Cannot create a partition

Anyone else have any suggestions for me? I run XP SP2 on a new DELL with a 320G SATA drive. I have tried repeatedly to create a new partition using DD10 and nothing - and I mean nothing, not even repeated contact with Acronis tech support - seems to get this software to actually create a partition. Not from within Windows nor from the bootable CD running Linux.

Has anyone else had this issue? Could there a problem using a SATA drive or something? I'll take any suggestions gratefully!

 

Sigid:

When you start up into the rescue CD (the "full" or Linux version) of Disk Director, does it see your SATA disk?

If yes, can you try a quick test?

Start up into the full version and choose "Manual" mode. Right-click on the existing partition and choose "Resize". Drag the right end of the slider to the left to make the partition smaller. Choose "Commit" and then reboot back into Windows. Is your existing partition now smaller?

If you can't even see your SATA disk from the Rescue CD full version then have you tried the "safe" or DOS-based version?

 

- Thanks for your prompt response!
- I first created the bootable CD from within the DD10 Windows GUI. This version was unable to see the SATA drive at all. It kept telling me that my USB backup drive was the only one on the system...
- Their Tech Support then allowed me to download an .ISO file which I burned to CD which created a different version of bootable CD DD10, and this version WAS able to see the drive, but lacked any type of mousepointer (and you *must* have a mouse pointer to select the disk drive).
- Then I got some instructions about how to enable the mousepointer, but these did not work at all.
- You are mentioning a DOS version? I am unfamiliar with this, but if you can show me where it is, I'll be glad to try it out...??
- Thanks again for your time.

 

Sigid:

Understand. So the reason that you were never able to get the Windows version to create a new partition was that the SATA driver for your disk was not correct. In the Windows version the program has to reboot into the (Linux) recovery environment whenever you are doing something to the Windows partition, so it would fail because it could not see your disk.

Acronis also includes a DOS-based recovery environment. When you create a rescue CD you have the option to include either "Full" or "Safe" versions or both. "Full" is Acronisspeak for a Linux environment that supports USB devices and networking (that is, if the drivers exist for your hardware). "Safe" is Acronisspeak for a DOS-based recovery environment that does not support USB or networking but should see any disk seen by your PC's BIOS.

If you go back into the Windows program and start Disk Director then choose to create a rescue CD using their Bootable Media Builder you can make a CD that contains both full and safe versions.

Boot your PC from the rescue CD but this time choose the "Safe" version. If you can see your SATA drive from this version then you are home free.

 

TAB (and in some parts, the arrow keys) will move between the different selectable items and you can use the SPACEBAR to check and uncheck the Disk/Partition checkboxes. All the functions can be performed with the keyboard if you can't use the mouse, but it's way easier with a mouse.

 

Thanks again for all your time and trouble - some good info here! Let me take it from here and see where I wind up!

 

...and unfortunately, two months+ later, despite good advice (above) and not useful advice (Acronis Tech Support) I have had to simply uninstall DD. Can't make it work no way no how.

I see in this forum that other people with SATA drives have had similar problems, so I take some small comfort in knowing it's not just me! And fortunately, there are alternative software packages for this functionality, so all is not lost, and maybe I will be able to set up a dual boot so as to be able to explore Linux on my WinXP box.