What's the best way to partition drives? I am looking to split my 500gb in half...

The quickest and safest way to do it is to use the Windows installer - it avoids having to resize partitions later, which can sometimes bork your installation.

You'll need at least 50GB on your C:\ partition if you're going to install many games, etc... The installer will ask you to set up partitions when you install Windows.

If you've already installed Windows, you can use Partition Magic to resize the partition.

I have Windows installed on another drive, I just want to partition the 500gb one.

In which case you can do it with the Disk Management tool within Windows XP.

Its alrite, I got that PartitionMagic program. I was suprised how fast it partition the drive.

It didn't format it, I guess.

Should be OK though.

Is there any way to tell if it has been formatted or not?

The drive was probably formatted previously - all that Partition Magic has done is make changes to the partition table, which doesn't necessarily require formatting, if I understand correctly.

Ah rite, that auld chestnut. lol

I've never partitioned any PC I've had, there's never been any need to.

What you can do is if you have no operating system installed on the 500gb hardrive then you can instert a windows xp or vista disc andc partition it that way if you are looking to install an operating system that way.
Or
If you are looking to do it inside windows you can use partion magic and there are loads of other programes.

Please don't post if you have nothing useful to say.

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How is that not useful?, I alway speak as I find, I don't pussyfoot around, my apology if it upset you though.

If you have never partitioned a computer before, then don't bother posting a reply to the thread

It's simple really, i learnt it the hard way aswell

Speak as you find? don't pussyfoot around? i don't think you know what pussyfoot around means mate.

Basically forums work like this:

You don't know the answer, you don't reply to the thread
You know the answer, you give them as much help as you can

Just a friendly heads up

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I am always about if you need a quick answer to how to fix a problem

Bang on the money.

If you're just posting to say "I've never done this so I can't help you", why post at all?

It hasn't upset me - it's just against forum rules... Which you should have read...

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If I have helped you, please consider donating a little cash to Cancer Research UK

For plain old partitioning, Windows XP has tools built in. Cruise into the Logical Disk Manager (Control Panel, Administrative Tools folder, Computer Management console, or Start, Run and diskmgmt.msc)

It's pretty straight forward. Remember to format the partitions after they are created.