Unallocated space on hard drive with new computer & Vista

We just set up our new computer with Vista. Our hard drive has 400 gb of
storage . 50 gb were already allocated for C drive and 6.4 gb for D
drive:recovery. The rest of the space is unallocated. Everything I have read
so far states that I need to format this space. When I do that will I mess
things up with the C & D drives? Also is this space that I will be
formatting where I should install my everyday programs, such as Office,
Norton, etc?

Barb wrote:
> We just set up our new computer with Vista. Our hard drive has 400 gb of
> storage . 50 gb were already allocated for C drive and 6.4 gb for D
> drive:recovery. The rest of the space is unallocated. Everything I have read
> so far states that I need to format this space.

Definitely.

> When I do that will I mess things up with the C & D drives?

No. But before you can format that unallocated space you need to
create a 'partition' in that space (i.e. another drive which Windows
will probably call E: or F. Once you have created the new partition
you can then format it, and then the new drive will show up in Explorer
so you can actually use it.

Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Storage >
Disk Management. If you made it that far you should see chart of space
on your disk with the unallocated space clearly labeled. Right-click
on that space and then pick 'New Simple Volume'. The rest is easy ;o)

> Also is this space that I will be
> formatting where I should install my everyday programs, such as Office,
> Norton, etc?

You can if you wish, but you left more than enough room on C: to use
the normal default location C:\Program_Files for installing programs.

The typical use for all the extra space is to store audio/video files
and other such space hogs rather than programs. Or, if you're a true
geek, you can use that space to install ten other operating systems
and have *no* room left over for mere data.

On Wed, 7 Mar 2007 13:44:02 -0800, Barb
<Barb@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>We just set up our new computer with Vista. Our hard drive has 400 gb of
>storage . 50 gb were already allocated for C drive and 6.4 gb for D
>drive:recovery. The rest of the space is unallocated. Everything I have read
>so far states that I need to format this space. When I do that will I mess
>things up with the C & D drives? Also is this space that I will be
>formatting where I should install my everyday programs, such as Office,
>Norton, etc?

Yep, you need to make a new partition and format it to use the
unallocated space.

The only caution is be SURE you don't format C or D by mistake or
you'll lose whatever is already there.

You can install applications wherever you like. By default Windows
likes to put them on C under Program Files. If you go to Windows
Explorer and look you'll probably see quite a few programs there
already.

If you leave Windows to its own devices it will try to put EVERYTHING
you create in the form of data or download images, etc., on the C
drive. Which obviously makes little sense if you have plenty of unused
room elsewhere.

As you start to use your computer and SAVE you data most every program
will ASK where you want to save it. Many programs will on their own
safe your data files in a folder they create under program files. Yes,
I know, kind of silly.

Depending on the program it may or may not let you save data to
folders not already created. So if you plan on organizing your
computer as YOU like it, what you need to do is first go to Windows
Explorer, (after you set up your new partition from your present
unallocated space) and make some new folders. Very simple process.

1. Right click on the new drive letter
2. Then scroll down to new, then folder
3. Give the folder a name, folders may be nested

Now when you have something to save, you select 'save as' from the
application's menu, then locate one of the folders you just made, pick
a file name and it will then get saved in the folder you specified.

Thanks so much for your help.

"Don" wrote:

> Barb wrote:
> > We just set up our new computer with Vista. Our hard drive has 400 gb of
> > storage . 50 gb were already allocated for C drive and 6.4 gb for D
> > drive:recovery. The rest of the space is unallocated. Everything I have read
> > so far states that I need to format this space.
>
> Definitely.
>
> > When I do that will I mess things up with the C & D drives?
>
> No. But before you can format that unallocated space you need to
> create a 'partition' in that space (i.e. another drive which Windows
> will probably call E: or F. Once you have created the new partition
> you can then format it, and then the new drive will show up in Explorer
> so you can actually use it.
>
> Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Storage >
> Disk Management. If you made it that far you should see chart of space
> on your disk with the unallocated space clearly labeled. Right-click
> on that space and then pick 'New Simple Volume'. The rest is easy ;o)
>
> > Also is this space that I will be
> > formatting where I should install my everyday programs, such as Office,
> > Norton, etc?
>
> You can if you wish, but you left more than enough room on C: to use
> the normal default location C:\Program_Files for installing programs.
>
> The typical use for all the extra space is to store audio/video files
> and other such space hogs rather than programs. Or, if you're a true
> geek, you can use that space to install ten other operating systems
> and have *no* room left over for mere data.
>

Thanks so much for your help.

"Adam Albright" wrote:

> On Wed, 7 Mar 2007 13:44:02 -0800, Barb
> <Barb@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >We just set up our new computer with Vista. Our hard drive has 400 gb of
> >storage . 50 gb were already allocated for C drive and 6.4 gb for D
> >drive:recovery. The rest of the space is unallocated. Everything I have read
> >so far states that I need to format this space. When I do that will I mess
> >things up with the C & D drives? Also is this space that I will be
> >formatting where I should install my everyday programs, such as Office,
> >Norton, etc?
>
> Yep, you need to make a new partition and format it to use the
> unallocated space.
>
> The only caution is be SURE you don't format C or D by mistake or
> you'll lose whatever is already there.
>
> You can install applications wherever you like. By default Windows
> likes to put them on C under Program Files. If you go to Windows
> Explorer and look you'll probably see quite a few programs there
> already.
>
> If you leave Windows to its own devices it will try to put EVERYTHING
> you create in the form of data or download images, etc., on the C
> drive. Which obviously makes little sense if you have plenty of unused
> room elsewhere.
>
> As you start to use your computer and SAVE you data most every program
> will ASK where you want to save it. Many programs will on their own
> safe your data files in a folder they create under program files. Yes,
> I know, kind of silly.
>
> Depending on the program it may or may not let you save data to
> folders not already created. So if you plan on organizing your
> computer as YOU like it, what you need to do is first go to Windows
> Explorer, (after you set up your new partition from your present
> unallocated space) and make some new folders. Very simple process.
>
> 1. Right click on the new drive letter
> 2. Then scroll down to new, then folder
> 3. Give the folder a name, folders may be nested
>
> Now when you have something to save, you select 'save as' from the
> application's menu, then locate one of the folders you just made, pick
> a file name and it will then get saved in the folder you specified.
>
>
>
>
>
>