Newsgroup: it.comp.hardware
Titolo: can't combine partitions using BootIt NG

Hi all,
I have a single hard disk of capacity about 150 GB. I am on Windows
XP.
I have partitions as C: (64.46 GB), D: (29.29 GB), E: (23.43 GB), J:
(5.86 GB) and I: (26.01 GB). I want to combine the last two partitions
I: and J: into a single entity. Both these are empty (i.e. have no
data, and I am ready to format these if need be, in fact I have just
formatted them using Disk Management feature of WinXP).
I am trying to use BootItNG to combine these two. I have used basic
features of BootItNG before also many times for such work as sliding
the partition, resizing etc (but still I can't say I am an expert in
this type of work and haven't used advanced features of BootitNG).
However, this time I can't understand why BootItNG is not working the
way I want, or where I am wrong.
I am reproducing below a snapshot of the BootIT NG screen and also
that of Disk Management to facilitate explaining the situation (I wish
I could upload an attachment containg a picture of the screen, but I
think attachments are not possible in this newsgroup). Here is what
Bootit NG partition manager window reads:
MBR Entry 0         Partition        66002 MB       HPFS/NTFS
MBR Entry 1         Partition        59993 MB       Extended
      unnamed         Volume        29996 MB       HPFS/NTFS
      unnamed         Volume        23994 MB       HPFS/NTFS
      unnamed         Volume        6002 MB         HPFS/NTFS
MBR Entry 2         Partition        26630 MB       HPFS/NTFS
and here is what the Disk Management window says:
Disk 0		(C:)		                (D:)			        (E:)
NewVolume(I:)	NewVolume(J:)
Basic		64.46 GB NTFS		29.29. GB NTFS    23.43 GB NTFS	5.86 GB NTFS
26.01 GB NTFS
149.05 GB	        Healthy(System)	Healthy			Healthy		Healthy		Healthy
Online
Please help what steps should be followed in BootIt NG to achieve the
task.
Thankyou
VJ


Sorry the last bit of text in the original message (showing the
snapshot of the Disk Mgmt window) has lost formatting. Please read it
as follows:
=> Disk 0, Basic, 149.05 GB, Online
=> (C:), 64.46 GB NTFS, Healthy(System) [Primary Partition]
=> (D:), 29.29 GB NTFS, Healthy [Logical Drive]
=> (E:), 23.43 GB NTFS, Healthy [Logical Drive]
=> NewVolume(I:), 5.86 GB NTFS, Healthy [Logical Drive]
=> NewVolume(J:), 26.01 GB NTFS, Healthy [Primary Partition]
Inconvenience caused is regretted.
VJ


You are attempting to transfer part of a partition from one partition to 
another. I must be UNalocated from the extended parition in which it 
resides before the space can be added to the primary partition.


Dear Bob,
Thankyou for your reply.
I tried as per your suggestions. This is what i did: In the Disk
Management window, i deleted the partition I:, which now shows as a
'Free Space' represented by light green color. When i turn to BootIT
NG, i expect that i should be able to 'slide' the J: drive above the
'free space I:' shown above it, so that free space comes after it and
i can combine after it. However, the slide operation doesn't work,
because 'space after' option, which is expected to show 5.8 GB is
showing 0 GB and i can't change it.
Also, I notice that D:, E: and I: are enclosed by a dark green
rectangle (meaning Extended Partition) in Disk Mgmt window. Is this
causing the problem?
Thankyou
VJ
ps: If there is a way to upload attachments in this newsgroup, pl let
me know so that I can upload a snapshot of the situation.


wrote:

Delete partitions I and J.
If you want the combined partition to be primary, shrink the extended
partition, and create a new primary partition in the unallocated
space..
If you want the combined partition to be logical, extend the extended
partition over the unallocated space and create a new logical volume.



Thanks Andy.
I deleted I: and J:, now having an unallocated space. But how do I
extend the extended partition to cover this free space? I would
appreciate a step by step procedure (since I am not an expert user of
such things), and whether to be done usinf Diskmgmt.msc or BootIt NG.
As soon as I format the free space, I get a new partition, but I wish
to extend the existing partition to cover this.
Thanks
VJ

XP.
This is an italian newsgroup.
IT means "Italy", not "Information Technology".
-- 
Ci sono 10 tipi di persone al mondo: quelle che capiscono il sistema binario
e quelle che non lo capiscono.

, use
the Resize Partition function.

 to extend the existing partition to cover this.
As Andy said, you want to resize the partition, Specifically the 
extended partition.
MBR Entry 1         Partition        59993 MB       Extended
Then create a new partition in the the now combined free space. Extended 
partitions are containers for logical drives (partitions/volumes).