If I understand you correctly, I think your best option is to do the following:
Assumption:
The disk is a Windows XP system disk, with the OS in partition 1, and partition 2 contains ONLY regular data files and folders...no applications*.
Procedure
1) BACKUP your disk(s)
2) backup or move* the files on the second partition to another disk or the first partition...recommend storing them under a unique folder-name.
3) use a partition management program such as freeware PartitionLogic, or Windows built-in utility "Computer Management" to 'delete' the unwanted 2nd partition.
e.g. Using Windows "Computer Management"
Start>>run>>compmgmt.msc>>DiskManagement
Right click on the unwanted 2nd logical drive (partition)
and select "Delete Logical Drive". This will free up that space on the disk so that later it can be "added" to the 1st partition.
4) you then use a partition manager utility such as freeware PartitionLogic (ver0.69 or above) to increase the size of the system ntfs partition while leaving fully intact all the OS and other files that are currently in the 1st partition.
http://partitionlogic.org.uk/about/index.html
(note: only version 0.69 and above can re-size Win-XP NTFS boot partition. Version 0.69 is the current version as far as I know. PartitionLogic does not support some SATA hard disks)
Download the PartitionLogic .iso image. Burn it to a CD. Boot the PartitionLogic CD and follow the menus to extend the 1st disk partition into the unallocated space on the disk.
edit-add info re: PartitionLogic limited SATA support
edit-example of using PartitionLogic CD to resize the system partition
Assumption:
The disk is a Windows XP system disk, with the OS in partition 1, and partition 2 contains ONLY regular data files and folders...no applications*.
Procedure
1) BACKUP your disk(s)
2) backup or move* the files on the second partition to another disk or the first partition...recommend storing them under a unique folder-name.
3) use a partition management program such as freeware PartitionLogic, or Windows built-in utility "Computer Management" to 'delete' the unwanted 2nd partition.
e.g. Using Windows "Computer Management"
Start>>run>>compmgmt.msc>>DiskManagement
Right click on the unwanted 2nd logical drive (partition)
and select "Delete Logical Drive". This will free up that space on the disk so that later it can be "added" to the 1st partition.
4) you then use a partition manager utility such as freeware PartitionLogic (ver0.69 or above) to increase the size of the system ntfs partition while leaving fully intact all the OS and other files that are currently in the 1st partition.
http://partitionlogic.org.uk/about/index.html
(note: only version 0.69 and above can re-size Win-XP NTFS boot partition. Version 0.69 is the current version as far as I know. PartitionLogic does not support some SATA hard disks)
Download the PartitionLogic .iso image. Burn it to a CD. Boot the PartitionLogic CD and follow the menus to extend the 1st disk partition into the unallocated space on the disk.
*IMPORTANT: if you have applications setup in the 2nd partition, or have shortcuts to files/folder in the 2nd partition, all those will likely be rendered inoperative after the change. Some people also set application output to a specific drive or partition. For example, you might have setup email to store all the files in your second partition. By effectively deleting the partition, the email program won't know where to go for old emails or where to store new ones.
Sometimes it's a simple matter of setting shortcuts and such, but at other times complex registry changes are needed when you try to move applications. There are a few utilities that supposedly make this easier.
Sometimes it's a simple matter of setting shortcuts and such, but at other times complex registry changes are needed when you try to move applications. There are a few utilities that supposedly make this easier.
Example of Re-sizing Procedure Using PartitionLogic
Note: system disk is assumed designated "Disk0"
Boot the PartitionLogic CD
Select "Run" (do NOT select "Install")
Select Administration>DiskManager>Disk0>Resize>Filesystem&Partition
(enter desired new size of partition)
Close the open windows
Remove the PL CD
Exit/Reboot
Note: system disk is assumed designated "Disk0"
Boot the PartitionLogic CD
Select "Run" (do NOT select "Install")
Select Administration>DiskManager>Disk0>Resize>Filesystem&Partition
(enter desired new size of partition)
Close the open windows
Remove the PL CD
Exit/Reboot
edit-add info re: PartitionLogic limited SATA support
edit-example of using PartitionLogic CD to resize the system partition