VGN-S2XP allows dynamic disk conversion with disastrous result!

[petermilewski]

It's a lovely machine. But I'm afraid I didn't read every word of the manual which is called 'troubleshooting and recovery' which perhaps is understandable - you don't expect trouble!

I wanted to change the partition sizes - to 20Gb for Drive C because I know I won't need more software than that - and 50Gb or so for Drive D - then later to get the Recovery data onto DVD's and get back the Recovery HDD space too (about 7Gb).

Actually, the big HDD size is the main reason I bought it.

I didn't know how to change the partition size and had a look in Disk Management - I thought, maybe converting to dynamic disk would do it? So I converted. Bang! No access to the recovery area. No recovery disks either. AND - can't convert back to basic disk. Disaster.

Essentially, I'm wasting 17Gb (though I could use 10Gb of those by putting some of my data on C, but that's fiddly).

I've looked in the Sony and Microsoft knowledge bases and can find no way round it. It seems impossible to convert the dynamic disk back to basic.

I did find one article (Microsoft) that stated that laptops should not allow conversion to dynamic, so I think that Sony would have done better to disallow it.

I gather that all that would have been needed to change the partition size would have been just to do a recovery, and you get the option to do it during that process. But now I can't.

Anybody know of a workaround, or am I going to have to send the machine back to the suppliers and request a replacement or re-installation?

[SilverZero]

I am not completly shure what dynamic ? is for a harddisk, can it be some sort of simulated raid or so?

Please specify your exact problem:

does your vaio boot and work correctly?
if yes,
is your only problem that you can not alter the partition size?
or
can you not access your recovery area?

usually if you send your vaio in for repair they will just reinstall your computer to the state you got it delivered, which will not solve your problem if i understod your post correctly.

[seb21__]

 I am not completly shure what dynamic ?

Sorry english isn't good enough to explain that correct.


1. dynamic harddisk works only under W2000, WinXP Pro and higher. Not in WinXP Home
2. dynamic harddisk have different Volumes
3. they supports logical Volumes, distribute itself that over several harddisks
4. it gives two different kinds:.......simple Stripesetvolumes
...........................................................spreading Stripesetvolumes

Ah, I have a book about this, I think the best is, if you that interests, you use the microsoft knowlegdebase. I would need days for the translation.

But, you can imagine that...... You have two harddiks, but only one Volume(Partition)
And yes you can change the size from the partition dynamicly

And no you can't this make on a Labtop.



For have a labtop, you need a Partition tool.

I have one of this on a bootable floppy disk.
With this tool I can change the partition size.

You can find some tools as freeware on the Web or in PC-Magazines.
For professional tools you must pay (in germany between 40 and 60¿)

[robpaxton]

This is a difficult one, you could Ghost your drive then restore to a basic partitioned drive (you would have boot problems after this but I'm pretty sure Ghost will let you repair this during the restore using an arcane command line option). This wouldn't get you the capability to create your recovery disks back however.

I think the easiest and best solution is to contact Vaio-Link and see if they can supply a set of recovery disks.

[vrochette]

The first thing I did when I got mine was to create the DVD system disks. That takes just 2 DVD but you are that if the recovery partition is unavailable; you can still recover the entire system to factory install defaults.

Not too sure why you're messing up the partition; or what advantage that can give you.

Good luck;

[TygerTyger]

I'm willing to bet they will charge you for the disk set though, and they don't come cheap either.

I'm sorry it all went bad for you, don't lose the disks new whatever you do. I wish Sony would make all this stuff a bit more consumer-friendly, they don't seem especially bothered to allow people options

[kee-lo_]

I think Rob's solution would be the easiest, but I'm not sure if Ghost would correct the boot info to suit the new disk size.

[petermilewski]

It both boots and works correctly, but .. NEITHER the partition size can be changed NOR can it access the recovery area.

[petermilewski]

Thank you re partition tool. But I think I'll try the seller and/or Vaio link first - I'd rather they sent me some recovery disks than send the computer back, if possible. But I'm not sure that just using recovery disks will be enough to allow conversion from dynamic disk back to basic. However, at the moment the Vaio e-support link isn't working, at least my computer doesn't seem to be able to get through to it. Watch this space! Any more suggestions gratefully received.