can't reformat hd? 2

[DiamondLil]

Hi all.
have a bit of a problem...finally got a working set of windows 2000 boot disks (every set I made from the windows 2000 install cd would absolutely not work, had to go to bootdisk.com). I can get to a c:winnt prompt but the command 'format c:' won't work ?! I get an error, the computer's looking for a file - autofmt.exe - which it can't find. I finally found the file when I did a search after I restarted windows, but I shouldn't have to try to run this to reformat my hd, should I?
Can anyone point me in the right direction?
-l

 

[comtec17]

If you are installing Windows 2000, it will prompt you to format the drive, thus the autofmt file. You can get a Win98 boot disk from the same site and then run Format C:

 

[DiamondLil]

thanks for the reply-
hmm...I was looking for the option to reformat when I installed win 2000 and I didn't see it. I should try it again, probably. I didn't have win98 installed, it was windows ME, does that matter (re: using a win98 boot disk to run format c: ?)

 

[comtec17]

Using a Win98 boot disk to format a Windows Me installation doesnt matter.

 

[DiamondLil]

comtec17 - thanks. I actually tried the 2000 boot disks and reinstalled 2000, sure enough, there was the option to reformat.

one other question - is there a tool that win 2000 has to change the size of a partition (I have 10 gigs of unpartitioned space floating around from when I deleted a partition)? Or do I need to go buy partition magic or somthing similar?

 

[wolluf]

You need PM or similar.

 

[DiamondLil]

Thank you both for the info.
-L

 

[comtec17]

For your question on the changing the size of your partition, right click "My Computer" and go to manage, from there go to disk administrator, you will see your free space and you can format and create a partition from there.

 

[DiamondLil]

comtec- I've been there and I can see the unallocated space but I cannot change the size of the existing partition to incorporate that unallocated space. I hadn't wanted to make a new partition, just change the size of the existing and it doesn't seem to let me do it...

 

[comtec17]

You can extend the drive by highlighting the current partition and holding the shift or ctrl key and clicking on the free space, then right click and choose to extend.

 

[DiamondLil]

COOL!! I'll try it as soon as I get home - Thanks so much!!

 

[wolluf]

comtec17 - you can't enlarge a partition using 2k's disk managment, you can only create a new partition in free space (primary or extended).

DiamondLil - as said before - you need a third party software like PM to achieve your aim (which is not to create an extended rather than primary partition, but to enlarge your existing partition to include free space).

 

[DiamondLil]

drat! I was hoping to avoid the purchase of yet another piece of software....

This may be a silly question but -what is the difference between extending your partition and enlarging your existing primary (and currently only) partition?

 

[bcastner]

For a single partition there is no difference between extending it and enlarging it, you simple are going to attach existing unallocated space.

I have seen a distinction made in the case of multiple partitions in which an enlarged partition suggested contiguous disk space, and an extended partition was obtained by attaching non-contiguous space, either freed by reducing another partition, or unallocated space that was added but not physicly contiguous.

 

[comtec17]

Wolluf,
I beg your pardon? This is the same disk not multiple disks. You can extend the partition to make it a larger system drive. I have done it on the PC I am writing from now. Since this is one drive there is no risk. Why spend the money for more software if the OS can do the task?

 

[Dreamland]

comtec17 - you're able to do this because you're using a Win2K dynamic partition. At some point, your basic NTFS partition was converted to a Win2K dynamic partition giving you the ability to resize on the fly. DiamondLil is using a basic partition which cannot be resized by 2K.

DiamondLil - converting to a dynamic partition is an option for you, but MicroSoft has already dropped support for it in XP and all future versions. There are also some other considerations (Google for pros and cons), but the fact that it's free (a native Win2K capability) may be reason enough if you don't want to buy partitioning software for this one job. Resizing your partition on the fly is as simple as comtec17 describes it.

 

[DiamondLil]

Hmmm...that must be why I was unable to expand it last night (basic vs. dynamic) through win2k's disk mngmnt. Dreamland, I'll take a look at the pros/cons of converting it to dynamic.

Thanks all for your explanations & time. You guys rock.

 

[wolluf]

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...l/windows2000serv/deploy/confeat/configdy.asp

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q175/7/61.ASP&NoWebContent=1

 

[bcastner]

Dreamland,

XP supports dynamic disks.
Windows 2003 supports dynamic disks.

 

[Dreamland]

Yes, you're right bcastner. Sorry! I'm confusing dymanic disks with the old NT flavor of multi-disk dynamic volumes, whose support has ended. 2K/XP Pro/2003 all support dynamic disks, and 2K and XP Pro support basic dynamic volumes within those disks. 2K and XP Pro don't support the new multi-disk dynamic volumes that 2003 has. I don't think XP Home ever ended up with dynamic disk support (creating them, anyway).

DiamondLil - I should have been using the terms "dynamic disk" and "logical volumes". You can change your partitioned disk (without wiping it out first) to a dynamic disk with a resizeable volume (volume = like a partition). 2K with the right SP, XP Pro and 2003 can all create and read dynamic disks and support is *not* ending anytime in the near future. Microsoft envisions this format replacing conventional hard disk partitioning with it's inherent limitations. They're also keeping the technical specs a secret, so support or utilities outside of Microsofts are almost non-existant.