[JoannH]

I have a Sony Vaio with a FAT32 15.9 GB and NTFS with 58.5GB. The FAT32 has 6% free space left and the NTFS has 54% free space left.
This is Windows XP -
Can I move my Microsoft Office Program from FAT32 to NTFS safely? Will it work? That program consumes so much memory. I have deleted and uninstalled and still I'm running out of space. Yet I have all this free space in the other partition.
The only thing I moved to NTFS is My documents and My pictures folders.

I don't remember who but someone said I cannot put programs on the NTFS system. Any help is grately appreciated.

[Byteman]

Hi, {First, I've moved the thread here as it fits your category better}


Generally you cannot move installed programs across drives, or partitions- you would need to install them directly, new, on that drive/partition.

However- and I may be wrong- MS Office is one that particularly likes (possibly required) to be a part of your Drive C: or at least the same drive as Windows is installed on.

Depending on exactly what type of, and version of, Office-- things may be that allow you to install it to the other drive, so don't rule out everything just yet.

Don't rush and uninstall Office yet, either.

And, don't rush and install to the other partition- wait for more help.

Just post the version of Office and the type, such as Pro, or Standard, Basic....etc.


For this older version of Office, I found this tip:

A typical Office 2000 installation will still actually add a larger amount of files (in bytes) to C: than to D: (or a second hard drive) if you install the program to D:.

I am not sure with newer versions, if this is true- but I would think it would be.

A good solution for you would be to get Acronis' Partition Expert:

http://www.theeldergeek.com/hard_drives_05.htm


Here's another post but this one uses Partition Magic

http://www.webmasterworld.com/micros...os/3502704.htm

[JoannH]

Thank you so much, and for a quick reply to this question and posting it proper.

I have Office 2000 Pro, and you have given me some ideas.
I'm not computer literate enough to understand all of the parition allocations, but I'll do my best to figure it out, and no, I won't go ahead and uninstall and reinstall until I'm confident.

But it does sound like I will be able to do this if I learn the right steps.

I will check out your recommendations, and I sure appreciate your help.

The best to you,
Jo Ann

[JoannH]

Byteman,

I have downloaded Partition Magic and it went into my program files on my C drive. The message it gives is: "Does not have a program associatied with it; Create an association in folder options control panel."

I thought this was a program. I am lost and not able to use this program.
Can you give me some guidance?

Thank you so much.
Jo Ann

[Byteman]

Hi, Where did you download Partition Magic from?

This is a program that you install- usually, from a CD.

If you downloaded a demo version, that would probably not work.


{Some folks substitute "downloading" for installing- when you install a program from a CD or from a file, that is not downloading..... downloading is saving files from the Internet, or perhaps, copying files or data from a source to your hard drive.

Installing is what the setup file, or installer, does> If you meant, Partition Magic installed to Program Files, then that is the right place.

To run the program, either you had a shortcut placed on the desktop, or you go into All Programs list, and you should see Partition Magic at the very end of the list??




I'm not at all sure why there would be no file associated with opening the program, something is not quite right with that.

[JoannH]

Hi again:

I purchased and downloaded from IBMdownload.com, and since I posted last I do have the program installed, however, I'm scared to try it yet.

I could not use a disk because my CDROM drive will not open. I cannot back up on a disk for that reason.

When I left the last post, I actually had not downloaded the program but didn't know it.

I finally assigned it to my office program and when it opened it was a link to the actual program to download. Scheesch!

Information on the program says data will not be lost, but since I have about seven years worth of freelance articles in this system, I'm reluctant to try it until I can get this CDROM drive opened. (Nope there's no pin hole - and nope, tried ejecting through My computer and nothing works. Yep tried rebooting, shutting down and that's all I knew to try). It has stuck before and magically started working again, so who knows.

But I will try this program to see if I can move some space from my E drive (NTFS) to the C drive (FAT32) when I can get this lined out and at least backup these columns and articles. I really don't want to lose them (I have documents and My pictures on the NTFS drive now).

Thank you so much again for checking posts and asking me questions. I wouldn't be this far now if I hadn't found this site.

[Byteman]

Hi, I would advise that you wait until you can get the drive tray to open and do some backing up!

What you could do, is have someone install a different CD drive (a CD burner in order to burn CDs of course). Perhaps yours is just about to die, or the drive tray is just not going to work this time....

It's not a big deal to install a new CDRW drive, just shut down, unplug, take of side cover, disconnect the old drive and put in the new. There is no installing of drivers, etc. The BIOS should configure things it needs, though there may be a need for you to enter Setup (BIOS configuration) to note the changes to the hardware. Any good tech person could do the entire job for you in 15 minutes.

Your CD burning software, like Nero or other program, should find the new CD burner and let you back up files etc with no hassle.

It's just not worth it to lose data, so you are going about things the right way, wait until you can get the drive tray working, or put in a new CD drive, sounds like it's time for one.

A plain, decent CDRW drive would run about $25.

Of course, there are the DVD burners which also burn CD, and play DVDs....that is alson an option.

Might be the CD drive you have is just sticking, in that case a good dusting with canned air might help.

Perhaps there is a lot of dust in the case someplace, too.

[JoannH]

...I know you are right. I do also have on this system a DVD/ROM that will burn. I have used it very little in the past 8 years and it too will not open (I have cleaned the CDROM drive -vacummed dusted all those things) but I know dust must get into the system.

Sounds like I need both drives and thank you for letting me know a guestimate of a price - of course if there was big bucks, I'd buy a whole new system.

This system is old at 8, but until I filled up the 15G C drive, it has performed well. And since I have all that space on the other partition, I really want to make this one work a while longer. From what I am learning here, I should be able to do it.

I will get these drives lined out, try to hold that 6% free space and I'll let you know what happens.

Thank you once again so much.

[BobJam]

Hey JoannH,

I'll echo Byteman . . . DEFINITELY copy over your important data to removable media (if you can't do it to CD, then a Flash Drive is just as good) BEFORE you do anything else.

As far as Partition Magic goes, it does advertise the capability to move programs to another partition/drive. However, a poster somewhere on these boards (I can't remember the thread where I read it) said that he/she tried it one time and it was pretty buggy. I do know that this is a very complicated maneuver, so it doesn't surprise me much that PM may have been difficult and/or buggy. Since programs very often need .dll's and other files whose location may be pointed to in the registry, a move would involve altering the registry to point to these new locations. PM is supposed to automate that maneuver, but . . .

So, BEFORE you try anything, whether it's moving a program or the lighter task of maybe putting in a new CD drive (as referenced by Byteman), copy your important data to a Flash Drive.

They plug into a USB port, are essentially like the old floppy in that you can write data to them over and over, and are relatively cheap (you can pick up a 512MB Flash Drive at Walmart for about $20 bucks or even less).

BTW, on trying to move the programs, I would read as much as I could about the maneuver before I tried it. Good luck . . .

Edit: Apparently we posted simultaneously. I see you said your system is 8 years old, so you may not have any USB ports.

[JoannH]

BJ:

I do have a USB port so the Flash Drive would work.

You have given me another option, and one I can do myself for sure.

I will copy the data. I sure don't want to lose all that work. I will not go ahead with this nail-biting program until I do.

What I hope to do is move about 20MB from the NTFS to the FAT32. Then my problem will be solved. Well, maybe.

You all may hear me hoot and holler when I get this thing fixed, and it will garbeled inbetween with loud and sincere thank yous!


JoAnn

[JoannH]

OK:

Wanted you to know I've bought a new CDRW drive. It is not installed yet, but I have it. I got two 1GB flash drives and have backed up my documents and pictures. I'm sending in columns to newspapers for the next two weeks in case I kill this thing, and I am about ready to try Partition Magic.

Whew.

As they say, I am as nervous as a whore in church. Forgive me, if that insults someone but it's the best I can do to discribe how I feel about dividing all this memory.

I believe that I will try to move 20GB from the 60GB partition - I am only using 4GB right now and that is holding pictures and documents that I have backed up. So I will try to move 20GB to the 15GB C drive that is limping along with 4% memory as we speak.

If there's anything you need to tell me, please do it soon because I am about to see what I can do with this program.

Thanks again, all of you. For ALL your help with this delimma of mine.

Jo

[BobJam]

If you're just going to try to move free space, then that's a less risky maneuver than trying to move space with a program on it, so I would try that. If your MS word works fine where it's at on your E drive, then I'd leave it there, and just try to move free space.

Last I used PM (a couple of years ago), it had a nice graphical interface. You should just be able to "slide" the space from one drive to the other.

But PM does the final maneuver in a DOS command window with batch files, so once you say OK, it will switch to that command window and you will likely see some messages about which task it's going through. That may take some time, so go have a cup of coffee and let it finish (I don't remember that there was any user intervention required once it starts, so you should be able to leave it unattended . . . but you may want to watch it anyway, going through it's stuff, if you are nervous).

Good luck and let us know how it went.

[JoannH]

Got a major problem here.

All my data files, columns and stories and such, which is how I make my living, was on the E drive (where all that bulk memory and free space was) now that I have tried to open a column .... well, it won't let me do it. It says ...well I can't find what it says now, but it appears I cannot open the documents file.

I am not going to panic. I do, as you know, have it backed up on a flash drive. My C drive (or FAT32) is the one where all my programs are and the E drive i(NTFS) s where all the free space is and heck I have manged to move SOME FREE SPACE -- actually my 14.36Gb Fat32 is now 29.82GB WITH 48% free space and my NTFS of 60GB is now 40.42GB and with 90% free space ................do you realize how happy I am.

Somehow I will find out what is going on with the data and fix it.

You guys have helped me so much and the fact that I can email you this is an attribute to all that you do.

Thank you. Thank you.
Jo

[JoannH]

Byteman,
BJ


Thank you so much for your help.

I am an novice at PC at home and I would never have attempted moving these GB without out your help. I do have an old system but with all that free space on a parition, something told me I should be able to do this.

The both of you have helped me tremdously. Thank you may not seem like much (and as soon as I can write a paying article for the two newspapers I write for, I plan to make a DONATION to techguy.

Thanks for helping me keep my livlihood ... my computer from crashing.

Warm regards,
Jo

[BobJam]

Cool . . .

Thanks for the Thanks. A lot of people don't post back that things went well for them. Nice touch . . .