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Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Postby bbarry » Thu Mar 19, 2009 5:33 pm

I was using Partition Commander to merge two primary partition volumes on one of my hard drives. Everything seemed to be going well, and I restarted my PC when instructed. Upon boot-up, Partition Manager came up and continued to perform the merging activities. Then I was instructed to "hit any key". When I did, the normal boot-up process began, but the system hung up at the first screen (where it says hit F2 for Setup). I tried to enter Setup, but nothing happened. I also tried to re-boot from my Partition Commander CD, but nothing happened.

Any suggestions other than doing an Acronis restore...........thank you.
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Re: Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Postby Grav!ty » Thu Mar 19, 2009 5:39 pm

What operating system are you working from and which OS are you wanting to install?
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Re: Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Postby bbarry » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:13 pm

Gravity, I am using Vista-32/SP1. It is already installed on the first primary partition on that drive. I am not trying to install a 2nd OS. I was simply trying to merge two smaller partitions on that same drive so I would have enough space to do an Acronis backup of another desktop computer across my LAN.

Thanks............Bill
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Re: Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Postby Grav!ty » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:18 pm

Are you able to see the partitions in Vista disk management? If so see what options do you have when you select one of the partitions and right click? If there's no data on the two partitions you want to merge, try deleting the partitions and then create a new one from the free/unallocated space. Are the two partitions right next to each other?
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Re: Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Postby bbarry » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:32 pm

Grav!ty wrote:Are you able to see the partitions in Vista disk management? If so see what options do you have when you select one of the partitions and right click? If there's no data on the two partitions you want to merge, try deleting the partitions and then create a new one from the free/unallocated space. Are the two partitions right next to each other?


I could see the partitions in Vista disk management before the system hung up during re-boot. Now I can't see anything because I can't get beyond the boot-up screen that says press F2 for Setup (even that doesn't work). So I can't delete nor create any partitions. But yes, before I began the merge, the two partitions were next to each other.

Originally (before the attempted merge), the two adjacent partitions were:
- Primary Partition, 48 GB NTFS
- Primary Partition, 3 GB NTFS

The other partition on that drive is my system/boot primary partition - 60 GB NTFS. I was not trying to do anything with this partition.
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Re: Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Postby Grav!ty » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:43 pm

Ouch. And you can't boot to the Vista DVD? Did your system come with Vista pre-installed? If so are you able to restore to the state you received the system in? Is Vista on the partition that was tagged (System)?
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Re: Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Postby JabbaPapa » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:50 pm

We have already seen members having problems using this software on partitions containing a Vista installation.

Vista uses an updated version of NTFS that not all partition management software packages manage correctly, and it would appear that this is just such a package :(

I personally recommend using Paragon Partition Manager 8.5 or later, which has a free-to-use version available at their website -- but there are other recent partition management software packages that can handle the new NTFS.

There is a bootable CD from paragon which will let you manage partitions without booting the OS, and this may let you repair your computer -- but I think it only comes with the non-free version, and anyway there are no guarantees that it would work.

Otherwise, you may just need to reinstall :(
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Re: Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Postby bbarry » Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:12 pm

JabbaPapa wrote:We have already seen members having problems using this software on partitions containing a Vista installation.
:(


Many months ago I downloaded the version that was suppose to work with Vista (version 10.1). And I have used it to successfully shrink and expand partitions. But I might have screwed the pooch this time..............

If I don't hear from the Partition Commander support staff by the end of the day, I'm going to try and boot from my Vista DVD as Gravity suggested. If that doesn't work, I guess I will have to reinstall Vista. My salvation is that this is my old, backup computer. I haven't yet screwed up my new Vista-64 machine, lol.

Thanks.............
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Re: Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Postby JabbaPapa » Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:21 pm

You have to realise that it's not your Vista which will have been damaged, but the partitioning itself, so the Vista repair options will likely be unable to read the partitions either --- oh and there are a few partioning management software packages claiming to be Vista compatible, when in fact that just means you can install them in Vista :(

Hmmm given you didn't touch the Vista partition directly, it's possible that creating some free space on the drive (even just a small number of MB) *immediately after* your Vista partition might make it bootable again -- the partitioning errors that can be created cause some confusion about where the partitions start and end, so that some free space on the drive may let it clear up some confusion. Although in my experience, when this workaround works, you need to allocate that empty space permanently, at least until you next delete the partition(s) and/or reformat the drive ...
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Re: Problem Using Partition Commander Pro (ver 10.1)

Postby bbarry » Thu Mar 19, 2009 7:31 pm

JabbaPapa wrote:Hmmm given you didn't touch the Vista partition directly, it's possible that creating some free space on the drive (even just a small number of MB) *immediately after* your Vista partition might make it bootable again ..


I am probably going brain dead, but I'm not sure how to now create some free space on the drive since I can't boot into Vista. You mentioned a bootable CD from paragon which will let you manage partitions without booting the OS. Is this how I would now create free space on the partition? Or will I be able to get into Vista's Disk Management if I try and boot from the Vista DVD?
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