[mccaa1]

No space left on E Drive so cannot do any more backups. Message comes up every time I turn on saying that I should free space but it won't let me clear the space. If I format the drive, will it affect anything else on my system? I'm doing backups on discs so don't need to use the E drive, but getting fed up seeing this 'low space' message coming up every time I log on.

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Hello
You did in fact ask for assistance last December with a display problem
http://www.geekstogo...__fromsearch__1

by coincidence, it was me that replied to that request.
How did you go on with that problem.
Please do reply, when you ask for help.


In respect of this problem what is the operating system on the Dell and what please is E drive.
Is it a separate drive used for backup OR is it a partition of the main HDD
A screenshot of Disk Management would be helpful

Control Panel Admin tools computer management, disk management.

Screenshot
Prt Scrn key
Open Paint
click edit tab
click paste
click file tab
click save as
file type jpeg the default bitmap is too large
On reply use full editor and attach please

[Macboatmaster]

Hello
You did in fact ask for assistance last December with a display problem
http://www.geekstogo...__fromsearch__1

by coincidence, it was me that replied to that request.
How did you go on with that problem.
Please do reply, when you ask for help.


In respect of this problem what is the operating system on the Dell and what please is E drive.
Is it a separate drive used for backup OR is it a partition of the main HDD
A screenshot of Disk Management would be helpful

Control Panel Admin tools computer management, disk management.

Screenshot
Prt Scrn key
Open Paint
click edit tab
click paste
click file tab
click save as
file type jpeg the default bitmap is too large
On reply use full editor and attach please

[mccaa1]

Hi Macboatmaster

Firstly, apologies for not replying to you regarding my original problem with the green screen. I had so many people trying to sort this out for me that I had forgotten who I had asked! The problem continued for quite some time. Dell wanted to sell me a new screen which was going to cost almost as much as a new laptop! Never did discover what was causing the problem but it hasn't happened now for several months, so don't think it could have been a screen problem.

Regarding my latest issue, I notice that there is quite a lot of discussion on this topic in the Dell forums. However, no one seems to have solved it. I believe the E Drive is a partition of the hard drive, used as a recovery. I've taken a snapshot as you requested and this is attached. (Well I tried to attach it but it is coming up with message 'Error - You aren't permitted to upload this kind of file'). So I don't think I'm going to get any further with this problem. When I look at the contents of the E drive, there are four items - Boot, Recovery, ADRInfos and MedialD.bin but it won't let me open the folders to see what I can delete.

[Macboatmaster]

OK it is probably because you have not saved it as a jpeg file

Do this instead please

Download Speccy the free edition


http://www.piriform....speccy/download

and see this for how to send me the results
http://www.piriform....file-to-the-web

[mccaa1]

Sorry, struggling with this attachment. Lost it somewhere in the computer! Thank you for your time though.

[Macboatmaster]

You are not sending an attachment you are sending me the URL - web address which appears on the page of the results.

as here

To publish a Speccy profile to the Web:

• In Speccy, click File, and then click Publish Snapshot.
• In the Publish Snapshot dialog box, click Yes to enable Speccy to proceed.
• Speccy publishes the profile and displays a second Publish Snapshot. You can open the URL in your default browser, copy it to the clipboard, or close the dialog box.

[mccaa1]

Hopefully this is what is required?

http://speccy.pirifo...sXQnZAYkStjcbcD

Sorry for delay. It took me a while to work it out!

[Macboatmaster]

You have one hard drive with three partitions

Partition 0
Partition ID: Disk #0, Partition #0
Size: 39.1 MB

Partition 1
Partition ID: Disk #0, Partition #1
Disk Letter: E
:File System: NTFS
Volume Serial Number: B6D8EEB7
Size: 9.76GB
Used Space: 9.76GB (100%)
Free Space: 3MB (0%)

Partition 2
Partition ID: Disk #0,
Partition #2
Disk Letter: C:
File System: NTFS
Volume Serial Number: 6EDB0B0A
Size: 223GB
Used Space: 70GB (32%)
Free Space: 153GB (68%)

You should not be backing up to E it is I suspect part of your recovery partition
SO you have backup set incorrectly

Do not on any account attempt to format it. - E


See this - backup Vista and check your settings ASAP
http://windows.micro...k-up-your-files

Note particularly do not back up to the same drive on which windows is installed and do not backup to recovery partition

You cannot of course backup to a drive that has 9.75Gb of capacity from a drive that has 70Gb of USED space

My strong advice is to connect an external hard drive - usb and backup your system to that drive, as soon as posible - using the link information I have included above

HOWEVER as you have Vista Home Premium and it was only Ultimate Enterprise and others that came with the complete backup - in otherowrds a system image which you can use to restore, in the event of failure, rather than using the Dell recovery partition, which will restore to factory condition, I recommend you consider one of the free backup utlities which offer the facility to create a complete image.

YOU CAN STILL use the backup in your Home Premium as well

[mccaa1]

Thank you for your time on this.

I have previously done backups on external drives. However, for some reason I recently visited the Back up and Restore Centre and was prompted to do a backup and it defaulted to drive (E) so assumed that was where it had to go. It was at that point that the low disk space message started appearing. I have since done another backup using external storage. The backup situation doesn't worry me too much but it would be nice to just get rid of the "low disk space" message that keeps popping up. I will leave the E bit of the drive alone from now on but is there anywhere in the system that I can go to to turn off the above message? Also can't understand why I can't see the backed up files on the system.

[Macboatmaster]

Well I would think that very likely, you cannot see them, because either they are not there, or you are not allowed access -
I would, as I said enter backup and restore and check settings

Will E drive open to explore

Re the message - that is the system - warning message - we need to see what is on E drive


It may be that if you go to backup and restore using restore - BUT NOT restoring, you may then ascertain what files - are on E drive, that are shown on backup and restore

Also see this HOWEVER I advise extreme caution NOTING the warning
http://www.vistax64....ning-vista.html

[Macboatmaster]

mccaa1

I just wondered how you went on with this

[mccaa1]

Hi - I did attempt to turn off the 'low disk space' message using the instruction contained in the Vista link you gave me. I got so far but struggled when I got to the Take Ownership section and became concerned at the warning messages, as you pointed out. So... I am living with the message that pops up when I turn on the computer but can stop this from keeping popping up by going in and cancelling the instruction on its first appearance.

E drive would only open to show the four items I have already mentioned but the Recovery file would not open any further. Also, I tried doing as you suggested and going to Backup and Restore Centre, as if to restore items from E drive, but it wouldn't even let me select any files to restore, as there weren't any files shown.

Thank you for your time on this. At least I am getting the low disk space message only once on each session on the laptop, which I can live with. I'll know the next time I purchase a new laptop not to go anywhere near the RECOVERY bit!

[Macboatmaster]

OK Thanks for the reply.

1. Please check the following

go start, right click computer, click properties, on left pane click system protection, on the window that opens click to select that E drive., click the configure button and check if system restore is turned on for that drive, PLEASE ensure you are looking at E drive, it will confirm that on the window that opens when you click the configure button. IF IT IS TURN IT OFF

2. Using windows disk management, the unallocated space must to be the right of the partition you wish to extend, that is known as behind the partition.

Open disk management, which is start (windows button) right click computer and click manage and then in left pane click disk management. IN the top window you will see your drives listed and in the lower window you will see the graphical image of those drives.

If I am correct E will be to the right of C.

Therefore if you shrink C you cannot extend E using disk management as the unallocated space must be to the RIGHT of the drive (partition) you are going to extend - in your case E

However if you shrink C the unallocated space will then be to the LEFT of E.

You can however use the free Easeus partition master, as with the system you can extend to unallocated space that is to the LEFT of the drive (partition) you are going to extend.

Here is the important detail from Easeus

Tips: Sometime the unallocated space is on the left of the partition you want to extend, just drag the left partition handle leftwards to the size you want.

Here is the download link page and guide for Easeus

http://www.partition...g-partition.htm

So YOU install easeus on your C ;parttion.

You SHRINK the C parttion by MOVING the cross crux from RIGHT to LEFT. This is VITAL. DO NOT MOVE from left to right.

You then have unallocated space to the right of C and the left of E - IT IS VITAL that you check first on disk management, as I have explained

You then extend E by moving the cross Crux from RIGHT to LEFT

NOW unfortunately as is always the case, although I have used Easeus a number of times and have never had a failure or lost any data there is ALWAYS a risk

: It is important to backup data before resizing partition, because nothing is 100% secure.

There is a double edged sword to this situation you find yourself in.

1. If you leave it as is, and if you ever needed it the recovery partition may well fail and because on many OEM systems the recovery parttion provides other functions on boot rather than the main purpose of accessing it to use it if necessary - eg to recover the system in event of failure - you may if you leave it as is, find that one day the system will fail

2. If you proceed with the attempt to extend and I would only do so by some 1Gb, you are then facing the small chance that it could go wrong.

I regret that I cannot offer a categorical advice as to which way to proceed, I am not evading the question, there is simply in my opinion no definite and positive correct answer.

[mccaa1]

OK. Firstly, system restore was already turned off for the E drive, ie. it wasn't ticked.

I've gone into Disk Management and E is to the LEFT of C.

[Macboatmaster]

In that case you create unallocated space to the left of C and then extend E

Rather than me trying to type the instructions I think it best you read then Easeus guide and then post if you are unsure

Basically you are going to shrink C and extend E

See this

http://www.petri.co....n-windows-7.htm

HOWEVER that is for information only to try and show you what would occur if you used disk management.

You would end up with unallocated space to the right of C and as E is to the left of C, the unallocated space would then be NOT adjacent to E.

Sorry I cannot make it clearer and at the risk of insulting you by repeating again -

PLEASE DO REMEMBER that this is NOT without risk