topic Re: Remove partition in PCs & Accessories

Remove partition

Footbacon — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 12:38:26 GMT

I've had my Vaio for about a year and desperately need to remove the partition to get some more space.

I've got all of my docs, music etc on an external hard drive but still there's hardly any space left on c:

Downloaded Partition Magic last night to try and merge C: & 😧 When I tried to merge them it said I needed more space to do so! Then something went wrong and I think I've deleted the D:. I *think* that the third one down in this screenshot is my D:, but it's called '*' instead now.

Have I completely screwed it up? How do I get the 😧 back and how do I remove the partition?

Re: Remove partition

pmitev — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:34:56 GMT

Check this link for the SystemRescueCd. I have used it to find lost partitions, but in my case the problem was something else.
There is a tool that can help you - Test-Disk. Check the manual and try to recover your lost partition. There are some other tools in the wild, so don't consider that one as the best one, but at least is free.

If we assume that you have recovered your lost partition then next you can use GPArted from the same CD to expand your C: drive. I would not expect merging to work without problems (GParted does not support merging anyway) so better backup your data and copy it back ones you are done. I can only assume that for the merging the files are first copied to the C: partition before it is enlarged (well it is not always necessary but...) and there was not enough space - if you continue, the next task is to delete 😧 so probably you are somewhere there...
The general rule when working with partitions is to try to make only few operations per task i.e. First delete the Extended partition (apply the changes) and then resize the partition. It should be the same to do all of them in one task but there are less chances to screw something because of errors during the separate operations.

Re: Remove partition

Footbacon — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:48:55 GMT

Thanks for the link.

Just tried to download it and it says there's not enough space! Can I download it directly to external hard drive somehow?

Edit: Oh crap! Tried to uninstall a couple of things to get a little bit more space and it says there's not enough space to uninstall.

Am I gonna have to do a system restore?

Re: Remove partition

pmitev — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:56:40 GMT

Thanks for the link.
Just tried to download it and it says there's not enough space! Can I download it directly to external hard drive somehow?

Well it is an .iso file so you can download it wherever you want, on another computer as well. Then you have to burn the .iso CD image in order to boot the computer from the burned CD.

Re: Remove partition

Footbacon — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:21:00 GMT

Managed to shuffle some things around and download SystemRescue, but it wouldn't open. Something about an invalid certificate.

If I do a system restore will that put me straight back to square 1 with the 😧 back as it was?

And can you do a system restore without recovery discs?

Re: Remove partition

Blencogo — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:29:06 GMT

Did you have any data on Drive D:\ that you needed to keep?

If not, will it not let you simply resize drive C:\ to 75GB?

Re: Remove partition

Footbacon — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:36:56 GMT

I had nothing really on the 😧

How do I resize it? Sorry, I'm not too tech minded.

Re: Remove partition

pmitev — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:37:47 GMT

Managed to shuffle some things around and download SystemRescue, but it wouldn't open. Something about an invalid certificate.

That is an .iso CD image format.. You can not simply run it. You have to burn it first as an image not as a file. Then boot from the CD. The iso file is 127MB make sure you have the real iso file not the redirections (do not use right click, save as).

If not, will it not let you simply resize drive C:\ to 75GB?

First one needs to delete the extended partition...

Re: Remove partition

Footbacon — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:45:29 GMT

Do I have to stress again that it is an .iso CD image format.. You can not simply run it. You have to burn it first as an image not as a file. Then boot from the CD. The iso file is 127MB make sure you have the real iso file not the redirections (do not use right click, save as).

It looks like I'm screwed. Uninstalled so much crap that I can't find any way to burn it to a CD.

What happens if I restore without the recovery discs?

Re: Remove partition

Thalamus. — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:47:03 GMT

And can you do a system restore without recovery discs?

Hi Footbacon

pressing F10 repeatedly when starting you vaio normally would start the recovery process..

You could use the Vaio recovery tool and at no 10 select C & D Recovery (Change Partition size)..
However all the data on your hard drive(s) will be removed and then your Vaio should be recovered back to the factory settings..

Re: Remove partition

pmitev — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:48:26 GMT

Forget about the SystemRescueCd. What you need is to delete the extended partition then as a second step resize the C: partition. That's all.
Or check the previous post.

Re: Remove partition

Footbacon — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:55:30 GMT


pressing F10 repeatedly when starting you vaio normally would start the recovery process..

You could use the  Vaio recovery tool  and at no 10 select C & D Recovery (Change Partition size).. 
However all the data on your hard drive(s) will be removed and then your Vaio should be recovered back to the factory settings..

Factory settings - as in how I got it out of the box? XP and all the crap Sony shove on will be there?

What you need is to delete the extended partition then as a second step resize the C: partition. That's all.
Or check the previous post.

You make it sound so simple! Is there a step-by-step guide to doing that somewhere?

Re: Remove partition

Blencogo — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:04:55 GMT

In Partition Magic - on the screen you posted earlier: -

1. Highlight the 'Extended Partition' by clicking on it.
2. Select 'Delete Partition' from the menu on the left.
3. Highlight 'VAIO C:' by clicking on it
4. Select'Resize/Move Partition'
5. Choose to resize to use all the unallocated space on the drive.

Re: Remove partition

kee-lo_ — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:07:24 GMT

For goodness sake make a backup before doing any of that!

Re: Remove partition

pmitev — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:10:06 GMT

Blencogo, thanks for the help on behalf of myself.
Footbacon, everybody is waiting for a happy end - don't forget to tell us how it worked.

Re: Remove partition

Blencogo — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:18:47 GMT

Bit late for a backup - looks like 😧 has been deleted already.

Re: Remove partition

Footbacon — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:39:28 GMT

OK. Resized the partition and it Partition Magic now says I've got almost 70 gb on C:, it looks like this:

Which is bleedin' fantastic! But when I go into my computer and look at the C: it still says there's only 267mb of free space and the total size is 32.6gb. Eh?

Thanks for all of your help. I've had a twisted up gut about this all day!

Re: Remove partition

Footbacon — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:44:00 GMT

"Apply changes"! doh!

Feel like jumping up and down! Brilliant! Thank you so much for your help!

Re: Remove partition

Blencogo — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 16:51:16 GMT

Whewwwwwwwwwwwww !!!

That's a bit of a relief.

Everything looks OK - perhaps it will sort itself out on re-boot.

Re: Remove partition

kee-lo_ — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:37:14 GMT

Excellent news