Windows 10 Need help with, Disk Manager?

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

I'm trying to get the drive (Disk 1) back to one simple basic disk.
It shows as 2 drive D:\s now for some reason, I have no idea why it appears this way.

I have eliminated that other partitions that were on the drive but it won't let me format of delete the D:\ partition.

How do I get the whole drive formated and back to one partition so I can start all over and repartition it as 2 basic partitions.

Mike

I want to note that this disk does not appear as two volumes in Windows Explorer, but a one partition.

 

[davehc]

Try taking it offline for starters. I think you might also have to allocate your page file to Disk 0. Eusus, which I believe you have(?) can give you a better description. Also, if you right click the first panel of disk 1, (where it says DISK I - Dynamic), it should give you the option to convert it to a simple disk. You have possibly, at some time, converted it to the dynamic.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Yes I converted it to dynamic while trying to change the partition sizes.

I shouldn't have done it, while it works find I can't install another OS on it now.
It used to have 4 partitions on it, one of which was Windows 8.

It is all one partition now, but it won't let me do anything except shrink it and then create a second partition.
I can't format it or delete the partition.

I don't have any idea why it shows twice in Disk Manager it doesn't in Windows File Explorer or if you look at Properties in Disk Manager?

I have all the data on it backed up but I don't know where to go from here.
The option to convert it to basic is greyed out.

I tried using 3rd party software to do it and it said that it couldn't do it either.

If I can't figure this out I may have to buy a new blank hard drive and go from there.

Mike

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

Back again, that was it, once I removed the page file, I was able to format the drive.
Now it's back to basic and I can partition it and start the process of restoring all my Software to the D:\ partition.

Thanks for the help Dave.

Mike

 

[davehc]

Good on ye M8

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Here it is all ready to go.
I'm presently copying all the stuff back to Drive D:\.

Tomorrow I'll install the new build to what is drive G:\ now.
I left a little more space for it this time, 100 gigabytes was a little tight.

Mike

 

[ussnorway]

Fyi Mike, 4 is the magic number,

So 3 primary dives and an extended (with logical drives inside it) or 4 primary drives… once you add that extra 5th drive windows must make it dynamic and a dynamic drive can’t have an os installed on it… however the current install will still boot if it was installed before the drive became dynamic.

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

What happened to me was the bit about it showing the D:\ drive as 2 drives.
I still don't know why it came up that way, because it wasn't really seeing it that way if you looked at properties or in Windows File Explorer.

But that made it think that there were more partitions, I ignored the message about it going dynamic and after that it wouldn't boot.
I'm still not sure how I could have avoided it coming up as 2 drives?

Now it's set to install Windows 10.
When the retail version comes out this is where it will end up, in what is now shown as drive G:\.

I'm now trying to decide if I want to try updating the Windows 10 install and seeing if it works OK or just doing the fresh install in G:\.
I can always go back to where I am from my system image and then do a clean install if it doesn't work out.

I plan to unplug the power from the current W10 drive if I do the clean install and setup the boot sequence with EasyBCD afterwards.

Mike

 

[ussnorway]

I plan to unplug the power from the current W10 drive if I do the clean install and setup the boot sequence with EasyBCD afterwards.

Good idea.