Name: Irfankd Date: November 12, 2007 at 10:51:39 Pacific Subject: Merging Unallocated HDD Space OS: Windows 2000 Pro CPU/Ram: Celeron@500mhz/128MB Model/Manufacturer: home built
Comment:
Here's what happend, I was at my local library when I found a Linux book (Linux Made Easy by Rickford Grant) that had an XANDROS Desktop 3 distribution on it. So I went home, and prepared my computer for a new operating system (I have been looking for a good Linux distribution for a while now). The book said that I should have at least 1.5GB of sapce (3.0 recomended), but I only had 2.2GB left on my 10GB HDD. So I started removing programs I did not need from Windows 2000 Pro and Windows 98SE (I have a dual-boot environment). In the end I had about 4.1GB free. So I started the instaler. Now in the installer, I had to create a partition for the Linux OS. I gave the distribution 2.2GB which left around 2GB for Windows. It started to install, but at around 23% completed, I recieved an error (Error # 2000) and I had to abort the installation. Now I had a Windows partition with 7.07GB on it and a useless Linux partiton with around 2.2GB on it. I went into Windows 2000, and went to disk management and deleted the Linux partition. After that I had 2.2GB of "Free Space". I deleted that, so I got 2.2GB of "Unallocated Space". My question is, how can I get the unallocated space back into my Windows partition? I don't have the option of reformatting (there are multiple reasons for that), and I really don't want to use DiskPart (way to complicated, plus it's a DOS program and there is no "undo"). I can't buy Partition Magic (for personal reasons), and the demo doesn't actually merge the partitions. Once side thing, after I deleted the Linux partition to get the "Unallocated Space", my computer restarts when I press shutdown (I dont really use shutdown, I ussually Hibernate, but sometimes I have to do a system shutdoen). Does anyone have any suggestion for both problems (sorry for the long post). Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Windows 2000 Pro/ Windows 98SE Intel Celeron 500 socket 370 128MB RAM 8MB VRAM SIS620
You will need a prtition utility like Partition Magic or similiar. There are freeware utilities out there. You don't absolutely need to merge the partitions. You create a partition and format the unallocated space. Then just use it. You can change the drive letter assignment after you partition the drive. You perform that operation from within disk management in Win2000. The drive letters may change when in Win98. Win98 has no reasignment feature. Look at the link below for free partitioning software. You should backup your files before using any partitioning software.
I can do all of that in Disk Management in Windows 2000 right? So then if I format the partition, I will have my 9GB of space, but I would have 2 drives combineing that (7.07+2.2=9.27GB). Ok, so I'll try that and then post back. Thanks for the suggestion.
Windows 2000 Pro/ Windows 98SE Intel Celeron 500 socket 370 128MB RAM 8MB VRAM SIS620
Yes, disk management. To reassign a drive letter you first nee to free up the letter you want to use. Do that by reassigning the existing partition to an unused higher letter temporarily. When you create the partition it may move other letters around, causing programs to no longer work. Reassignment will fix that. You need to do it prior to installing anything on the new partition.
Ok, I used the "Unallocated Space" for a new Fat32 partition. So that went good, now my only question is about the Shutdown thing. Do you know why that might happen?
Windows 2000 Pro/ Windows 98SE Intel Celeron 500 socket 370 128MB RAM 8MB VRAM SIS620
Do you use the Start menu to place the computer in standby?
Hibernation is primarily designed to be used on Laptop computers. I am surprised if you EVER got it to work correctly. I use minimal power savings in the BIOS and in Windows power schemes.
If you use a CRT (tube) monitor that is the hardware that consumes the most power. I have my HDrive set to never shutoff.
My computer stops responding when I come out of standby, but hibernation works fine. I just don't know why my computer restarts when I press shutdown. It logs off and saya windows is shutting down, but then I never see the "It is safe to turn off your computer" sign. It just starts up again as if I pressed "Restart" in the "Start"->"Shutdown" box.
Windows 2000 Pro/ Windows 98SE Intel Celeron 500 socket 370 128MB RAM 8MB VRAM SIS620
I think the problem is your low computer specs. I had an old computer, roughly as powerful as yours, and standby and hibernate would almost always fail to resume. it was a good install of Windows so I figured the machine was just not gutsy enough to actually haul the machine from standby into working operation again. As to restarting when you hit shutdown, is that in Win98 or in 2000? If you disable automatic restart, in Windows 2000, the Blue Screen Error will show.
Please be aware that Windows 98 was riddled with standby problems on just about any hardware, and the shutdown supplement from Microsoft *sometimes* fixes this.
While Disk Management is a powerful utility, it is something I have never really liked. I use my Ultimate Boot CD (which I got free with a magazine, and you can download and burn for free - it has proven invaluable to me) to do just about anything, even if I just want to re-partition my external. As long as you don't rush through it and format the drive your system is on, and keep your cool, you'll be fine. I particularly like Ranish Partition manager, which you will be able to dump onto a floppy. Again, it's all free stuff.
Simply select the volume which is the 2GB one in the manager, and format it. Be careful, keep your cool, keep backups, and you'll be on your way.
Thanks for the program information, as for the standby/hibernate/shutdown thing, I don't use my Windows 98SE for anything now, but standby does not work in there. Hibernation workd fine in Windows 2000, but its just the whole shutdown thing. I'm getting why that is happening. Did something happen to the MBR to trigger that problem?
Windows 2000 Pro/ Windows 98SE Intel Celeron 500 socket 370 128MB RAM 8MB VRAM SIS620
Sorry, I worded that last reply wrong. There is a "Merge" function (I also goofed on this I want to "Redistribute Free Space"), but I do all this (Redistribute Free Space), but when I click apply, I get a message saying that I can't do it because I am using an evaluation version (Demo). I really want my 2.2GB back, my computer has been really slow ever since.
Windows 2000 Pro/ Windows 98SE Intel Celeron 500 socket 370 128MB RAM 8MB VRAM SIS620
Have you run defrag on the disk? Check to make sure your drive is running in the fastest mode possible. I believe your computer is capable of DMA. If so, verify your drive is using it. The drive size shouldn't impact your speed in measurable ways.
One other thought. If your swap file is too small due to new space constraints I beilieve you can move it to another partition or adjust it. Not saying that is the problem.
Well, I defragged before I installed the Linux distribution. But, how do I move my swap file to another partition. That will really help me, because I can make my swap file like 1GB (because I am not using the extra partition)!
Windows 2000 Pro/ Windows 98SE Intel Celeron 500 socket 370 128MB RAM 8MB VRAM SIS620
Right Click on My Computer> properties> advanced> performance options> advanced> virtual memory change> make required changes there, apply and OK.
To check DMA settings go to Device manager and expand IDE controller listing. right click on the first controller> properties> advanced settings> check and reset DMA. Repeat for the Secondary channel.
One point to mention, You may encounter extremely slow performance if DAM should get enabled when the drive is not capable. I believe this isn't possible to do in Win2000 but not positive. If it should occur you will be able to return to the setting area, it will just be slow getting there. I have had this happen with a K6 system with Intel chipset running Win98. I repeat, I don'[t think it is possible due to the setting saying DMA if available. If you detect DMA isn't enabled and after a reboot still isn't being used post back for further advice.
I've made the virtual memory 1GB, and checked the DMA stuff. My computer is not compatible with the DMA, and it is unselected in the properties. Will the 1GB of virtual memory help my applications run faster?
Windows 2000 Pro/ Windows 98SE Intel Celeron 500 socket 370 128MB RAM 8MB VRAM SIS620
I'm not an expert on that topic. I would suggest you experiment a little with the settings to see if there seems to be any difference.
I'm not by a 2000 machine right now but if memory serves me correctly there is a setting in the performance area to set the computer as a workstation. I think that will optimaze the read ahead feature on your slower disk. For further info i=on this topic I suggest you might start a new thread as this one is on a different topic and is played out.
Well, I do not want my HDD to be faster, I just want to get back my 2GB of lost space. Is there any program the WORKS (I have seen some DOS programs, but I am not very smart when working with DOS and I dont feel very comfortable knowing that one wrong move could screw my computer)!
Windows 2000 Pro/ Windows 98SE Intel Celeron 500 socket 370 128MB RAM 8MB VRAM SIS620
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