Merging Partitions

agitprop · May 13, 2008

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6594/helpmeyr3.jpg

As you can see, I have 4 partitions (not all actually partitioned, but yeah). Windows XP, Windows Vista, some free space, and unallocated space.

I wanted to take the free space, and unallocated space and merge them into one partition, that way I can have XP on one drive, Vista on another drive, and assorted programs and such on the 3rd drive.

How do I merge these 2 parts together? I cannot delete the "free space" partition, so it doesn't merge with the unallocated space. I'm tempted into breaking out partition magic, but I've had so many problems with it in the past that I'm wondering if it's even worth it.

plodr · May 13, 2008

The Ultimate Boot CD UBCD
http://www.majorgeeks.com/Ultimate_Boot_CD_d4981.html
explanation http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/
included Ranish partition manager which might do this.
I think you have to format the free space and the unallocated space then resize rather than try and merge the free space so it encompasses the unallocated space.
picture of Ranish http://www.ranish.com/part/
but it doesn't say anything about Vista.

I use a live linux CD to do my partitioning. Diskdrake
http://doc.mandrivalinux.com/MandrivaLinux/100/en/Starter.html/diskdrake.html
in Mandriva, PCLinux and maybe Ubuntu will allow you to format what you have. Since it is one hard drive, you would see one tab hda and it would show the four parts that the drive is broken into. It's been awhile since I used it so I'm not sure whether it has merge or resize.

agitprop · May 14, 2008

Thanks. I'm looking into this now, but I'm curious. How safe is this? I just recently lost 200GB worth of work due to me being unable to successfuly partition my drives correctly, and having to format everything on my computer (even my iPod somehow ended up corrupt when I was done.)

Do I run a fairly high risk of destroying everything on my hard drive?

plodr · May 15, 2008

Do I run a fairly high risk of destroying everything on my hard drive?
Click to expand...

I don't think so.
Truthfully, I always make an Image before I do something that I think I may regret.

I had problems with partition magic so now I use a linux live CD because it works a lot better.

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Merging Partitions

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plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

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plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member