Member Avatar for freeboard

I have Win XP Pro on a new Dell. How do I further partition the 80 gig hard drive?

I have a 98SE computer with a 4 gig drive I would like to backup to part of this newer machine's hard drive. Can/should I format a partition in fat32 for this?

Any hints or comments on such a backup scheme welcome;)

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Single 80 GB factory partition means two realistic paths: create a new volume only if there is unallocated space, or shrink the existing C: and make new partitions with a third‑party tool. As noted, Windows XP’s Disk Management will not shrink an occupied system partition — it can only create partitions in already unallocated space. ’s PartitionMagic suggestion and ’s Ranish pointer are both in line with that; ’s warning to back up first is essential.

Recommended, safe workflow (apply in order):

  • Make a full backup of important data (file copies plus, if possible, a disk image). Treat the backup as mandatory before any partition changes.
  • Defragment the C: volume to consolidate free space toward the end of the partition.
  • Use a trusted partitioning tool that can move/resize NTFS without data loss (commercial options exist; free bootable tools are available). Prefer running the operation from boot media so the tool has exclusive access to the disk. Shrink C: by the desired amount, create the new partition in the freed space, then format.
  • Choose the filesystem based on access needs: format as NTFS for best reliability, security and to avoid the FAT32 4 GB single‑file limit; use FAT32 only if the partition will be physically moved to or mounted by an OS that cannot read NTFS. Note that Windows’ built‑in formatter may refuse to create FAT32 volumes larger than 32 GB, even though FAT32 itself can be larger.

Troubleshooting and cautions: resizing can be time‑consuming and carries risk — keep the XP install/repair CD or recovery media handy in case the bootloader needs repair. MBR disks support up to four primary partitions (use an extended partition for additional logical drives). If any resize fails, restore from the backup or revert to the saved image. Following ’s advice — always back up first — avoids most headaches.

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Member Avatar for Catweazle

If you have already used all the drive space for existing partitions, then you will need commercial software such as 'Partition Manager' or the like to do the job. Windows XP cannot resize partitions, it can only delete them or create new ones in 'Unallocated space'.


If you do, however, have unallocated space on your hard drive, then go:

Control Panel
Performance and Maintenance
Administrative Tools
Computer Management
Disk Management

You'll see the unallocated space there and be able to create a partition in it, and then format it for use. If it's for the backup of a Windows 98 system, (via networking of course) then yes, you should create it as a FAT32 partition. Whatever software you are using to create a drive image of the Windows 98 system needs to be able to store and retrieve the image via Local Network.

Member Avatar for oalee

I would suggest you use PartitionMagic or anything of the likes. It can resize/create/remove partitions without deleting your files.

Member Avatar for Puckdropper

I would suggest you use PartitionMagic or anything of the likes. It can resize/create/remove partitions without deleting your files.

Even though, always make a backup. Space is cheap, there's no excuse not to back up your data files. (About $10 for 50 CD-R discs... That's 35,000 MB)

Member Avatar for freeboard

THANK YOU for the responses, three good ones so far!

The drive came out of the box with one partition filling the whole drive.

I'll look into the partition software.

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