Partition Hard Drive in Windows 7 Without Formatting

Months ago, we covered an article on How to partition hard drive in Windows 7. It is quite easy and reliable procedure. But the tutorial was written on the basis of testing in Windows 7 ultimate version. Later, some reader complained that the workflow was not working for them as they were using Windows 7 Starter. Initially, I could not make out the actual reason and I was also helpless because I did not have the Windows 7 Starter.

But thankfully, one of our reader Hide described the actual thing that happens with Windows 7 Starter Pack. As for your information, Windows 7 Starter does not allow you to make more than four partitions in your hard drive without re-formatting the hard drive. So if you have already four partition in your computer, you are long away from creating a new partition.

Mainly the problem arises when you buy a new computer which is pre-installed with Windows 7 starter pack. For instance, if you’ve bought a new HP Mini 210 Netbook, you can notice that the Windows 7 Starter is already installed there and the about 90% of your total disk space has been allocated for the system drive along with other three small partitions. That means you are not allowed to make any new partition from the greater portion of your hard disk with out formatting.

Eventually, one of our reader Abhishek found out the solution and wrote the total procedure at the comment section.  But considering about the readers of , I am publishing his solution in the form of a post in this blog.

How to Partition HP Mini 210 Netbook Hard Drive without Formatting

If you have just bought HP Mini 210 netbook, you must have noticed these things:
1. It comes with Windows 7 starter.
2. It already comes with 4 drives in it

• One as c: drive (NTFS).
• One as System drive (NTFS).
• One as recovery drive (NTFS).
• One drive for HP_TOOLS (FAT32).

Now Windows starter does not allow more than 4 drives. So to partition C: drive into more is out of question. So what shall you do now ?

The solution is very simple. Follow these steps (details of each step is mentioned later):
1. Take a backup of the folder ‘Hewlett-Packard’ in c: drive.
2. Un-allocate ‘HP_TOOLS’ drive.
3. Extend ‘Recovery’ drive to include the unallocated drive.
4. Shrink drive C: to get a new unallocated drive.
5. Use that unallocated drive for a new partitioned drive.

Details of each step:

1. Take a backup of the folder ‘Hewlett-Packard’ (of ‘HP_TOOLS’ drive) in c: drive

A. Go to ‘HP_TOOLS’ drive.
B. Look for folder ‘Hewlett-Packard’.
C. Right click on it then Choose ‘Copy’.
D. Go to C: drive.
E. Right click on any EMPTY space there.
F. Choose ‘Paste’ (NOT ‘Paste Shortcut’).

2. Un-allocate ‘HP_TOOLS’ drive

A. Look at the Taskbar (the thin bar at the bottom of the desktop).
B. Click on the start button (start button = the round button on the left side of taskbar).
C. Look for the word ‘Computer’.
D. Right-click on that word.
E. Look at the box that appears after that right-click.
F. Click on ‘Manage’.
G. Now you will see a window with 3 vertical Panels:

• Computer Management.
• Names.
• Actions.

H. Look for ‘Storage’ under ‘Computer Management’.
I. Look for ‘Disk Management’ under ‘Storage’.
J. Click on ‘Disk Management’.
K. Recall Step-G from above mentioned lines (There we mentioned 3 Panels). Now look in the middle-Panel: ‘Names’.
L. In that Panel find ‘HP_TOOLS’. right click on it.
M. Choose ‘Delete Volume’ and go on clicking all [Next]/[Yes]/[Finish] buttons further.

3. Extend ‘Recovery’ drive to include the unallocated drive

A. Look at the Taskbar (the thin bar at the bottom of the desktop).
B. Click on the start button (start button = the round button on the left side of taskbar).
C. Look for the word ‘Computer’.
D. Right-click on that word.
E. Look at the box that appears after that right-click.
F. Click on ‘Manage’.
G. Now you will see a window with 3 vertical Panels:

• Computer Management.
• Names.
• Actions.

H. Look for ‘Storage’ under ‘Computer Management’.
I. Look for ‘Disk Management’ under ‘Storage’.
J. Click on ‘Disk Management’.
K. Recall Step-G from above mentioned lines (There we mentioned 3 Panels). Now look in the middle-Panel: ‘Names’.
L. Right click on ‘Recovery’ drive.
M. Click ‘Extend Volume’ and go on clicking all [Next]/[Yes]/[Finish] buttons further.

4. Shrink drive C: to get a new unallocated drive

A. Look at the Taskbar (the thin bar at the bottom of the desktop).
B. Click on the start button (start button = the round button on the left side of taskbar).
C. Look for the word ‘Computer’.
D. Right-click on that word.
E. Look at the box that appears after that right-click.
F. Click on ‘Manage’.
G. Now you will see a window with 3 vertical Panels:

• Computer Management.
• Names.
• Actions.

H. Look for ‘Storage’ under ‘Computer Management’.
I. Look for ‘Disk Management’ under ‘Storage’.
J. Click on ‘Disk Management’.
K. Recall Step-G from above mentioned lines (There we mentioned 3 Panels). Now look in the middle-Panel: ‘Names’.
L. Right click on ‘C:’ Drive.
M. Click on ‘Shrink Volume’ and wait with patience (lot of patience).
N. You will see a dialogue box with three text boxes in it. the middle one can be edited.
O. Enter a number in it a way that it is as more as possible, but the number in the 3rd text box should not be ’0′ (zero). Yet there should be atleast 40,000 in 1st box. (I entered 69000 in middle box)
P. go on clicking all [Next]/[Yes]/[Finish] buttons further.

5. Use that unallocated drive for a new partitioned drive

A. Look at the Taskbar (the thin bar at the bottom of the desktop).
B. Click on the start button (start button = the round button on the left side of taskbar).
C. Look for the word ‘Computer’.
D. Right-click on that word.
E. Look at the box that appears after that right-click.
F. Click on ‘Manage’.
G. Now you will see a window with 3 vertical Panels:

• Computer Management.
• Names.
• Actions.

H. Look for ‘Storage’ under ‘Computer Management’.
I. Look for ‘Disk Management’ under ‘Storage’
J. Click on ‘Disk Management’.
K. Recall Step-G from above mentioned lines (There we mentioned 3 Panels). Now look in the middle-Panel: ‘Names’.
L. Try to find a box at the bottom of that middle panel, which has:

• Thin black slanting stripes.
• A thick black stripe.

M. Right click in that box.
N. Click on ‘New Simple Volume’.
O. Go on clicking all [Next]/[Yes]/[Finish] buttons further.

Hope this will solve the problem of the new laptop buyers. Though this tutorial has been written taking HP Mini 210 netbook as an example, you can apply this any computer or laptop which is installed with Windows 7 starter.