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| Thread ID: 140011 | 2015-08-06 23:25:00 | Reformat and clean-install of Windows 7 Pro C Drive on desktop | R.M. (561) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1406012 | 2015-08-06 23:25:00 | Hi all my knowledgeable people . I'm about to set out on the above pathway - always makes me nervous . First things first - my OS is Windows 7 Pro . All my data is backed up onto external drives (including the Active Disc file) . I just need to export Outlook and put it in a safe place . What I want to do is to repartition the HDD into just 2 partitions (currently it has 4 partitions) . Am I able to do that as part of the clean install? And then I want to reinstall an Active Disc Image from last November . Now - can anyone see flaws in my plan? What have I forgotten? I just need a few of you to figuratively hold my hand over the next few hours . :) |
R.M. (561) | ||
| 1406013 | 2015-08-06 23:27:00 | you might be able to delete the partitions you don't want and merge them from Disk Management make sure yo have a backup, but try that first, if thats all you are trying to do |
nmercer (3899) | ||
| 1406014 | 2015-08-06 23:31:00 | Yes - I tried that, but it didn't look very successful. The other issue I have (and photography is why I have so many external HDDs - :( ). I added a new external HDD last week, and nothing I have done will make my computer 'see' it. | R.M. (561) | ||
| 1406015 | 2015-08-06 23:37:00 | If you are wanting to start over completely just delete the existing partitions and create new ones from the windows install disk when you boot off it. Restoring a disk image is not the same as a clean install though, you'd make a boot disk from the imaging software (Active@ ?), boot off that, then restore the image to the target drive. Active@ may let you resize the target and has some partitioning tools as well so you may be able to do everything from there. I often have issues booting from a restored image though, you may still have to boot of the windows install disk and do a repair afterwards to restore the ability to boot. |
dugimodo (138) | ||
| 1406016 | 2015-08-06 23:55:00 | Yes - I think I understand that. The last time I used Active @ it was successful, but I wasn't mucking about with partitions. I have tried Disk Management, and also Paragon Partition Manager - but haven't managed to get the results I wanted (to enlarge C Drive, remove F Drive). I get an unallocated area (ok - only 16 Mbs, but it upsets my tidy mind). It also tells me I have an I/O error. Then there is this business of the computer not finding the new external HDD... So - you see, there is a collection of problems... |
R.M. (561) | ||
| 1406017 | 2015-08-07 00:14:00 | Disk management can expand a partition into unused space but only if there's no other partitions in the way. So you could delete all the partitions, restore your image to the drive by itself, make it bootable, then boot off it and use disk management to resize that partition and create a new one. All of which assumes you are restoring a small partition that will take up less than the size of the target drive. You should also be able to do all this from the Active@ boot disk. I paid for Active@ and like it but actually end up using Aomei www.disk-partition.com most of the time as it seems to be more reliable and has tools for aligning SSD's As for the external drive you can't "see" Try it on another PC if you can then check to see if it shows up in disk management. If it's USB powered try a different port, especially a rear one if you are using the front. It could be that the disk format isn't recognised and if so disk management might give some clues, or it could be that the drive is not getting enough power from the USB port. Some drives had a cable to plug into 2 ports for this reason. If it's a USB 3.0 drive and you are using USB 2.0 it could be power as well because the USB 3.0 standard can out put nearly twice the power of USB 2.0 (900mA vs 500mA) I rarely restore images though, most of the time I'm cloning a working drive onto another larger one and Active@ is not as good at that in my experience. |
dugimodo (138) | ||
| 1406018 | 2015-08-07 01:44:00 | Yes - ok. I've now got my 'puter to 'see' the new external drive by shifting it to a USB 2 port (away from the USB 3). Then I reduced the size of C Drive (I wanted to do that) so that was successful. What I have now in Disk Management is (going from L to R) is: 84 MB System Reserved, 16MB unallocated, C Drive - 195.31GB, 58.50GB Unallocated, then F Drive - 677.60GB. What I would like to do is: take the first 16MB into C Drive, increase C Drive to a total of 200GB, and the put the second unallocated area (58.50GB) into F Drive. Carefully! And with no mistakes... I still have I/O errors (in both Disk Management and also in Paragon Partition Manager (the later meaning I can no longer use Partition Manager). In F Drive, I am not given the option to extend, only to shrink. I'm given the option to extend in C Drive (but that's not my most pressing need). Hope that is clear - what I have, and what I would like. But I'm now needing some clear instructions about my next move (and also what to do about this persistent complaints of I/O errors). :) Thanks for any help going. |
R.M. (561) | ||
| 1406019 | 2015-08-07 02:24:00 | 'Disk Management' ain't the best/easiest tool to use. I have now switched to 'Mini Tool Partition Wizard', free for non commercial use. Available here www.minitool.com I also have tried to get rid of a very small unallocated partition but it seems these v small ones can escape under the radar. Maybe they need to be a certain size to be managed. So, forgetting the 16MB one, it is easy to expand the C: drive as it will use some from the unallocated chunk to its right. The F: can then be extended. The Mini Tool will allow you to adjust the amount of unallocated space before and after the F: drive. So you want 0 before and 0 after. Good luck! Those I/O errors are a worry though. Hard to say what would be causing those. Could be several areas, I guess. Can bad areas on the drive give I/O errors? (Someone else may know this!). Bad cable? Bad electronics? I think I would do the easy bit and test the surface of the drives to eliminate that. You want to know this drive is fine, anyway. Reseat/change cable. Such fun you are having! Cheers. |
linw (53) | ||
| 1406020 | 2015-08-07 02:25:00 | Playing about with partitions on a drive that has I/O errors is dangerous. You would be best to stop any work and find the cause. The main causes are Faulty Drive,faulty motherboard ( including SATA port), faulty cable, or faulty power going to the drive. The errors are generally caused by lose of contact between the HDD and the Board. Playing with Partitions and the drive loses contact can result in the lose of everything. |
wainuitech (129) | ||
| 1406021 | 2015-08-07 02:30:00 | "Playing about with partitions on a drive that has I/O errors is dangerous." OK - I hear you! Sounds like I need some expert help. :) Need a Nerd?? Or what? Need a Nerd would come to my house, otherwise I have to haul everything out and go somewhere where they will insult me :( |
R.M. (561) | ||
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