Need to move HDD partition

Gimpymoo · 8 Nov 2007 at 13:13

I need to move 2 HDD partitions around so Windows will write boot information to a different partition than the one it is now.

Im installing Windows onto Partition 2 and Windows is trying to write boot info Partition 1 which I do not want.

Is there any software which would allow me to switch the partitions around?

Thanks.

rpstewart · 8 Nov 2007 at 13:32

Windows has to write the boot information to the first partition on the drive, it can't boot otherwise.

I assume that it's the contents and sizes of the partitions which are pushing you down the route you want to go. In that case you're really stuck with moving the contents of Partition 1 into Partition 2 and vice versa while jiffling the sizes with Partition Magic. You'd be easier dumping everything to another disk and repartitioning to suit.

Wyvern971 · 8 Nov 2007 at 16:10

rpstewart said:
Windows has to write the boot information to the first partition on the drive, it can't boot otherwise.

I assume that it's the contents and sizes of the partitions which are pushing you down the route you want to go. In that case you're really stuck with moving the contents of Partition 1 into Partition 2 and vice versa while jiffling the sizes with Partition Magic. You'd be easier dumping everything to another disk and repartitioning to suit.

What he said, if migrating to a new disk I'd suggest cloning with Acronis (or similar) and resizing the destination partitions to suit the sizes you want.

Carter · 8 Nov 2007 at 16:20

Wyvern971 said:
What he said, if migrating to a new disk I'd suggest cloning with Acronis (or similar) and resizing the destination partitions to suit the sizes you want.

Yep, exactly what I did yesterday

eXor · 8 Nov 2007 at 17:30

rpstewart said:
Windows has to write the boot information to the first partition on the drive, it can't boot otherwise.

That limitation can easily be circumvented.

Gimpymoo said:
I need to move 2 HDD partitions around so Windows will write boot information to a different partition than the one it is now.

Im installing Windows onto Partition 2 and Windows is trying to write boot info Partition 1 which I do not want.

Is there any software which would allow me to switch the partitions around?

Thanks.

If partition 1 and 2 are both primary partitions, use partitioning software to hide partition 1 and then install.