Windows 10 install on partitioned drives

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When I purchased my Desktop in 2006 with Windows XP and a 300Gb HD, I had the disk partitioned for me with C: 50Gb (for system and programs) and D: 250Gb for data/files/photos.

A couple of years ago I successfully upgraded to Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit.

Now I would like to upgrade to Windows 10. I ‘reserved’ a copy and my hardware was checked and found OK for Win 10.
My C drive has 1.85GB free and on starting the download, Windows tells me it needs 5Gb.

I tried to reduce my D drive, which had 22.8Gb free, to expand my C drive, but this will not work as the free space is not contiguous with the C drive.

OK, I will make an ISO on DVD and install from there. Windows wants to make the ISO on the HD before burning to DVD so I pointed it to the D drive. However in downloading to make the ISO it does not give an option as to where it will download and mine filled up the C drive and then pretty much hung. It continued to show 0% complete after 15 hours.

I stopped it and did an image restore of my C drive to recover my free space. (I had done an image backup immediately before trying to do the Windows 10 upgrade)

Any clues as to how I should proceed?

I have just so many small programs on the C: System drive so I really don’t want to have to remove so many and reinstall after the Windows 10 upgrade.

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Sounds like you tried to resize using Windows Disk Management tool. Have you tried a 3rd party tool like: http://www.partitionwizard.com/?

Rich

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Thanks I will give that a try.
Does the free version allow non-contiguous areas to be joined?

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OK the extend partition has taken space from D and given it to C, good, but now I can’t access D and Windows says it must be formatted! D is where all my data resides … geeee!
Not sure if any options in MiniTool Partition Wizard 9.0 can help me now.

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Dennis,

when your drives are that full and depending on what your time is worth (in $) a new drive from current production seems advised.
500GB+ are available for around $50 on Newegg and Tigerdirect.
The disk clone program could be Macrium Reflect, free.

Definitly better than fiddling with partition sizes when there is too little room in the first pace.

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Dennis,

when your drives are that full and depending on what your time is worth (in $) a new drive from current production seems advised.
500GB+ are available for around $50 on Newegg and Tigerdirect.
The disk clone program could be Macrium Reflect, free.

Definitly better than fiddling with partition sizes when there is too little room in the first pace.

My problem at the stage I last posted yesterday was that my C drive was extended but my D drive required formatting. At least that was what Windows said. Using MiniTool Partition Wizard 9.0 “Explore Partition” I could see my files on D drive but Windows could not.

I unallocated some space on my 1 Tb external drive and copied my D drive there. Overall this took about 7 hours and when finished, still the new partition asked to be formatted too! It could not be seen by Windows either! Panic time!!!

I then tried “Check file System” – “check and fix detected errors” with MiniTool Partition Wizard 9.0 and this rendered it readable by Windows. So I formatted D: and copied all the files back onto it. I could finally breathe again!

While I now have 10.8 Gb free on my C drive, I have ordered a new Seagate 1Tb Barracuda 3.5″ SATA 7200 rpm HDD for $80 which should arrive in a week. I will look at completely separating my data onto this drive and leave the 300Gb for operating system and programs.

Thanks for the heads-up on the Partitioning software, but it was worrying when the new partition asked to be formatted AFTER it was extended or AFTER the data was loaded to it. It was not obvious that a Check and Fix detected errors would right the situation.

I wasn’t game to do this on the D: drive and risk loosing everything. When I was working with the copy on the external drive it was worth the risk which paid off.

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