Strange partition on D: drive?

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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:56 pm

I've been having problems with a belligerent D: drive for some while.
It's somehow got a 8meg "unregistered" partition on it that I can't get rid of, no matter what I do. Tried reformatting it and using partition software but it just wont go. Anyone got any ideas what is going on?

It works ok, but I don't like the idea that it cant be deleted or combined back with the main sector. V strange? Confused

P.S. Yes, I'm using Windo$e.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:38 pm

If it's the main hard drive, some computer manufacturers (IBM used to do this, and I think they still do...) have a partition that stores quite a lot of software in case you need to do a "restore this machine to its original state at purchase". That way, you don' t need install disks for all the software that came with your machine.

If it's an add-on hard drive, some hard drive manufacturers used to have a partition for a "disk install utility". Had drivers on it and such. The partitions were sort of semi-hidden from what I remember. I don't think you could easily get rid of them.

Not much help, but that's a possible explanation.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:42 pm

^^Restore partitions you can usually get rid of during a reinstall from a normal windows disk. I am guessing it is more of the later. I often come across the same thing and it is usually just set aside space for disk install utility. I have not really tried too hard but have not found away to actually use this space.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 3

Go to the hard drive manufacture's page and look for a diagnostic program or utility program that will write zeros to the drive. they usualy proved them for free, though not all manufactures do.

Also, seeing as it is 8 meg, is it empty or formated? If empty and you have the rest of the drive as an extended partition, it is just an issue that partition programs leave a little blank space for a primary partition. if the partition you created is a primary partition, then yes it should use the whole drive.

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:36 pm

windy..i take it you are on a laptop and not a desk top.

see on this forum for info

http://forum.notebookreview.com/

some useful advice going on and you might find what you are looking for.

if you have an IBM/lenovo PM me as i have had major probs with HD memory being used up but now have solved this.

Wink

Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 5:03 pm

Thanks the advice. Smile

@remmy223, No mate, it's my main desktop. I've been using my trusty little backup lappy for the last couple of weeks. Razz

@JoeBleed, I'll check that out, thanks.

This goes back to when I did a routine six monthly windows reinstall. I have a SATA setup and for some inexplicable reason it scrubbed my D drive and installed windows on it as well as the C drive. I had some problems starting the pc but rectified it by changing over the leads for SATA1 and SATA2???? Have no idea what that's all about... Confused

It must be some sort of windows partition but it's impossible to get it off the drive.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 8:21 pm

Windy,
What brand of PC is it? If it's HP or Compaq, don't delete it, until you make a set of Recovery Disks. (This partition stores an image of the drive as it was first installed. Windows, and any apps that came with the drive.)
If your hard drive crashes, you will need these disks to reinstall windows and your apps. don't just rely on the partition to get things back to normal after a bigtime crash. you will need the disks.
Once you make a set of recovery disks, you cannot make a new set of cds or dvds, but you can still recover from the partition if you have to.

Let me know if you need help making recovery set, or other questions.
I have an HP, and had a Compaq before this one.

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

Hi wp

The 8megs is used by the computer to store vital information.

There will always be 8megs with xp left over, its not blank space its actually used stores information about drive C: Cylinder 0 sector 63, and about the virtual drive D: virt cylinder 0 sector 63.

Thats about as technical as it needs to be, in XP if you make a primary partition say C: on its own you can get rid of the 8mb by assigning all the space to C: then the 8mb isnt used or needed.

However as soon as you add D: then the space is required. It isnt something to delete. It basically tells the computer "hi im a real drive called D: my start position to read me is xyz, and my size is xxx, to boot from me select the following location and lets go from there, my file system type is aB snd i am a bootable mounted drive for windows or another os."

Just to be a smartie lol, the real drive fits that into 512k windows does the same job in 8mb

Trophy Videos · Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:16 am

^^ I should have put my glasses on! I thought he might be talking about and 8gb drive...nevermind.. Embarassed

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:29 am

When you reformatted and reinstalled Windows on it, you may have had the jumpers (little pieces of metal and plastic) set wrong. Look for them on the side or the drive.

I had to reformat someone's HD because of a virus and had the jumpers set for a slave drive when it should have been the master drive. It caused the same problem you are discussing, an inexplicable 8 mb partition. The only way I know of getting rid of it is reformatting.

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 10:24 am

Ok, thanks all.
My pc was assembled by an independent computer company. I added the second hard drive sometime after I purchased it. I normally do a complete windows reinstall at least once, but sometimes twice a year just to make sure there are no nasty surprises on it that got passed my anti virus software.

I must have done this more than half a dozen times since I bought it (and with the second drive installed) without any hitches. I can't figure out why it did this on this particular occasion. Confused

I don't think that partition is important as the drive did not have anything else on it bar various files and folders until now.

I lost all my business stuff like invoices and and letters (which I had a back up of Razz

). But lost three years worth of baiting stuff, letters, pictures etc... Mad

. Luckily a lot of my trick stuff is still up on my baiting sites so it's just a matter of pulling it down again.

Anyhow lesson learned, I got one of these: Click me yesterday as a bit of extra insurance against this happening again.

Some days I still pine for my old Atari ST Wink

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 10:34 am

There is Mega bytes and Mega bytes and now giga terra and what my 9 year old son called today oodlebytes. It depends on the software reading it as to how it calculates the little iddy biddy bytes and bits.
Remember that rounding will often give disparate answers if not done the same way.
Simply your 8meg is a bunch of carries that got forgot.
Forget about it and think about all the other space you have.
The really ironic thing i that 20 years ago 8 meg was alot of data Smile

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 31 Jul 2006 Posts: 3

Also, Did you say you were trying to install windows to an sata drive? If so you will need to use the controler's drivers on install for windwos XP to be able to see and use the controler on start up. Least that was required on the only sata setup i have touched. I would guess that Vista would have built in basic support for sata, but if it is any kind of raid controler on your board or add in card, you will problaby still need the driver disk.

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:34 pm

^^A lot of the newer sata stuff you don't need to anymore. It has become more plug and play with XP. I just rebuilt my computer earlier this year and XP did not need the drivers to find the sata on it.

@Windy - Those laCie slim drives are nice, I use them at work all the time. For home though I got a 320 GB portable and back everything up to it. You will be happy with the laCie though.

@harrya - the first computer I ever owned myself was right after High School, it was running the brand new Windows 95 and had a 3 GB hard drive. I was told then that I would never need more space than that. Laughing

Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:52 pm

^ I love the little thing already Ook Very Happy

I went in to the shop looking for a 8 gig usb drive for backing up impotant stuff and was shown that as an alternative. Powered from the usb cable it needs no batteries, just like a flash drive. That's a real plus.

Not much bigger than a wallet, it's easy to carry around. I think it uses a hard drive from a laptop as it's so thin?

Anyhoo, my main problem/query seems sorted. So thanks again for all the input and suggestions to all who answered. Wink

Trophy Videos · Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 2:16 pm

i rely on Image for Windows by TerraByte Unlimited, for my main recovery system. Then, if I have a major crash, or the system is acting really weird, I can go back bit for bit on each partition. Just feed in boot disk, then recovery dvds, and be up and running again in a couple of hours, instead of days or weeks....
This has saved my butt many times in the past. I used to use Drive Image before I got XP.
Highly recommended. Smile

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