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running out of room
We have a Dell PowerEdge 2500. Running Win2k Server
The disk was partitioned to a 4GB and 13GB
The 4GB is dynamic the 13 GB is basic. The problem is that my 4GB is running out of room.
What is the best way to convert it back to a basic disk so that my software(Paragon partition ManagerProfessional) can allow me to resize. There is not enought room on the disk to allow the software to convert it back to a basic(think it need 15% free to do so)
The disk was partitioned to a 4GB and 13GB
The 4GB is dynamic the 13 GB is basic. The problem is that my 4GB is running out of room.
What is the best way to convert it back to a basic disk so that my software(Paragon partition ManagerProfessional) can allow me to resize. There is not enought room on the disk to allow the software to convert it back to a basic(think it need 15% free to do so)
You could convert the 13GB to Dynamic and span the 4GB to the 13GB.
ASKER
how do you do that
the same way you made the 4GB dynamic.
Like this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309044&sd=tech
But give this a read before doing that:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/sag_DISKconcepts_10.asp
Like this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309044&sd=tech
But give this a read before doing that:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/sag_DISKconcepts_10.asp
That's not entirely true. HOWEVER, Doing what I suggest MIGHT cause more problems - or it might successfully convert the disk back.
Assuming the disk is not part of a RAID set, then you can try this - BUT MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BACKUPS!
See this link for a discussion on the topic:
http://www.mcse.ms/archive49-2004-1-245488.html
Also, on the following PDF - see the paragraph immediately above "How can you tell" on Page 30. Later on there's more info (search for "convert" in the PDF document)
http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/~tkuurstra/Users%20Guide.pdf
Assuming the disk is not part of a RAID set, then you can try this - BUT MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BACKUPS!
See this link for a discussion on the topic:
http://www.mcse.ms/archive49-2004-1-245488.html
Also, on the following PDF - see the paragraph immediately above "How can you tell" on Page 30. Later on there's more info (search for "convert" in the PDF document)
http://www.diydatarecovery.nl/~tkuurstra/Users%20Guide.pdf
Also note that a span volume is NOT fault tollerant.
ASKER
I have 9% free and only need to get to 15% and the software will do the rest is there any thing I can delete to get to 15% free
That would be a tough one without actually seeing what's on the drive. If there are programs that can be reinstalled I would get rid of those.
open disk management utill //make sure both partions are dynamic // hold shift can select both // right click and chouse span volume
I think he meant SHIFT...heh
Some ideas to free up space
-turn off system restore
-delete IE temp files (for all user accounts)
-delete any memory dump files
-disable hibernation and get rid of hibernation file
-delete files from windows/temp directory
-empty recycle bin (and Norton protected files, if you use that. It can be cause of HUGE disk usage)
Still need more? right click on a big folder, choose properties, choose advanced, then select "Compress contents to save disk space"
-turn off system restore
-delete IE temp files (for all user accounts)
-delete any memory dump files
-disable hibernation and get rid of hibernation file
-delete files from windows/temp directory
-empty recycle bin (and Norton protected files, if you use that. It can be cause of HUGE disk usage)
Still need more? right click on a big folder, choose properties, choose advanced, then select "Compress contents to save disk space"
doh... just noticed you're on W2K. My comments were based on XP. Sorry.
On freeing up space. this is what I did to clean up our 4gig w2K server partition. Sounds like we have the same problem. I have a dell server that was partitioned by dell with only 4gig for the OS. I wish they made it at least 8.
The first thing I did was not install any programs to the partition with the OS.
You may want to move the backup files that are installed when you run windows update
They start with $Ntuninstall...... in c:\winnt
I move them to another drive or uninstall them outright. they just hog up space.
look for any large log files you don't need and copy them elsewhere. my backup program dumps large log files in c:\winnt.
you can also mount the second partition as a directory in c: for example c:\backup would really point the the second partition. when you unallocated space you can mount it to an empty NTFS folder using disk manager.
hope this helps.
The first thing I did was not install any programs to the partition with the OS.
You may want to move the backup files that are installed when you run windows update
They start with $Ntuninstall...... in c:\winnt
I move them to another drive or uninstall them outright. they just hog up space.
look for any large log files you don't need and copy them elsewhere. my backup program dumps large log files in c:\winnt.
you can also mount the second partition as a directory in c: for example c:\backup would really point the the second partition. when you unallocated space you can mount it to an empty NTFS folder using disk manager.
hope this helps.
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ThanQ
"WARNING: Upgrading a disk to dynamic storage will render the entire disk unreadable to operating systems other than Windows 2000. This is a one-way process. In order to change back to basic disk format, the drive must be repartitioned."
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;175761
You will need to copy your data somewhere else first. I recommend using Norton Ghost. Though I am not sure if Ghost will be able to read the dynamic partition to be honest. You may need to copy all the data to a basic disk befoe using Ghost.