Unallocated Disk Space

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Hi

I recently installed a new Backup Software program on my HP PC - running
Vista.

The program created a new recovery partition using disk space from my C drive.

Have since uninstalled the program as I was not happy with it at all.

The new recovery partition is gone, but the disk space originally taken from
C drive and allocated to the new program's partition (120Gb) is now showing
as Unallocated in Computer Management.

What I'd like to know is, how do I get my system back to how it was
originally, i.e. put this unallocated disk space back into C drive as I would
prefer not to have any other partitions?

I tried doing Extend Volume in Disk Management for C drive, but it is greyed
out so not an option.
System Restore to a time before the program was installed.

Thanks for your reply Bob. Unfortunately, when the new program was
installed, it automatically deleted all system restore points, something that
I definately wasn't aware of before installing the darn thing.

Any other suggestions?

Hi, rubyearth.

Your solution may be simple - or not - depending on some facts that you've
not yet told us.

The name of the "new Backup Software program" may be important. Someone
here might recognize it and know about any problems or quirks it might have.

You have not told us how many hard drives and how they are organized.
Specifically, WHERE is that 120 GB of "Unallocated" space? Does it actually
say "Unallocated"? Mine says "Free space". (It means the same thing, but
you know how picky computers can get sometimes.)

System Recovery will restore your PC to factory condition. Backup your
documents first and make sure you have what's necessary to reinstall
programs you have installed.

The problem is the Recovery partition. Because of this partition the built
in program in Vista won't be able to extend the C: drive. You would have to
use some 3rd party software. I'd recommend Acronis Disk Director but you
seem to be unhappy with their software.

Yes, I agree, I am very tempted to restore back to factory settings.
Although willing to try to find an alternative, just thinking about all the
programs and their updates that I will have to reinstall and download etc.....
--

As R.C. White said if you don't need the Recovery partition then deleting it
will probably allow you to extend C:. I would use the HP Recovery Manager to
do this. Some OEM computers with recovery partitions have a non-standard
boot sector. Deleting the partition by any other method may leave you with a
system that doesn't boot.

This whole backup issue is fraught with peril. That phrase sounds like
something Microsoft would say. Firstly let me say that Ghost 2003 will
back up vista 32 and vista 64 flawlessly.

On a speed optimized system a 15 Gb backup takes about 9 minutes.
Ghost 2003 is a DOS program so you folks that are conceptually
handicapped when it comes to DOS are urged to quit reading at this
point.

I hope this prevents other folks from getting into trouble with bogus
hard drive partitions. Ghost does none of that nonsense.


--
frj111

Hi

The program is/was, Acronis True Image 11 Home.

I have C Drive and a Recovery Drive D.

Yes, space is showing as being unallocated.

Have attempted to attach a screenshot, not sure if it will work.....

Ruby,

If you don’t have a lot of stuff I would suggest the following:

1. Save all your documents pictures videos and music off to an external
USB drive. If you don’t have one of these wonderful devices go to
'Buy.com - Computers, Electronics, Digital Cameras, Books, DVDs, Music,
Games, Software, Toys, Sports' (http://www.buy.com)
2. Once you have safely saved by simply doing a directory by directory
copy. Then …
3. Reinstall Vista from the get go.

Lastly remember do NOT install stuff like backup code unless you are
pretty sure you know what you are doing. I continue to use Ghost 2003
because I know exactly what it will and will not do.

I hope this helps,


--
frj111

Thanks Kerry. Do you mean the Recovery partition as in my "Recovery (D:)
drive", as per my screen shot?

If so, would removal of the Recovery Partition D drive, solve the issue,
i.e. allocate the current "Unallocated Disk Space" then plus the Recovery D
space all back to C Drive? Or would I be left with a similar problem,
allocation to C drive remains unchanged and them have an increased
Unallocated space?

My HP Total Care Recovery Manager gives the option of removing the Recovery
Partition D to free up hard drive space.

Hi, rubyearth.

As Kerry said, Drive D: is the roadblock. Not just because Drive D: exists,
but because, as I suspected, it sits immediately following Drive C:. Disk
Management's Extend Volume tool will not work on the System Volume unless
there is CONTIGUOUS free space after that volume. If you don't need Drive
D:'s contents, then just use Delete Volume to get rid of it. Then you
should see just your 108 GB Drive C: followed by 125 GB of Unallocated or
Free space. Then you can use Extend Volume to end up with a single 233 GB
Drive C:.

If you want to keep Drive D:'s contents, you can copy that to Drive C:
before deleting Drive D:. If you want, you could create a new Drive D: at
the end of your HD and move the contents there. This can be done in several
ways; here's one way:

1. Create a new 115 GB volume after Drive D:, but don't bother to format
it or even give it a letter. This should leave 5 GB Free at the very end of
your HD.

2. Create a 5 GB volume at the end of the drive, format it and give it a
temporary letter (X:?).

3. Copy the contents of Drive D: to the new Drive X:.

4. Delete Drive D: and the 115 GB volume.

5. Rename Drive X: to Drive D:.

6. Extend Drive C: to use all (or only some) of the space before the new
Drive D:.

Note that the Extend Volume wizard specifies space in MB, not GB. So if you
want to extend Drive C: by 30 GB, tell it 30,000 (MB) not 30.

Hi, Kerry.

Thanks for that info. I've never had an HP computer, so I didn't know about
the Recovery Manager.

In fact, I haven't had ANY brand-name computer since my KayPro 286 back in
about 1986. Since then I've just bought the pieces and had them assembled -
until I learned how to assemble them myself. Heck, that's half the fun of
computing!

A huuuuge thankyou to everyone who responded - in particular R.C. White &
Kerry Brown. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou

Steps to resolve the issue from R.C. White were concise, extremely well
explained, very easy to follow and best of all, worked like a dream. And as
a plus, I was able to get rid of that D Recovery drive which for some reason
has bugged me from the get go (a bit OC but all about choice/preference I
suppose :-) )

Hi, rubyearth.

You're welcome. And thanks for the feedback. That ought to help the next
reader with a similar problem. ;<)

Oh, one more tip: Your screenshot shows that you got to Disk Management the
long way, via Computer Management. I prefer to simply enter "diskmgmt.msc"
and go directly to DM - after furnishing Administrator credentials, of
course. That way, I see DM full screen, rather than through CM's
"peephole". I use DM so often that I've added a shortcut to my Quick
Launch.