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Partition 167GB drive under XP

I have a new XP system with a 160GB drive and another with a 200GB drive. I would like to repartition.

I have always used Partition Magic, but it does not seem to work. It gives an error 1556, which is undocumented, and the only references I can find via Google also report other users who cannot find the documentation for it. There is nothing in the manuals or on the Symantec web site. So I have given up with Partition Magic, version 8.01 (for now). Seems the Symantec support is subpar compared to Powerquest.

In any case, I have looked for fdisk and cannot find it. Someone said it has been replaced by DiskPart, but the help function built into it is less than helpful.

Can anyone tell me how to partition this disk? (This reminds me of 1981).



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CDCOP

What kind of drive? How is it attached?
Have you tried the manu. software?
You probably already now accessing disk space beyond 137GB requires two working criteria: chipset BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) program and operating system that support 48-bit LBA. For Windows 2000, it must be the version with Service Pack 3 (SP-3) or higher. For Windows XP, it must be SP-1 (those that were released in Aug 2002).

XP will not recognize 160 unless you have SP1. You can't install SP1 until you have XP installed. It seems you are caught in a catch-22. But the one way out is to "slipstream" SP1 into your original XP CD and create an installation CD that already has SP1 incorporated into it (XP 2002). Directions for that are here:

http://www.windows-help.net/WindowsXP/winxp-sp1-bootcd.html
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp1_cd.htm
http://www.tweakxp.com/tweakxp/display.asp?id=1409

It takes a while, but you will be glad you did it. Next time you need to install XP or repair it, SP1 will already be incorporated into the installation.

But, it would seem a shorter route to install XP without SP1, install SP1, then use Partition Magic or the free Ranish Partition Manager to merge the new space into your 127 gigs to get the full 160, or just use the new space as a separate partition.


In case your new system already has SP1 on it, then right click My Computer, click Manage, go down the left pane list and click Disk Management and the right click in the striped area of the disk you want to partition.  Help is actually a usable resource in this part of Windows.  Check it out for options that don't seem to be available like resizing (Extend) and other finer points.  You can do pretty much anything you need to if you look hard enough in the Help section.
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ASKER

Drive is Samsung ATA133 drive. No manu software provided. This is a basic, off-the-shelf white box. (Powerspec 8985).

Comment s from rmmbtla seem to totally miss the mark. The machine came with XP Home SP1 installed and I am not trying to get it to recognize the full disk. Rather, I just want to make multiple partitions, which used to be easy using Partition Magic. Just does not work now (error 1556).

Most helpful are comments from timothyfryer. It enables me to find some more detailed documentation on diskpart. However, I do not see the "Extend" option. Would be great to just be able to resize (shrink) the single C partition taking up the whole 160GB.

Now all I need is the diskpart script for deleting the primary partition, then creating several partitions. I am happy to do from the command line. Will this work from Safe Mode?
I guess I was overly optimistic about the capabilities of Disk Management.  I hadn't used it much since I have Paragon, but after discovering the Extend command which is available in Diskpart, I assumed there was also a way to make a partition smaller.  After reading further, I found out this isn't true.  Basically, another piece of microsoft junk.
I reread your posts and it sounds like your talking about the disk that doesn't have the OS on it.  If so, then you should be able to delete the one primary partition to convert it into free or unallocated space than then create up to four smaller partitions.  I can't try it because I only have one disk.  Make sure that the interface is in graphical view. I noticed that when I changed views, some options disappeared. To get into graphical view, click on the View menu at the top of MMC and then in the bottom or top section, click on graphicical view.  You should then see the disks as boxes with diagonal stripes.  Right click on the stripes of the partition that you want to delete and see if you have that option.  As I mentioned, if there is no OS on that drive, I think you should be able to delete the partition and then create a number of smaller ones. This article is very good in the link. The autthor switched from Partition Magic to another because of errors.  He explains Windows Disk Management very well.  If you can't delete the only partition on the non OS drive or you want to resize partitions on the OS drive, then let me know and maybe I can find a free partitioner online.  Also, another option which may not be satisfactory, is to reinstall xp and fix the os partition size at installation.  Thats what I always do.  Then, you will have unallocated space behind it which you can divy up into more partitions.


http://www.theeldergeek.com/hard_drives_05.htm
One disk, 160GB. (The 200GB drive is on a separate computer that I will tackle later once this one is configured).

C Partition with operating system. No other disks, no other partitions, already have SP1 in the image, so that is not the issue. I thought this was clearly stated, but I guess not.

If it were otherwise, it would be very simple. Just like you say.

My problem: repartition the single C partiton on the single disk drive, without Partition Magic.

Reinstalling using the manufacturer-provided recovery disk gives the same, single partition (I have already had to do that due previous failed approaches).

If I just take the XP Cd, then I will have to forgo some of the vendor-provided supplemental software. That in fact will become plan C if I cannot get this done any other way. Plus get into activation issues that I would rather avoid.

So, my options

Plan A: just leave a single C partition and forget about it. Don't like this because I have a good  reason for other partitions that I do not wish to go into here.

Plan B: figure out some way to repartition the single C partition on one drive into multiple partitions. This is the best outcome, but so far I don't know how to achieve it, and most of the comments have not addressed this goal, but other goals I am not seeking.

Plan C: start from scratch with standard XP rather than OEM XP. Gets into licensng issues.

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timothyfryer

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I tried the link, but it was not accessible (2:17am CDT).

Another ugly approach that occurs to me (again, circa 1981): try a DOS disk to format a small partition. run fdsk to create a small partition big enough to load XP. Load XP. Then add other partitions using Disk Management.

Might work, but it is so ugly, that my Plan A above (that is, give up) is better.
You might want to try the link again in a few minutes, if it doesn't work you might try this one in a few minutes
http://f1.pg.briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/timothyfryer/lst?.dir=/Public&.src=bc&.view=
Any luck jasimon9-I don't think you will need anything else but if you need a number or something-let me know
Give me 5 minutes and try again.
Slow uplink - 5 more minutes for briefcase - other maybe avail now
Try the briefcase
I am downloading phdm55 now.

What can you tell me about this program? Google shows no hits on phdm55. Are you the author?
No, Paragon is the author.  Backup data because it's not good with resizes.  If you need a number let me know but I don't think you will.
Did you get it?
Avatar of Danny Child
you could always try defining a partition size first, and your recovery disk should use that.  I use AEFDISK, which is free and  works well:
http://www.aefdisk.com/

or, there are some other tools to resize partitions.
http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/resize.htm
remember to run chkdsk /f first.
to timothyfryer:

Yes, got it! Thanks.

It appears to have worked, although it did seem to have some trouble causing it to have to reboot several times and go through some various error conditions that seemed potentially fatal. However, XP finally did come up with the properly resized drive.

I then used XP Disk Management to create a new partition and it is formatting now.

I have been in the meantime checking out Paragon's website and reviews, especially by PCPlus mag where they gave 5.5 an Editor's Choice.

Now, I would really like to find a good place for a rant:

----------8<-------- start of rant ----------8<--------

"The Symantec Kiss-of-Death"

I have used a number of fabulous utility programs over the years. I have been a "true believer" in the products, and consider them of the best ever produced.

What happened to them?

For the most part, the company was bought by Symantec. After that, product quality took a dive, support quality plummeted, on-line web site support became sub-standard. Where I used to get all my answers from the support web site, using Symantec's site is an exercise in futility, as new issues are apparently not added to their knowledge base (such as the Partition Magic Error #1556).

It is as though they are deliberately trying to kill off the product.

Here is the list of these FORMERLY wonderful products that I used to say I could not live without:

1. Norton Utilities (from Peter Norton).

2. PC Tools from Central Point (including the incredible Xtree, which still lives on as Ztree thanks to Kim Henkel, and which I use all day long).

3. Parition Magic (from Powerquest).

4. GoBack (from Roxio). I have not had any problems with GoBack yet, but I am concerned.

I'm sure I am not remembering them all.

In any case, it seems that the small, innovative entrepreneur has been best at creating a product definition and serving its customers best. When the giant Symantec gobbles up the small company, it is time to look for another small, entrepreneurial company.

----------8<-------- end of rant ----------8<--------
Points awarded for the specific answer that led to the solution.

Interesting follow on: after the 160GB drive was done (not 167 as in title), I had another new machine to configure, this time with a 200GB drive. I was about to just go ahead with Paragon, but on a whim decided to see if Partition Magic could handle it, figuring it was a different manufacturer and/or model.

This time it worked fine!!

So I continued to work with Partition Magic, and so far no problems on the 200GB box (which will become my new box).

Thanks.
No problem.  I think your right though about Symantec.  Not the same as Peter Norton.  Whole different thing.  Good Luck.
Right--I am just about to pull the plug on Symantec. Lot's of machine problems, support is a joke.

Front runners in my evaluation for AV protection now are NOD32 and AVG.

Oh, and the other product in the "rant list" is Ghost.