[CaptainKen2]

Two of us have been searching for hours (forums, newsgroups, google) on how
to create more then 4 partitions in on the same drive in Vista. We
understand you can't have any more then 4 primary partitions. Here is how
the Dell M1530 XPS came preconfigured as:
Partition 1 = OEM (Dell
Utilities)
Partition 2 = Primiary (Dell Recovery)
Partition 3 = Primary (C
Drive with Vista)
Partition 0 = Extended
Partition 4 =
Logical
NOTE: Partition 0 or 4 is for Dell Media
Direct.
The volumes are:
Volume 0 E DVD-ROM
Volume 1 D
Recovery
Volume C OS
Partition 3 is 220GB in size. I want to
shrink it to 60GB's. This would leave about 160GB as Unallocated that I want
to format and assign a drive letter to (a Volume I guess).
I have been using BootItNg for years and swear by it. What I typically do
is have the OS and programs on one partition and ALL data on another including various images. This is my first experience working with Vista
limitations.
I had considered deleting some partitions, especially
the MD one. Dell taking the route they choose for MD was a very foolish one
IMO. Version 4 is supposed to address the issue, but as you have pointed
out isn't it reduntant given the included programs in Vista.
I'm
aware that there are many options such as deleting partitions, but I would still like to no how to
create more then 4 partitions using Bootitng or Vista's DiskPart. Actually
I can easily create more partitions with Bootitng or Vista's Shrink, *but what I can't figure
out is how to FORMAT them*. This is because when attempting to use the Vista Disk
Manager Simple Volume wizard on the Unallocated space and click Finish
thereby expecting it to start the format process, all that happens is the
same message "There is not enough space available on the disk(s) to complete
this operation." Doesn't matter what size value I use to shrink, the same
message is always the result. Searching the web tells the same story over
and over by many users including here: http://forums.pcworld.com/thread/33120

[piyushsingh]

Can you post a screen shot of the disk management window here.

[CaptainKen2]

[piyushsingh]

So you have 4 primary partitions already there. To create more than 4 partitions , atleast one extended partition is needed and then logical drives can be created on that. That would need one of the partitions to be deleted and recreated as extended partition .
Now even at this stage if you right click and try to shrink the C: partition (220GB), you will be able to shrink it to create some unallocated space out of it but you wont be able to create a partition out of it due to the already used 4 primary.

So tell me , what the 2.5GB partition is for ?? Only this seems to me that can be safely deleted .

[CaptainKen2]

The 2.5GB is for the Dell Media Direct.

I only see 3 primaries.

[maxting]

Just like [~71480] said, you have used up all the 4 primary partitions. Primary partitions are shown in "dark blue" colour. Thus, no other choice unless you delete one primary drive now and create extended drive. Then only you will be able to create additional "logical drives" on the extended drive.

Hope this help.

[BAMT]

You can not do this in Windows Vista, as I have 5 partitions and it thinks they are all primary (two are extended). I recommend using a Linux live CD (such as OpenSuSE 10.3) and partitioning it from there. Then, in Windows, format the "unformatted partition" that shows up, then set it up for the software.

[rgreen4]

Your problem is that the final partition of 2.5GB is a non-standard partition used for Dell's system of playing DVD's without turning on the laptop. HP has a similar system but does not use a HD partition to do it.
When Vista partitions a Hard Drive that is already active, it shrinks the last partition in sequence and will only shrink it 50%. Thus, the first shrinkage results in two volumes equalling 50% of the HD space each. The next shrinkage will shrink the second volume by 50% and you now have three volumes, the first with 50%, and the next two with 25% each. Then next shrinkage results in 4 volumes, the first one 50%, the second 25% and the third and final primary 12.5% and the fourth and first virtual volume 12.% A fourth shrinkage again shrinks the last volume by 50% resulting in a total of 5 volumes, three primary and two virtual (or extended which is the new term) with the following percentage 50, 25, 12.5, 6.25, 6.25.
Below is a snip of the Disk Management window on this machine. Disk0 is Vista SP1, Disk1 is XP SP2, and Disk2 is a 500GB Samsung that was a data drive with a little bit of obsolete data.

[piyushsingh]

I must say , how stupidly dell has partitioned your disk leaving room for nothing else for a beginner to intermediate to play with the partitions. Like i said before the windows limit for 4 primary partitions , you will need to delete one of the partitions and recreate it as extended. But in your case any of the partitions deleted will surely mess up with your MBR .
3 rd party utilities may or may not do the job.
A third way is through linux , you can get more than 4 primary in that case. In fact i have 4 primary and 1 extended on my single disk. But again be ready to reinstall the dell utilities and dell media direct including boot options.

[CaptainKen2]

Oops, I overlooked the color coding. I decided to use BootItNG, to delete the Vista and MD partitions and then create the two desired partitions.

Many thanks to every one for your Help!!!!



Ken

[mphenterprises]

Hi Captain. I am glad that the forum was able to help you resolve your issue. As a final step, since you have this Discussion marked as "Answered," please select the two (2) posts that you feel were "Helpful" and the post that you feel was "Correct."