Hi, it seems I have to give some more details to solve this...
On Wed, 02 Apr 2003 11:54:11 -0400, L.D. Best wrote:
> Bastiaan,
> You need a separate type of program to have two "primary" partitions on
> a single HDD. Linux has this ability IIRC. _Partition_Magic_ comes
> with a separate program that does what's needed. _System_Commander_
> also does this (I had a bad experience with it, but others like it).
I have 3 programs in use:
1- Partition Resizer
2- Smart Boot Manager
3- MBR-tool
> What those programs do is rewrite the MBR and provide an interface so
> you can make your selection of which "primary" partition you want.
With MBR-tool I can view and edit the Master Boot Record... but what
does the records mean?
The HD I made 2 partitions on:
ACT TYPE Start End LBA-start LBA-lenght
Entry 1: 80 01 01 00 06 0E A3 C1 23 00 00 00 B7 A7 05 00
Entry 2: 00 00 81 C2 05 0E E3 A7 DA A7 05 00 AE D7 01 00
Entry 3: 00 00 all zero
Entry 4: all zero
IIAC the first hex byte 80 or 00 means active or inactive partition
fifth hex byte 06 = primary FAT16
05 = extended (FAT16??)
0B = FAT32 (extended??)
0C = FAT32 primary
As I wanted to change the extended into a primary 05 was replaced by 06
but that does not function... so there must be some more to that.
The new partition can be activated with the boot manager but although
the 'system' and command.com is installed no booting is possible.
The computer hangs with just a "-" cursor blinking and no reaction
to any key.
> Before trying any of those programs, make a 'rescue' diskette so you can
> restore your MBR to original if something goes wrong [that's what saved
> me when I found out the hard way that System Commander had a bad
> diskette].
I had been warned about this and made the rescue diskette ;-)
Regards, Bastiaan
> I'm pretty sure that you can find some programs to back-up your Master
> Boot Record (MBR) on simtel or other web places. There may also be some
> programs out there in free/shareware land that allow you to rewrite MBR
> for more than one primary partition.
> l.d.
> ====
> On Wed, 02 Apr 2003 08:58:19 +00, Bastiaan Edelman, PA3FFZ wrote:
>> Hi List
>> I have two HD's in my computer and as an experiment I tried to make an
>> extra partition on HD1 (D:\).
>> With "Partition Resizer" this was done. A second partition was created
>> on HD1... but entry was denied to this partition.
>> Well they say you first have to format the new partition so this has
>> been done and now acces was gained to the new partition.
>> But the new partition is a logical partition so no operating system can
>> be installed there.
>> How to make a primairy partition of the newly created logical one?
>> I tried FDISK but that does not work... FDISK stated that there is
>> already a primairy partition on HD1 and refuses to make another one.
>> If I am well informed up to four primairy partitions are possible on a
>> HD.
>> Smart Boot Manager is installed and working fine.. the two HD's can be
>> swapped if necessary.
>> But how to make more than one primairy partition on a HD ???
>> Hope anyone of you has a smart idea about this.
>> Regards, Bastiaan
> -- Arachne V1.71;UE01, NON-COMMERCIAL copy, http://arachne.cz/
