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  1. #1
    DF Member Winebum's Avatar
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    Advice Can't 'Delete' Old Win-8.1 Partitions

    Background: Recently purchased a Dell PC preloaded with Win-8.1 and the Dell-sponsored gobbledygook, bloatware and useless accoutrements. Once Win-10 became available, I swapped the HDD for a SSD and completed a clean Win-10 install. The conversion went smoothly and the PC runs great. I am now happily (?!?) gyrating along Microsoft's latest OS learning curve. This leaves me with a spare 1T HDD that I would like to use as a standalone data storage drive.

    Problem: Using Disk Management in Win-10, there are 5 partitions on the HDD. The largest one is clearly the OS and apps, and it's volume is easily deleted. However, the other 4 smaller partitions appear to be protected. When right-clicking on any of them, only a selection for 'Help' is offered. And clicking that sends me to a generic Disk Management Help Screen.

    Has anyone experienced this issue, and if so, how was the problem solved?

    My goal is to combine all five partitions into one, essentially throwing away the original Dell OS, bloatware, etc. With Win-10 up and running, I have no need to return to Win-8.1? Any and all input, suggestions, ideas and moral support is appreciated! Thanks in advance.

    Cheers,
    Jeff

  2. #2
    DF General DogsBody
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    Default Re: Can't 'Delete' Old Win-8.1 Partitions

    Run many of the disc suite utilities out there like acropolis

    create a bootable usb stick and run it from there. Once booted from that said stick you can alter all sort of parameters

    I use paragon myself but don't know if its win10 compat


    Make a backup of your "c" drive and store it safe
    Format the entire drive from withing the usb program of choice.
    Then re partition whatever you need
    then recover the drive to the said partition leaving the other space free



    great 2nd post after 3 weeks

    Thanks to Mickey

    Winebum (14th August 2015)  


  3. #3
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    Default Re: Can't 'Delete' Old Win-8.1 Partitions

    A quick GOOGLE

    View and delete partitions on Windows-8.1, 8 and 10, how to ?

    Is easy to view and delete partitions on Windows 8 and on new Windows 8.1!

    Image-1

    Disk Management Windows-8
    To view and delete partitions on Windows-8 or 8.1 please open the Windows-8 Disk Management to see: ... the Disk-Management in Windows 8!


    Hot-key [Win+X] and click Disk Management (see Image-1 Arrow-1)


    In the Windows-8 Disk Management you can delete the partitions via mouse right-click on the partition (see Image-2 Arrow 1),

    Over the Action menu (see Image-2 Arrow-2) you can for example: creating a VHD disks or Attach a VHD!

    Image-1

    Back to the top
    View and delete on Windows 8 partitions

    Infos from Microsoft(c):

    You can decrease the space that is used by primary partitions and logical drives by shrinking them into adjacent, contiguous space on the same hard disk drive. For example, if you discover that you need an additional partition, but you do not have additional disks, you can shrink the existing partition from the end of the volume to create new unallocated space that can then be used for a new partition.

  4. #4
    DF Member Winebum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can't 'Delete' Old Win-8.1 Partitions

    Thanks Mickey for the suggestions and compliment. I'll give it a whirl today and report results for others. I'm sure I won't be the last with this issue.

    Off topic note: Been offline with a wicked case of influenza.

    Cheers,
    Jeff

  5. #5
    DF General DogsBody
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    Default Re: Can't 'Delete' Old Win-8.1 Partitions

    manflu is a killer be careful

  6. #6
    DF Member Winebum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can't 'Delete' Old Win-8.1 Partitions

    Mickey - Regarding your 2nd post, that is the technique that is not working. I normally use the MS version of Disk Management with good results. This is the first instance where I have been 'blocked' or prevented from modifying a partition. Perhaps, as you first suggested, a 3rd party program may break through the protection. Being older than S-100 busses, I even looked for a lil' slide 'write protect' tab on the side of the HDD. LOL
    Cheers,
    Jeff

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    Default Re: Can't 'Delete' Old Win-8.1 Partitions

    Can't you not just use diskpart in command prompt?


    :edit:

    Apparently yes you can....

    http://www.winability.com/delete-pro...isk-partition/

    Thanks to prezzy

    Winebum (14th August 2015)  


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    Default Re: Can't 'Delete' Old Win-8.1 Partitions

    Diskpart should do it or boot to Gparted boot disc.


  9. #9
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    Default Re: Can't 'Delete' Old Win-8.1 Partitions

    My best method is to use a util from a bootup usb

    reformat the entire system to whatever you need then partition and recover the partition to the "c" drive

  10. #10
    DF Member Winebum's Avatar
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    Default Re: Can't 'Delete' Old Win-8.1 Partitions

    RESOLVED! First, thanks to all for chimin' in and providing suggestions. When I read Prezzy's first reply, I experienced one of those D'Oh moments. Of course DISKPART would work! Over the years, I had become so enamored with today's slick GUI's that I completely overlooked the basics. In the meantime, I poked around one of my more fossilized PC's and found a loaded copy of EaseUS Partition Master. Electronically dusted it off and refreshed my memory on both DISKPART and EaseUS. So why not do a comparison of the two methods?

    I happened to have 2 OEM-bloated 1T HDD's, one from HP and one from Dell. Both units, BTW, are Seagate Barracuda units; good drive, nothing stellar, but perfect for a comparison.

    The HP drive had 4 partitions. One for the OS, two to support the Win-8 OS, and one for the recovery stuff. Clearly delineated and easy to see. Only the OS volume was unprotected.

    The Dell unit had a total of NINE (yes, 9) separate partitions, with only the OS volume unprotected. Dell must either collect or hide stuff for I can see no reason for so many small, innocent looking partitions. And no, I didn’t spend the time to poke around inside them.

    Using DISKPART harkened me back to the heady days of MS-DOS and green screens. It was fun dusting off the biological Memory Alpha neurons and working in 'DOS' again. In fairness though, it's not for the timid or faint of heart. If new to that genre of computer tools, the newbie must work slow and methodical... and remember that " DISKPART ? " is your friend. For me, it took a fair amount of time refreshing the brain cells, remapping the HDD, next partition, repeat, etc. Yes, unfortunately I started with the Dell unit.

    Using EaseUS on the HP unit was quick and easy. The GUI interface helps keep commands clearly in front of you, thus one is less likely to get confused and [gulp] erase the wrong partition. Only thing to remember is that when you select commands, they are only executed when you click the ‘Accept’ button.

    Preference? I don't have one. I hadn't worked on partitions at the DOS-level for years (decades?). Thus my initial query. Either method achieved the same result, so it really gets down to how comfortable one is working in a Command/DOS or GUI environment.

    Thanks again to Prezzy for the suggestion to plant-palm-squarely-on-forehead, close eyes, and babble mindlessly. Thanks also to Mickey for quick response and making me think about [ah-hum] firing up the ol' 386 buried in the rear corner of the garage. (Yes, I have one for posterity.) And EvilSatan (is that a double-negative?), thanks for moral support. The adventure was fun! And for a retired techie like me, just what I like to do!

    Cheers,
    Jeff

    Thanks to Winebum

    Mickey (14th August 2015)  


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