Complicated partitioning problem

[LenaRR2]

Hi,

Acronis is the FIFTH partitioning software I'm attempting to use on a new Lenovo laptop, downgraded at the factory to XP Pro.

1. Failed: PowerQuest Partition Magic 8.01, which I've been using for years. In sum, it alleges "Bad geometry."
2. Failed: GParted, recommended at Lenovo forums because free and because keeps Lenovo Service Partition intact.
3. Failed: Easeus Partition Manager.
4. Failed: Paragon's Partition Manager.

Details about error messages received from each program can be found in a post I published at:
Lenovo forums (http://forums.lenovo.com/lnv/board/message?board.id=X_Series_Thinkpads&thread.id=6401)

Windows XP, OTOH, thinks there's no problem. I ran CHDKSK without incident or reported problems. I defragged the drive. Explorer says that Drive C has 143 GB total capacity, 16.3 GB of which is used, and is an NTFS disk.

Acronis True Image Home 9.0, which I love and have also used for years, also thinks there's no problem. It sees, and successfully backed up and verified, both Drive C (Pri, Acct, 143.4 GB capacity, NTFS) and SERVICEV001 (Pri, 5.679 GB capacity), FAT 32 Partition: 0x12 (Compaq Setup).

Today I downloaded the trial version of Acronis Disk Director Suite 10, and it saw what it was supposed to see. HOWEVER...

Testing DDS10 to create the mini partition it allows, when the laptop rebooted it seemed dead. Screen black (albeit lit), no lights denoting HD activity, no sound. After 15 minutes I hard booted. The Windows welcome screen came up, I chose normal boot, and again the system hung in the same way. I performed a second hard boot and chose safe mode. It hung again, the same way.

I then restored the system using the Blue Think Vantage button (which restored C based on backup made last night to the hidden SERVICE001 partition).

To my huge surprise, I then found the minuscule D partition I'd asked Acronis DDS to create.

BUT -- I don't understand why the screen went dead in native mode. I can't quite use the program safely if it's going to do that.

I ask: Was the black screen of paralysis (BSOP) a fluke? Would the full DDS10 version have a chance of working, since Acronis DDS at least sees the same partitions as Windows does?

(Note: I can't afford to pay $50 for a license for a program that might not work. The price tag is why Acronis is my fifth choice instead of my second. I'm hoping I can write

5. Acronis Disk Director Suite 10: Success!

Thanks much and happy holidays to those who are celebrating,
Lena in Maryland

[Brian K]

Lena,

Did you use Partition Magic from a boot disk or from Windows? Partition Magic is renowned for false error messages.

Did you use DD from a boot disk or from Windows?

Have you tried BING?

[K0LO]

Lena:

I've been using Disk Director successfully for several years on my Lenovo X41T. Did you install and activate OS Selector when installing the program? (You do not want to do that).

[LenaRR2]

Brian: I ran Partition Magic from a Windows install which I didn't boot from. I've never had false error messages using it, but I'll try booting.

Likewise, I ran DD from Windows; I used the downloadable trial edition. Are you suggesting that if I purchase it I should purchase the disk and not the downloadable version?

I'd never heard of BING, thank you. Its capabilities remind me a bit of GParted's, but it looks friendlier.

k0lo: I did not install the OS Selector; I wanted merely to test DD's partitioning capabilities.

Thank you both for your replies!

[Brian K]

Lena,

I don't think I'd get an argument if I claimed PM and DD are safer to use from boot disks than from Windows. I don't know if you can create a boot disk from the DD trial install.

I use BING but I wouldn't claim it's user friendly.

[LenaRR2]

Brian,

The Partition Magic CD booted to DOS, but refused to start PM. Though I could see the file pm.bat, the error message stated something to the effect that the path was incorrect. This made no sense.

I solved the problem ;D . Bottom line for whoever else has the same problem in the future:

I booted with a GParted CD (because I'd already made one before: easier than creating a BING CD). All GParted saw was unallocated space; I allowed it to build the partition table, and to build the partitions I wanted. (The latter was a waste of time, because when I restored Windows using Lenovo's Rescue & Recovery, the partitions GParted had built were gone.) If all GParted sees is unallocated space, program it to create only a C partition and to rebuild the partition table.

I restored Windows using a boot CD and prior backup. I could have used Acronis here, but didn't because I wanted to see if Lenovo's software would re-create the hidden backup partition. It did.

Then I used PowerQuest's Partition Magic 8.01 to create the partitions I wanted. PM worked like it should. My guess is that any partitioning program would.

Thanks for y'alls help. Now I can actually start doing real work on this machine!

Best,
Lena