Combine two partitions that are on different drives?

[ikjadoon]

Hi! I would like to combine two partitions, hopefully keeping data intact on both. The only issue is that the partitions reside on two different drives. Is this possible and which tool could I use? I'd like to combine two logical partitions on two physical drives to one logical drive. If that makes sense? It is basically like a JBOD, but I want to use partitions instead of drives.

There is a 315GB partition on one drive and a 370GB partition on the other. I'd like to combine this into a 685GB partition, if possible?

Thanks!

~Ibrahim~

 

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Is it possible to combine them, sort of.
Is it possible to retain the data that resides on them, again... sort of.

You'll have to set up a RAID0 or JBOD array if your computer supporrts it. You can do it at the operating system level, but they can't be your system drive. Of course, either way, the drives have to be the same size and completely dedicated to the array.

As far as retaining the data between them, you'll have to back everything up before you do anything, then restore it once you're done.

 

[ikjadoon]

Thanks for the reply.

I was under the impression that JBOD could be done with odd-sized drives, in fact it was recommended for them? Even RAID0 can be done with odd-sized drives, but is limited by the smaller drive.

Right, these are two random partitions, no OS involved at all. What do you mean, "dedicated to the array?" Like, removable? No, they will be like any hard drive, just sitting in the computer. I won't be needing to remove them.

So, it can't be done without destroying the data presently on them? Technically, only one has data on it, the other is an empty one. This part is kind of important, since I don't have anywhere else to put 270GB of data. Or do you mean there is a chance I won't be able to keep the information and I should back it up, in case?

I mean, I could do this completely at the OS level, too. Like combine them into a virtual drive, if that is possible?

Thanks again!

~Ibrahim~

 

[BinarySynapse]

Thanks for the reply.

I was under the impression that JBOD could be done with odd-sized drives, in fact it was recommended for them? Even RAID0 can be done with odd-sized drives, but is limited by the smaller drive.

Right, these are two random partitions, no OS involved at all. What do you mean, "dedicated to the array?" Like, removable? No, they will be like any hard drive, just sitting in the computer. I won't be needing to remove them.

So, it can't be done without destroying the data presently on them? Technically, only one has data on it, the other is an empty one. This part is kind of important, since I don't have anywhere else to put 270GB of data. Or do you mean there is a chance I won't be able to keep the information and I should back it up, in case?

I mean, I could do this completely at the OS level, too. Like combine them into a virtual drive, if that is possible?

Thanks again!

~Ibrahim~

Yes, JBOD does work with different sized drives. Sorry about that.

What I meant by dedicated is that the entire drive, not just the partition will have to be assigned to the array you're building. The exception being Intel Matrix RAID type setups, but even then I believe you have to use the entire drive's capacity in some way for the array.

However, I'm not that familiar with software based RAID, so there may be some way to do what you want at the filesystem level. With NTFS you can assign an entire partition to a folder on another partition, but I don't know if it counts the total space as one drive that way. It's not very flexible though, any thing you put in the assigned folder will go to one partition, and anything you put somewhere other than the assigned folder will got to the other partition.

Now, the question is, why do you want to do this? There really are not any benefits to it and alot of risks. If it this were OS or applications, then yeah, but just for storage it's not really justifiable. Does it just bother you to have two drive letters?

 

[ikjadoon]

Oh...That kind of dedicated.

Well, no, it doesn't really bother me. But the program I use to record TV (which takes up the majority of my space) only records to a single hard drive, you can't really assign two. I was just wondering whether it was possible...

Maybe the program has a workaround?

~Ibrahim~

 

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Oh...That kind of dedicated.

Well, no, it doesn't really bother me. But the program I use to record TV (which takes up the majority of my space) only records to a single hard drive, you can't really assign two. I was just wondering whether it was possible...

Maybe the program has a workaround?

~Ibrahim~

Might be better for you to get a bigger drive. The almost insanely fast 640GB Western Digital is running like $99 right now I think.

 

[ikjadoon]

Might be better for you to get a bigger drive. The almost insanely fast 640GB Western Digital is running like $99 right now I think.

That's actually kind of funny. I have that drive. I have actually short-stroked as such:

50GB OS Partition
200GB Program & Files Partition
390GB TV Recordings Partition

And I'm trying to combine THAT 390GB partition with a 315GB partition from my other drive.

I'm looking up information on the program now, maybe there is a hack? It is Windows Media Center, by the way.

~Ibrahim~

 

[BinarySynapse]

That's actually kind of funny. I have that drive. I have actually short-stroked as such:

50GB OS Partition
200GB Program & Files Partition
390GB TV Recordings Partition

And I'm trying to combine THAT 390GB partition with a 315GB partition from my other drive.

I'm looking up information on the program now, maybe there is a hack? It is Windows Media Center, by the way.

~Ibrahim~

Try assigning the 315GB partition to a folder under where your TV recordings are instead of a drive letter. You can do this through the Disk Management console.

By the way, you're killing your hard drive's performance by having it divided up like that. If you do a lot of TV recording, you should do it on a separate hardrive form your OS and Programs. The way you have it set up now guarantees that your hard drive has to make the longest possible seek anytime you do anything while you're recording TV or running programs.