Partition using cmd prompt?

Hello

I have Win XP Home and I am trying to create a partition on my C drive to install a 120-day evaluation of Win XP Professional.

I have done this in cmd promt where I prefer to do it, but get an error:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\>diskpart

DISKPART> select disk c

The arguments you specified for this command are not valid.

DISKPART>

So I tried it in Computer Management - please see the screenshot here:

http://www11.brinkster.com/stevehigham/partition.html

but when I right-click on my C drive I do not see an option to create a new partition.

I would be grateful for any advice, please.

Steve

How much space did you allocate to the primary partition already on c:?

from the looks of your pic, I'd say that the c: drive is the entire size of your hdd.

Basically, I doubt that you'll be able to change the size of the partion, allowing you to create a new one. Not without partion magic or something.

Thanks for your quick replies!!

Yes, C occupies the entire hard drive. I thought I would be able to partition it and install Win XP Prof in the newly created partition.

I haven't allocated anything yet anywhere. Win XP Prof requires 2GB I think.

Thanks

Steve

Have you tried using diskpart to create an extended partition or logical drive on C:?

The only thing I have tried, Steve is this:

C:\>diskpart

DISKPART> select disk c

The arguments you specified for this command are not valid.

DISKPART>


Cheers

Steve

Using the Command Prompt, try this:

1.  Open Command Prompt.

2.  Type: diskpart

3.  At the DISKPART prompt, type: list disk

Make note of the disk number of the disk on which you want to create a primary or extended partition.

4.  At the DISKPART prompt, type: select disk c

Select the disk c where you want to create the primary or extended partition.

5.  At the DISKPART prompt, type one of the following: create partition primary [size=n] [offset=n] [noerr]

Do not create a primary partition if one is already there.

or

create partition extended [size=n] [offset=n] [noerr]

or

create partition logical [size=n] [offset=n] [noerr]


Note:  [size=n]
The size of the partition in megabytes (MB). If no size is given, the partition continues until there is no more unallocated space in the current region. The size is cylinder snapped; the size is rounded to the closest cylinder boundary. For example, if you specify a size of 500 MB, the partition would be rounded up to 504 MB.

Note:  [offset-n]
The byte offset at which to create the partition. If no offset is given, the partition will start at the beginning of the first free space on the disk. For master boot record (MBR) disks, the offset is cylinder snapped; the offset is rounded to the closest cylinder boundary. For example, if you specify an offset that is 27 MB and the cylinder size is 8 MB, the offset is rounded to the 24 MB boundary.

Note:  [noerr]
For scripting only. When an error is encountered, specifies that DiskPart continues to process commands as if the error did not occur. Without the noerr parameter, an error causes DiskPart to exit with an error code.

Steve...

If the above doesn't work, the only other thing I can recommend would be to do a backup of all your important files and reinstall the primary OS...making sure you allocate enough space for the additional partition you'd like to install the additional OS on.

If you reinstall the primary OS...and give the partition full allocation...you may be back to square one.

If you're just testing the secondary OS...then leave enough space on the drive for this partition.  If it requires 2GB...then leave 4GB...just to be safe.

Hello Steve

Thanks again for your reply.

So if I wish for a 5GB partition for Win XP Prof, I could use the following commands:

diskpart

list disk

select disk c

create partition extended [5000]

I could not possibly get rid of the Win XP Home I have on my primary partition at the moment!

I'll try the command lines and let you know.

Cheers

Steve

That's correct...

Let us know how it goes, friend...

Hello Steve

This is the message I get when I enter the following commands:

DISKPART> list disk

  Disk ###  Status      Size     Free     Dyn  Gpt
  --------  ----------  -------  -------  ---  ---
  Disk 0    Online       114 GB      0 B

DISKPART> select disk c

The arguments you specified for this command are not valid.

DISKPART> select disk 0

Disk 0 is now the selected disk.

DISKPART> create partition extended [5000]

The arguments you specified for this command are not valid.

DISKPART> create partition extended 5000

The arguments you specified for this command are not valid.

DISKPART>

As you can see, I tried C at first, but DOS seems to call my drive 0 (!!??). So I decided to type that in instead. To no avail, as you can see.

Steve

The only thing I can think of then is to repartition the drive.  Losing the original OS...and then creating two partitions on the drive...reinstalling your original OS, as well as XP Pro...

Hello

Many thanks for your replies.

It might be easier just to go out and buy 20GB of hard disk as I really cannot lose the existing Win XP Home installation.

Cheers

Steve

from the looks of your pic, I'd say that the c: drive is the entire size of your hdd.

Basically, I doubt that you'll be able to change the size of the partion, allowing you to create a new one. Not without partion magic or something.

Don't count yourself out yet, if you have the extra money look into 'Norton Partition Magic' It is a tool I highly recommend and as you can another user did mention it. You can get a copy for about $70.00 dollars and I am pretty sure if you look around they net you can get a free trial, though I not sure about the legalness of the free trial just know I have seen it advertised. Plus with a normal free trail you probably wouldn't be able to do everything you wanted to, but it is worth looking into to see if it matches your needs.

http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/overview.jsp?pcid=sp&pvid=pm80

However in the long run a second hard drive isn't a bad idea. Once your done you will have the extra space for whatever you need. Good luck.

Many thanks for your message nothlit and the link.

Yes, seems like a separate HD is the solution.

Cheers

Steve