Splitting the c drive on a vista PC into 2 disks

[dsm]

I have been in contact via PM with a member discussing some of the challenges trying to run particular software on Windows Vista.

Vista introduced a new disk space management approach that has broken backward compatibility for a lot of software. What Vista tries to limit users to only being able to write files etc: into special user spaces. If a program doesn't have administrator level access, Vista attempts to take most file paths & inject into them an added path segment that points to the currently logged in user's space (see C:\User ). By creating a D: disk, you can install software on it and can avoid the Vista security that so tightly tries to control where you can access on the C: disk.

So the best way around this limit is to split the C: disk into 2 disks (C: & D:) & Vista should then allow common access to the D: disk & doesn't mess with the paths being used by programs that aren't running in administrator mode & want to create / read files.

Prior to Vista, we needed 3rd party software to split & reorganize disks such as the C: drive. But, Vista disk management added a set of functions that allow you to resize disks on-the-fly & delete & create logical disks as well. My advice is to read up on disk management in Vista or get someone you know who knows Vista to explain to you how to do it.

The steps I did were ...

1 ) Open 'Control Panel'
2 ) Open 'Adininstrative Tools'
3 ) Open 'Computer Management'
4 ) In the 'tree' (left panel), under 'Storage' select 'Disk Management'
5 ) In the panel with a bar showing 'Disk 0' - Right click on the C: disk & select 'shrink volume'
6 ) Reduce the size of C: disk by about 1/3 to 1/2
7 ) Create a new logical disk in the free space
8 ) format the new disk

You now have split the hard disk into 2 logical disks - I also use the disk renaming facility to change the DVDrom from D: to E: and the new disk from E: to D: (actually, you need to use disk management to 1st rename your DVDrom drive to E: before splitting C: as doing this 1st means the newly created disk will become D: by default).

If anyone has any further questions re running Cpap software on the D: disk & how to set it up - pls ask here as we have enough expertise between us to answer most questions.

Good luck

DSM

[Goofproof]

Basically what we have done for years with partition magic. The downfall of partitioned drives if they fail you loose both partitions. It's best to use more than one physical drive, and back up files to the second drive. that way when "C" fails you will have something to get data from in most cases. Jim

[dsm]

Basically what we have done for years with partition magic. The downfall of partitioned drives if they fail you loose both partitions. It's best to use more than one physical drive, and back up files to the second drive. that way when "C" fails you will have something to get data from in most cases. Jim

Jim

I have never lost the good partitions off a partitioned drive yet - both NTFS and FAT32. All I ever do is put the disk into a usb box & plug it in & it will see the partitions. Have had to do this easily 7 or so times between 2000 & 2008. Done it on disks off Win95, Win NT4 & WinXP. I always partition my disks into 4 drives C D E & F & use the E & F as back up spaces. As said, has allowed recovery of data before.

The one time (and only 1 time) this didn't work was with what has been for me very rare, & that was a total disk failure.

Also, I think most non-tech users will be able to follow the above split disk procedure a lot easier than buying the right type & model of disk & fitting it to their PC, esp with the myriad of disk types now in use.

Cheers

DSM

(Partition Magic has been my software of choice since it ran on OS/2 )

[Goofproof]

As long as the problem is in the OS you can save off the data, but when the disk goes in the crapper, you loose. 95% of the time the problem is the O.S., so you can recover most data. I am now using a 16GB Flash drive to store my important data on, that way I can instantly transport it to my second like computer. I also just started using GoodSync to back it up and sync it to second drive w/two partitions. I store most of my working video files on the second drive also. My finished video files are kept of a bank of My Book Essentials drives, @ 1TB each.

Hard drives are pretty tough I've lost 3 out of 20 in the last ten years, mostly they become to small to use anymore, or too slow, the world keeps marching faster. jim

[dsm]

Jim,

Know what you mean about size. Back in 2000 I though 18GB was big. Like you I have 1 TB disks now - scary how big they are getting but also like you I need that space for videos as I like to save the project and the finished video as AVI to keep a best quality version.

As for flash storage. I am stunned at how small they can be yet so large in capacity. Last year I bought my 1st T-Flash phone chip that could do 8GB. I also have a 16GB & a 32GB corsair USB stick for backup. I hear stories that they will get beyond 128GB soon. Then one might ask who needs a hard drive (except I guess spinning hard drives will be much always cheaper & 10+ times larger than affordable flash memory).

I marvel at this stuff as when I started with IBM back in the mid 1960s, I used to work with approx 8 MB (yes a measly 8 MB) disk packs that were bigger than a stack of 4 dinner plates. A bank of 8 provide approx 60 MB of online data.

http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/2311.html
An IBM 2311 detachable disk pack held ...
8,000,000 bytes

http://www.portagadgets.com/shop/produc ... ctid=26229
My mobile phone T-Flash card can hold ...
8,000,000,000

What I just can't grasp is how the data is stored on the T-Flash card - it is about 1/2 as big as my thumbnail & by my count must have 64,000,000 transistors or bipolar devices to hold the data. Plus, it must have a serializer/de-serializer that streams the data out as there are only 5 pins for accessing it. ???.

This aspect of flash has me stumped & no matter how hard I search on the net I can't find a technology description of how & why T-Flash can be so big in capacity yet so small in physical size, plus hold its state (remembers the data). There has to be a technology that goes beyond the solid state I can comprehend.

Here are some links re 128GB flash cards (which went on sale in late 2008)
http://apcmag.com/128gb_flash_hard_driv ... latter.htm (from early 2008)
http://www.youritronics.com/samsung-pre ... mory-card/ (from 2007)
http://reviews.cnet.com/flash-memory-ca ... 65942.html (from late 2008)




DSM

[dsm]

I just found these refs to 256GB ram drive

http://www.electronista.com/articles/07 ... lid.state/
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Samsun ... ,6628.html (Samsung Flash drive claimed to read/write faster than a spinning disk)

Toshiba have a 512GB solid state 2.5" drive (can't call it a disk anymore ) Due for deliver perhaps 2nd qtr 2009
http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating ... -drive.asp

http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent. ... 967&EDATE= More details on Toshibas 512GB solid state drive

DSM

[5aces]

On the topic of hard drives,I recently added an internal Western Digital 1000GB(32MB Cache).Nice drive and very fast access times.

XP Pro SP3 took it upon itself to only offer a "Dynamic Disk" format,through the windows new disk wizard.

'Basic' is still the status quo for new HD disk formats,although dynamic disk format does offer more partition options via XP Pro and is probably more suitable for Terabyte drives.

Just an observation,I already transferred 300GB onto the new drive.

I too use USB Flash thumb drives to store important CPAP data.No moving parts to fail.Handy to take along an Xvid movie for a laptop that has no CD drive.

Usually they come pre-formatted in FAT32 and it is worth noting that this format only supports single file sizes up to 4GB.

Also I purchase name brand USB drives as some manufacturers misrepresent the actual capacity of their drive size.

http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/Feature/105 ... ly-35.aspxBuyer Beware!

http://www.passmark.com/support/bit_fak ... ection.htmQuick USB capacity check.