Boot Drive Problems...

So I built this computer about five years ago... It has a ASUS P5Q PRO Motherboard... And a 500 watt Western Didgital hard drive that has been partitioned into many partitions with XP Pro. When I installed windows 7 on it... I put it on a 30 GB drive... and have problems with enough room ever since... This last while the drive has been showing red in the my computer section... And I have had to keep uninstalling programs from it to prevent this... I finally decided to bite the bullet and do something about it...

Well I installed Windows seven on a 60 GB drive that had program files on it... So I now have duel boot... The problem is that the new installation changed the 60 GB into a 30 GB... the same as I had before... So I am no further ahead... I had hoped that after installing on the larger Drive that I could format the original C: drive and the problem would be solved... And when I attempt to remove some of the files from the drive I can only move the ones that I have put on since the new installation...

What I would like to do is Format the two Drives and re-install the operating system... However the Windows 7 Home Premium installation disk does not give me that option... And it is a legit copy...

Please Help if you can..? As a last resort... I am about to go and purchase a new Hard Drive and go from there...

 

Hi. Could you post an image of Disc Management, Please.
There are far better programs out there for partitioning HDD's.

 

Is the Windows 7 install DVD a retail copy or OEM? If OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) it may be tied to a specific machine.

When you launch the DVD you should have the option to either upgrade or to do a custom install... may not be called custom, drawing an old age blank. Anyway you would want to do a custom install. In the install process you should see an option for drive options. In that you can set up your partitions any way that you would like.

 

The Disk did not come with a specific computer... Initially I had XP PRO installed on the computer when I first built it. Then later I purchased the Windows 7 Diskand installed it...

I have tried both options of installing with no cigar...

I have never posted an image to a forum like this before and do not know how to do that... I would be happy to do that if someone can tell me how..?

 

Select 'More Reply Options' to the right of the post button and you will see attachment options.

Are you starting the install DVD via Windows or booting directly to the DVD? You would be wanting to boot directly to the DVD; may have to change the boot order in your BIO to accomplish this.

BTW, your failure to be able to manipulate older files is probably a permissions issue. If you look at this site page you will see a download named 'Take Ownership'. This is a registry hack that will add an option to the right click context menu named 'Take Ownership'. Using this option on any file or folder will automate the permission setting.

To any admin or mod, if I am violating any type of rule in posting this link please feel free to remove... and please accept my apoligies.
http://jaylach.com/downloads

 

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]Ya I had to change the boot order to Boot directly to the DVD... [/background]

 

In the new installation The control panel shows only eight items...
I can see the programs and open them... the windows remove program does not show them nor does two other third party programs... So I can not uninstall them...

I do not have those issues in the original boot drive...

And the size of the drives are reversed... Depending on what drive I am in...

I am experiencing difficulty accessing the disk management via the forum path...

Thank you for your help so far...

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]Please could someone let me know what those far better programs out there for partitioning HDD's are..? And will they format..? And are free..? Not that they have to be, but it would be nice....[/background]

 

I hope this works I took this pic on my iPod...

 

Some may disagree but I tend to partition and format straight from a Windows 7 install DVD. I find it to be reliable and have not had any issues.

One of the best third party partition packages would have to be Acronis Disk Director, I believe it used to be called Partition Magic. This is not free.
http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/diskdirector/

Now let's step back a moment and get some information. You never answered on whether you were trying to install while starting from within Windows or by booting directly to the DVD. You should be able to do a clean install including partitioning your drives in either case but I'd rather see you boot from the DVD. You DID say that you had to change your boot order but never said specifically that you tried an install via that method.

Just to keep things as simple as possible right now I'd remove all drives except the one on which you want to do the install. During the install, when you get to the screen where you select the install partition there should be a selection toward the bottom of the screen for drive options. If you click on this you will see added options. You would want to 'remove' all partitions until you have a single large block of unallocated space. Then you would create any wanted partitions and select the install partition. Continue the install as normal. After the install make sure to install any mother board drivers such as chipset and any others. You should have gotten a driver install CD with the mother board. You can also download more current drivers from the Asus site but for now I'd just use the CD. You will also have to install drivers for any add-on cards that you may have such as video. Check Device Manager for any banged out (yellow !) devices. If all devices are showing as good go ahead and format any other partitions that you may have set up during the install. Do Windows Updates and install security.

 

Posted my last before you posted the images. In my opinion you are running WAY too many partitions.

 

I have been running those partitions (with windows 7) for about two years now and never encountered a problem with them... And longer than that with XP
And yes I [background=rgb(252, 252, 252)] installed by booting directly to the DVD I am sorry if I was not clear enough about that... [/background] [background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]I can not remember how many times I have stuck the boot disk into the machine and looked for the option to partition... or to do something other than install... I tried every thing I could think of before I came here for help... Please remember that initially I installed windows 7 on the C: drive with all of those partitions there... As they were created with XP and the computer functioned with XP on it long before windows 7 entered the scene. [/background][background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]I know enough that the advice you gave me about wiping the Drive and re-installing is what I need to do... And I came here to find out how to do that... Thank you for the link you provided... I will check that out and look for it locally... I will ether find away to format the drive or I will purchase a new hard drive... [/background]

[background=rgb(252, 252, 252)]Regards.... [/background]

 

If you don't want to, or can't, use the install DVD to do the partitioning here is something that you may want to look at, this one is free.
http://download.cnet...4-10863346.html

I used to use an earlier version of this package some time ago and it was pretty good. I have not used it in a long time but have no reason to think it would not still be decent. CNet rates it very high.

 

Hi, to save a bit of cash, if all you need to do is move, expand, or shrink partitions, there is a good free partition manager from EasUS.

http://www.partition...me-download.htm

It is the basic Home Edition for the free version, scroll down to the bottom of the lists for the download.

Edit to add, woops we posted at the same time and about the same thing Jay.

As you can see we both think it is good for a freebie.

Nev.

 

Thanks for all the help...

 

Please keep us updated as to how things go.

 

That is an amazing tool... I first did away with the partition that wasn't working properly... Then re-partitioned it... and then divided it into two drives... Then merged one of them with the C: Drive... and received the desired results...
I am left with an annoying Duel boot when booting the computer... One drive of which is no longer there... But Still requires me to select which drive to boot from... I don't know what to do about that..?

 

Go to http://jaylach.com/downloads and grab VistaBootPro. It will grumble a bit about Windows Vista not being installed but will work fine. You can use it to remove the unwanted OS listing. If you use this start out by making a backup of the Boot. After you are done, and everything is proven, make another backup.

You can also cheat by going to your Control Panel then System. Under Advanced go to Startup and Recovery. You can select your default OS (the one you want to boot) and set the time to display to zero or one. While this will work the unwanted listing will still be there.

 

I am not sure that I have been able to give you a clear picture of the current situation... The default OS is windows 7 on both of them... So I can not select between the two "Under Advanced Start up and Recovery"... The selected default OS already is set at Windows 7... Both Dual Boots were to windows 7 installations... One of which is no longer there...

Also how would I go about making a backup of the Boot..?

 

Hi, if there is definitely no other operating system than just the one, unless you have some very specific settings in the BIOS you wish to keep, why not set BIOS back to default, either by linking the correct pins if the motherboard has them or removing the battery for a few minutes.
Once the BIOS is set to default it will start from the beginning again, it will find only one operating system and boot from it without asking for a dual boot that is no longer there.
After resetting the BIOS, remember to check and set time and date, otherwise Windows updates may not work.
Nev.

 

Thank you Nev... I will look into removing the battery later... The only settings that I have changed in the BIOS were the Boot order...