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Laptop Hard Drive issue

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damiane
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Posted April 21, 2011 at 10:16AM

Hello, I am new to the forum and would like to pick the brains of all you knowledgable folk out there. I've tried googling my problem but can't find anything.

We had to update i-Tunes on our family laptop but it wouldn't complete the install because it said the hard drive was out of space.

When i click on My Computer there are 2 drives showing.

C (System) Drive - shows almost full - over 31GB used out of 32GB.

D (Data) Drive - empty - nothing on it at all apart from a tiny file and has 32GB free.

How can i get my laptop to recognise that there is 32gb free on the D drive and carry on storing things instead of telling me i have no space left?

We can't even upload any more pictures from the camera etc. They seem to default to the C drive somehow and totally ignore the D.

Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks

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johndrew

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Posted April 21, 2011 at 10:48AM

Many laptops use some space as a 'Recovery' partition where all the data is stored in the event of a major problem; this is rather than supply a recovery DVD. If you use the space allocated as D: you would have no way of recovering your laptop in the event of such a problem. Whether this is the case for you I can't be certain as no details of the laptop are present.

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Thalmus

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Posted April 21, 2011 at 10:52AM

I don't think in this case the D: is a recovery partition as it is labelled data. What operating system are you using and what is the file on d: called? Depending on that we can delete the D: and extend c:

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damiane

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Posted April 21, 2011 at 10:54AM

It's made by ACER and is about 3.5 years old. I don't have the model number to hand, sorry.

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damiane

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Posted April 21, 2011 at 10:59AM

Sorry Thalmus our posts crossed.

It's running Vista Home Premium edition and the file on D is a weird folder - it can't give you the EXACT name but its a long string of what appear to be random characters - ie 8gh45dg2sgjh67eg.

Hope this helps.

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Thalmus

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Posted April 21, 2011 at 11:09AM

that does help, ok follow these instructions to delete d: and extend c:

  1. open your start menu, right click computer and select manage. in the box that opens expand storage and click disk managment
  2. In the window on the right right-click your D: partition and select delete volume
  3. now right click your c: and select extend volume, click next through all the boxes
  4. You now should have a 64 GB partition rather than two 32 GB ones.
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damiane

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Posted April 21, 2011 at 11:18AM

Thalmus - many thanks.

I posted this query into 5 different UK PC help forums all within a few minutes of each other, and this site and it's members were the fastest to help, with very accurate information.

Much appreciated.

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woodchip

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Posted April 21, 2011 at 11:38AM

Easy Way, Click Windows Key one with Flag on it plus the E key this opens Windows Explorer click on the + by My Computer Icon so you can see both drives look on C:\ for you Music and Photos. Right Click on them or if its a Folder That just as them in it right click it and drag to D:\ choose Move It may change the shortcut that lets you play them so you may have to the above to see your Files then double click on what you want to play or see

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Thalmus

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Posted April 21, 2011 at 11:51AM

woodchip

If i understand correctly you are saying move the music folder to D:, if this is correct it will break a number of things

  1. The default location of the music folder will still be the same, so adding more items to the music folder will continue to save them on c: and the folder on d: will remain unaltere
  2. itunes will not know its music folder has been moved, it will create a new db which will be empty
  3. when c: fills up again cause everything is being saved there a manuall copy will need to be done again and again, making things very un-organised

1.2.4.

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woodchip

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Posted April 21, 2011 at 11:57AM

Thalmus

As I said above it may change the Shortcut. He should be able to change the Default location of is music in the Program

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woodchip

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Posted April 21, 2011 at 11:59AM

PS Partitions Should not be Changed or is Recovery May not Work, There may be a Hidden Partition, and or Recovery CD will not work as Partition Size as Changed

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