it is Dell's PC Restore, why is it required in addition to Recovery?

- 2 - I would like to keep all programs, data, etc on the largest partition with the current OS on say, 20GB and a further 20GB for another OS. However, although disk properties show only 15GB of used space it only shows 62GB available for shrinking. I do not understand why?

Thanks

rgd_nz

GreyMack · Answer

1 - That's probably MediaDirect in the fourth primary partition.

2 - ? I'm not familiar with Windows Disk Management much or Vista at all. Perhaps some of that unused space is reserved but not yet used by Windows System Restore and the Recycle bin?

GM

rgd_nz · Answer

Thanks for your comments.

Since posting I discovered PC Restore in the Recovery partition, and it appears the other one is probably Media Direct as you suggest. I read somewhere that only 3 partitions can be made Active so I could remove Media Direct and use that one for OS two.

As you suggest, the extra size may be reserved by windows. So I guess I'll need to find out how to temporarily reduce this area for volume shrink purposes

GreyMack · Answer

Just to clarify - a hard disk's primary partition table has four slots, and an entry for the small EISA partition (which contains a bootable installation of Dell Diagnostics) is occupying the first slot.

GM

rgd_nz · Answer

Yes, thanks again, I think I more or less now understand the partitions as supplied.

63 MB IESA Diagnostics
10 GB Revovery (including PC Restore)
136 GB OS etc, etc
3 GB Unlabeled (assume MediaDirect )

I'd like to separate the data, etc. from the operating system and have a small partition for an additional operating system. I assume I could remove MediaDirect and use that partition for this.

However, what is really annoying is that Vista Disk Management doesn't let me reduce the OS partition size below 76 GB even though only some 13 GB is currently in use. I am finding this last part rather frustrating, and am wondering whether I own the computer and Vista or, does it own me?

Have come straight from W98, so Vista is a big learning curve!

rgd

GreyMack · Answer

A couple of operating systems and shared data seems logical enough. Good luck with all that you have to go through to get there. GM

jsc1959 · Answer

Dont know if you have defragmented the vista hard drive or not, but if there is data near the end of the drive it will not let you shirink it past that point. So just defragment your hard drive (which can take hours) and then try shrinking your drive again.

rgd_nz · Answer

Thank you - that seems to be the right direction.

Have downloaded a number of defragmenters after the Vista one didn't appear to fix the problem. Temporarily disabled Restore, Hibermation, etc, etc and seem to be left with only the MFT (Master File Table) in the partition middle. Apparently a copy installed there for security reasons and not movable while running Windows? Perhaps under a DOS boot?

I suppose removing , partitioning then reinstalling would work, or perhaps manually partitioning and then trying to resurrect the MFT. Neither seems a good idea. It appears a MFT relocate tool is needed with the Drive Management?

I guess I should have specified partitions on ordering, so may have to live with it.

rgd

rgd_nz · Answer

- SOLUTION - Although I could not seem to reduce the partition with Vista Disk Management facility, I have got it to my requirements using - BootItNG - a boot manager/disk utility. rgd

Storage, Drives & Media

Factory partitioning

Was this post helpful?