How to repartition HD on Studio 14z?

Hi,

I just got my Studio 14z and so far I like it (fan comes on quite a bit, but other than that its great).

However, I've run into a problem trying to add a partition to my HD. I attached my external USB DVDRW drive, popped in my Acronis Disc Director Disc, but I got a message about no available HDs. So, I downloaded a free partition utility called Gparted, but it basically gave me the same message ("unable to find a medium containing a live file system").

I *thought* it was something to do with the SATA mode in BIOS, but neither the default AHCI nor the ATA alternative setting seem to make any difference.

So, does anyone have a way I can partition my HD? I want to add another partition, D:\, as a backup for data, etc.

Anyone know, offhand, what I'm doing wrong? I used this external USB DVDRW drive and Disc Director on a Samsung netbook with a SATA drive (with WinXP 32) and didnt encounter any of these probs.

Thanks

Dell Studio 14z (1440). Windows 7 x64, A04 BIOS, newest drivers straight from Dell's page, T6600 2.2ghz, 3gb RAM, 320GB 5200rpm SATA HD, 9400M G, Bluetooth, 1515 A/G/N wireless, 900p LED Display, SB X-FI software, Backlit keyboard.

 

Are you trying to make new partitions on a drive that's already full? That might be part of the issue here, or your external optical drive might just not like the 14z. Does the Windows installer see your disk when booting from a Windows installation disk?

 

Plenty of room, and its not the USB DVD-RW (had same probs with USB keys made). It must be something to do with the SATA drivers/nVidia raid controller (does it have it on a laptop with 1 HD?). Disk Director 10.0 (newest downloaded straight from their site) and Gparted both didn't see any hard drives on my laptop.

But, Paragon Partition Manager did and I was able to make a new partition.

Had plenty of room (the 320gb HD was in 3 partitions--One I believe had Dell's support software on it, one had a factory backup image, and the other was the default C:\ (with something like 300gb free or so).

Only problem is I used a demo version of Partition Manager, and it didn't have many settings available and auto partitioned the new drive taking space wherever it wanted it from (without asking me first )...so I'm not sure if my Dell support software/factory backup image are safe. Pressing F8 at startup only brings up Windows options (ie safe mode, networking, etc) and I dont see anything about the restore option. Whole reason I wanted to use Disk Director--I know that prog inside and out, and its option to take from free space at the end of the partition you select is great.

Any way I can confirm this still works? If its gone, any way I can restore it? Better yet, replace the image with one I make with updated drivers and my apps configured the way I want em? Just came from a Samsung N130, and while it ultimately wasn't for me, having a dedicated function key to launch a backup and restore program, before windows even loads, was something I want again.

 

When I say "full", I meant of partitions. Is your entire drive already fully partitioned or is there unpartitioned space that you want to convert into your last partition.

From your posts, I'd assume not; have you considered just reinstalling Windows and setting up your partitions to your preferences at install time? I think it'd be a lot less trouble than what you're currently trying to do.