Hard Drive Formatting "for all available space"

[airboatr]

Heelo all

just wondering if you all would be so kind as to make some sugestions on the lastest and bestest software
needed to format a new hard drive as well as a tool to test the drive fo any bad sectors.

I have a Hitachi 320G SATA 2.5'er for my laptop which currently has the original 120giggy it came with
working fine and all , I just thought I'd add a larger and faster (7200 rpm 16mb) instead of an external
usb type for storage.,

I used the Gateway revovery disk set (7 in all) to install the OS and all on this new HD but I am being robbed of about 20 gigs of space.

thanks for any and all input,
(including any smart arse remarks from the peanut gallery, which are allways welcome and much appreciated on this here fine website)
thank you and goodbye.

Joe .
Now seriously... what would you suggest.

[airboatr]

also
I would like to create a D partition on it as well so the backup recovery files will be safely kept there as the
origiinal drive is set up.

[Jetstreamsky]

This might meet your needs ACRONIS DISK DIRECTOR http://www.acronis.com/promo/choose_dis ... 5QodxAKh9Q

[TSR2]

Hi Joe,

If you need to use the Gateway recovery CD (or DVD) to rebuild the PC youur options are fairly limited... IF you can get a OEM CD(or DVD)... or if Gateway actually give you the OS on CD(orDVD) then you could build up the laptop by booting from that and then adding the various drivers after the base OS is installed. That way there will be no gateway boot partion with all of the tools on it... just the full size of the drive (after formating that will reduce).

Hope that helps

ATB

p.s. very little point in doing backups to a separate partition on the same physical drive, as if the drive goes, that partition has gone too. I'd suggest a USB drive for your backups

[airboatr]

thanks much for the replys

I have had a problem, the short of it is.
After installing the factory restore disk on the new drive I ran Easeus and created a ISO to disk
which copies (supposed to copy) my original HD to the new one , however it crashed in the middle of the process
I was able to reboot to the desktop on the original HD but when I plugged in the new HD with my external USB kit the drive
wern't showing at all, I removed the original and install the Hitachi into the laptop, nuttin, notta zilch,
Operating system not found , no disk found great! Then I installed the Vista OS disk that came with my Laptop ...guess what

3 partitions! thats right 3 C: which is the primary D: 101 gigs of unallocated F: the back up folder
But all of those add up to the amount of space I had with just the 2 partitions made when installing the computer to factory new restore disk


so then
IZ reinstalled the original into the laptop....... Same Message!! NO OS No disk found ohhman :doho: ohh daddy.
What happen was.... the Win exe. startup file had been corrupted
SO,. I fixed that with the restore disk and am now happily posting this series of misfortunes from my original set up.


Ben
the only problem I have with installing just the Vista OS is I don't get some of the features that are included from Gateway
MS works word , the drivers for my video card and sound card , my wifi ....ect. ect. ect.

oh me oh my ... me and my bright ideas.

anywho I will endeavor to the end. even if it means ....... my end.
:tab:

or, I will fetch a tree branch

Thanks ,
Joe

[airboatr]

Ok So now I have updated Vista only (clean install) with the three partitions.
I would like to move the instalation onto the 101 gig partition and have the 178 gig for FS9
leaving the back up on the 10 gig partition...

any advise?

Thanks Joe

[forthbridge]

:think:

Now.... odd one. I would be tempted not to touch anything and fire FS onto the 101gig partition based on the fact I'd be surprised if I got anywhere near that size for purely and FS installation.....

Anyway....... rather than tinker with the vista installation which could be asking for trouble....

Try Shrinking the partition and expanding the other (Computer/right click/manage/disk management/select partition/right click/shrink)

Generally you can only shrink by the amount of free space... but just leave a buffer amount....

You'll probably need to shrink the largest partition first then expand the one you want to use for FS

[airboatr]

ahhso Jim

thats a new one, that disk manager. Now that I've gotten there , right upto clicking...shrink
What will be the next option.? will It move that amount of disk space I've shrunk from C: to a disk of it's choice?
Or will I be able to tell it where to go. which would be D:
E: by the way is the 10 gig space where the backup file for windows is.

..thanks for the responce on this btw , I've been into this for 3 days off and on
and I just don't want to pull the rip cord so to speak

Joe

[airboatr]

ok, well, tell you what.
I suited up and took the plunge, Ripped the cord and had a safe landing
although I think NASA would call it a succesful failure .. yeah yeah thats right
It made the C: partition smaller, But it would only allow me to reallocate it back to the C: partition
where as I wanted it to make D: larger.
Instead it was in limbo.... unallocated land.. that place between neither here nor there

back to some more reading...................


this time I think the answer is in the deep merky waters... give ya an update when I come back up for air

[forthbridge]

HI Joe.... simultaneous posts there..... have you tried claiming the space by 'expanding' D?

As the space is unallocated that 'should' work.....??