Create partition on C Drive without formatting

kromastorm,

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Click the link below for information on creating partitions in Windows 7.

Creating Partitions in Windows 7

Biggest problem is to not be confused by the drive letters.

Linux can do this without losing data as can other types of utility.

Dell machines are partitioned with a 40 meg diag, 12 gig recovery, then the rest of the drive.

When you boot up its drive C: in lettering but is actually drive E: aka the 3rd partition.

Shrinking a Windows NT/2000/XP partition with Linux NTFS

If the machine has Windows NT/2000/XP that uses an NTFS filesystem, one of the easier ways to resize an NTFS partition is to get Mandrake Linux 9.1, which includes the ability to easily resize NTFS partitions through a graphical user interface. You would start the process of installing Mandrake Linux. Then after you have shrunk the NTFS partition, you can either continue to install Mandrake, or you can then install another version of Linux.

Another option to shrinking NTFS partitions is by using the Linux-NTFS software. The Linux-NTFS software is used by Mandrake Linux 9.1, to do the resizing of NTFS partitions: Mandrake adds an easy-to-use graphical user interface to the Linux-NTFS software.

Finally, you could resize an NTFS partition by downloading and booting

KNOPPIX - Live Linux Filesystem On CD

which includes the Linux-NTFS software (but does not include the easy-to-use graphical user interface that Mandrake 9.1 has for resizing NTFS partitions).

Where to get more information

• Red Hat Installation Guide, Appendix E. An Introduction to Disk Partitions
• Configuring a Dual-Boot System
• The Parted program for resizing partitions (parted runs under Linux and can be used to resize partitions after Linux is installed).
• Booting A Knoppix LIVE dvd installs linux in ramdrive.

KNOPPIX 6.4 in Linux Magazine

Linux Magazine presents the "10 years" anniversary edition of KNOPPIX (http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html), Version 6.4.2, in its next publication. The DVD will be included in the english (UK) edition on 29th November, and on 2th of December 2010 in the german magazine edition. Shortly before Christmas, the new release can also be found on the public mirrors (we are still working on the miniaturized CD and ADRIANE (http://www.knopper.net/knoppix-adriane/index-en.html)-version). This time, due to the anniversary, "non-free" or otherwise unredistributable software (such as flash) has been banned from the magazine DVD, but of course it is possible to install such software later in the USB flashdisk version, if you wish so. Also, this edition is again more "experimental", and contains a lot of software from the current Debian/testing+unstable pool, Kernel 2.6.36 and the new nouveau graphics modules which enable automatic 3D accelleration with free drivers on some NVidiaTM graphics adapters. More about the new release can be found inside the magazine, and soon on the Knoppix website.

Thanks for so many replies guys. There are a  few key things which I want to mention.

First, as its a C Drive, I dont want to format it.

Second, I would like to stick to windows, as I have ubuntu in office and I use it all the time. I like linux very much, but for this laptop, I will be using windows only.

This are the parameters for the problem, as its a new laptop, I dont want to do windows re-install just for this purpose.

Cheers!

Booting a Live Linux DVD does not require reinstall of windows.

HOWEVER.

I would backup the entire system using a 16 gig or larger USB 2.0 flash drive via the Dell Datasafe 2.0 Utility

which will create a bootable USB flash drive that has a backup of the diagnostic partition,  recovery Partition, and the windows install as it came from the factory.

That way if you make a mistake you can always get back to the system as it came out of the box from dell.

folks, this is completely going out of bound. My stress is on keeping WINDOWS as i dont have any issue with it. i just want MULTIPLE LOGICAL partitions. i have linux at my work place. i dont want linux everywhere.

folks, this is completely going out of bound. My stress is on keeping WINDOWS as i dont have any issue with it. i just want MULTIPLE LOGICAL partitions. i have linux at my work place. i dont want linux everywhere.

Obviously, you have no clue what SpeedStep was trying to help you with.

I personally have use GParted which is based on Linux for partitioning withotu any issues.

If you don't want to use Linux, go find another solution.

Sheesh!!!

okay, I guess I missed what SpeedStep said. But even after reading it, I am blank. The point which I get it is use of GUI which comes with linux installation, and after that I have option to either install it or leave it like that...

But is it safe? Dont we have a windows based solution. It should be  a pretty basic requirement as there are still so many windows users around the world. Strange!

The answer will involve some research and consideration on your part.  Since the drive already has four primary partitions on it (C:, the diagnostics, the quick restore and a media partition), you must first decide which partition to sacrifice before you can alter the partition structure.  The most obvious one to dispatch is the restore partition, which will be useless once you do what you plan to do - you will not be able to use it afteward.

Once that's done, create an extended partition in its place, and then expand it as you wish, creating logical drives for storage purposes.  Just be sure you've made the Dell restore DVD before you do this, as what you're about to do will irreversibly deactivate the quick restore feature on the drive.

okay, this is looking quite dangerous to me. I will let the dell people find a way for that. They should have asked me about that before dispatching this system, with a single C: drive.  

Is there  a way to keep the recovery partition in case I think of formatting it?