Partitions and the HAL...

[Ken Moore]

I was recently working on a Win2K machine and trying to bring its partitions down to one. It had a primary partition holding W2K and an extended partition.

Using Partition Magic I merged the two partitions but got the rather familar STOP message with W2K declining to boot. I put the extra partition back and all was OK again.

I know this problem occurs with W2K (and I expect WinXP) due to a change in the Hardware Extraction Layer (HAL) but can anyone explain...
1. What exactly is the problem that it's complaining about?
2. How can I merge these partitions without getting this problem?
3. How can I fix the problem once I've got it (short of reinstalling W2K)?

[Big Booger]

What version of partition magic were you using?

[Ken Moore]

8.0

[Big Booger]

http://www.powerquest.com/updates/index.cfm?ProductLine=PM&FromVersion=8&ProductLanguage=EN

Update partition magic to 8.01 first off. Secondly, what type of partition and cluster size were the two partitions?

You could try fdisk to get the partitions combined. If partition magic doesn't do the trick.

Not too sure.. though.

[Dehcbad25]

Ken, you problem probably lies in this
Virtual memory..
I had same problem. Make sure you stop virtual memory for the logical partition and also the recicling bin reserve ;), then you can meger the partition with partition magic

[Big Booger]

You know DEHC, I think you may have solved the case of the mysterious Hardware merger malady. :D

Can't wait to see. One to keep in the memory banks if indeed it does solve this issue.

[Dehcbad25]

HEHE, not because I am smart, just had that problem many times :p and after creating the problem I remember to go and disable the system functions in other drives. With XP there is also the system restore that stores files in other drives ;)

[Ken Moore]

Now *that* makes sense! I must see if I can knock together a machine to try it out on.

Nice one!

[Dehcbad25]

Always Glad to help ;)