Thread: Tech Help Please ( Empty Partition )

I had to reinstall windows xp on the computer..only problem is i forgot to delete a partition.

So now my OS was and all my other programs and stuff is within a drive called F:

and C: ( from last OS i guess ) is now empty, with one textfile called "Setaid2"

how do i delete the empty partition and change the F drive back to C drive.

any help greatly appreciated.

You have two options:

1) You can forge the two partitions into one, though that can be risky and might corrupt files.

2) Reinstall Window, and when you do, make sure you make one big partition. The Windows XP installation dialogue can be a bit confusing though, which is probably why you got what you have now.

[edit]

actually, I'm going to try the merge anyway. I'm backup up my important files now and then I will do it.

Now do I merge the C: drive ( boot partition ) with the system partition ( F: ) or merge the system partition with the C: drive? Partition magic won't let me change the drive letter of F: drive so I should probably merge the F: drive with the C: drive right? I don't know which way to do it, but I can tell you now C: doesn't anything on it but a folder for printer drivers or something. Should i merge the C: drive with F?

It's actually possible to do exactly what he said, though it's risky. So if you try this, make a backup of all important files.

If you don't mind downloading stuff illegally, get PartitionMagic 8 from PowerQuest and install it. If you do, download the a linux liveCD which comes with gparted preinstalled (I think ubuntu's liveCD does).
If you use the linux liveCD, you'll need to boot from it before you bring up gparted. gparted needs to be run as super user.

From whichever program you're using, select the old windows partition and mark it for deletion, then select the new windows partition and mark it to be extended so it fills the whole drive. Then apply the changes.

Don't know how you change the system drive letter, but this guide looks promising. Or you can google for another guide.

You can use Partition Wizard (freeware, and I've used it multiple times to shuffle stuff around. No corrupt files or anything) to erase the C:/ drive, then combine it with the F:/ drive. Pretty low risk as far as I'm concerned, but make a backup of anything you care about anyway. Once you have it all on one drive, defrag it and you'll be good to go.

If I try to merge the C: drive to the F: drive, it says it may be unable to boot.

The C: drive status is "active and boot", while the F: Drive is "System"

But it says I can change the letter of the CL Drive, but i can't change the letter of the F: drive.

Any help please, I think that I can't install a program because it needs C: drive instead of F: drive

How to change drive letter assignments in Windows XP

"Windows cannot modify the drive letter of your system volume or boot volume"

It says this for both the C: drive and F: drive.

I would suggest using an ubuntu liveCD and using Gparted to delete the C partition and extend the F partition, but partition magic will probably do the trick. Either way though after you extend the partition you will have to fix your master boot record. You do that by booting from your WinXP and choosing Repair, choosing the F: drive install and running "fixmbr" from the prompt. I have a feeling this will change the drive letter back to C, but I'm not sure. If not you can follow this tutorial to change it.
Change System Drive Letter in Windows XP

Thanks guys, but I bit the bullet. I'm now reinstalling windows xp