Expand Primary Partition - Suggestions?

[Yuz]

I have an NT 4.0sp6a ,Compaq Proliant 1600, server that has a primary (C partition of 1gb that is down to 38mb free space. It is set up with Raid 5 over 4 (9gb)disks with the D: drive using the remaining space. The D: drive has 5gb free that I could use to expand the c: drive and also there is a 9gb hot spare that I could probably unassign and use. I'm looking for the best way to expand the c: partition and not have to reinstall the o/s and applications....any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

Steve

 

[lifto]

I would look at a program called VOLUME MANAGER by PowerQuest. Its a bit pricey but will do what you want.

 

[Yuz]

Thanks lifto, I'll check into that. I was hoping (due to our very limited IT budget) that it could safely be done in NT disk administrator.
Steve

 

[jasonboyes]

I dont know if you have done this but to free up some space move the page file off your C: drive to the D: Drive.

To do this right click my computer and go under the Preformance tab. There will be a button there that says Change. Click on that and the virtual memory screen will come up. Pick the drive you want and the size the file should be (recommend double your memory). Then after you apply those changes you need to reboot the system.

Jason Rich Cook -- "Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."

 

[Yuz]

Jason,
I haven't done that...I'll give that a shot! That would free up 1/2 gb and would be good as long as there are no performance ramifications.
Thanks!

Steve

 

[jasonboyes]

Steve,

I have done this for all my NT server (8 of them) and have not seen any preformance issues.

Jason Rich Cook -- "Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning."

 

[xbugsy]

resource kit supp 3 includes a program called DISKPART.EXE that can extend volume capacity on a raid 5 array. If you have another drive bay you can expand the array at the hardware level and then expand the "nt" volume. The MS recommendations say to use this for data volumes but it does not say it will not work on system or boot volumes.


Free tools are always the best!!

 

[Yuz]

Thanks for the diskpart.exe tip. I will check into that as well. I think for now I will move the pagefile onto the D: drive and then examine the options that were offered, such as yours. Thanks for your help!

Steve

 

[klatu4245]

I've used Power Quests 'Server Magic', on Compaq 1600's with 3200 raid controllers with no problems. You will have to free up some of the space on the D drive and give it to C, but your bigger problem is total disk space. You should have 20% free disk space for NT to work right, and I doubt you have 20% free on either partition. Can you add another drive to the raid, or just move some data off?

Tom