Partitioning Hard Disks

This section describes how to use the Fdisk utility to configure a hard disk. For example, if you want to combine several partitions into one large partition, you must use Fdisk; there is no method for automatically combining partitions.

Caution

Do not repartition the hard disk by using Fdisk if the computer has certain types of partitions, such as those created by Disk Manager, Storage Dimensions SpeedStor®, Priam®, or Everex™ partitioning programs, which replace the BIOS in interactions between MS-DOS and the hard-disk controller. Instead, use the same disk-partitioning program that was used to partition the disk. For example, if you use SpeedStor on a computer that has more than 1024 cylinders, do not carry out the following procedures.

To determine whether the computer has a partition created by using one of these disk-partitioning programs, search for the following files: DMDRVR.BIN (Disk Manager), SSTOR.SYS (SpeedStor), HARDRIVE.SYS (Priam), and EVDISK.SYS (Everex). Usually, you will find device= entries for these files in CONFIG.SYS. If you need help repartitioning the hard disk or are unsure whether the BIOS is being replaced, contact the manufacturer of the original disk-partitioning program.

To configure a hard disk, you must perform the following tasks:

• Create a startup disk by using the Add/Remove Programs option in Control Panel
• Back up the files on the hard disk
• Repartition the hard disk by using Fdisk
• Format the hard disk
• Restore the backed-up files

The steps for partitioning and formatting are described in the following section.