[TopAce]

Here's the deal:

I have a 160GB HD and I installed WinXP on it. Currently, there is only one big partition and nothing else. I want to split this one big partition into at least three smaller ones. I tried this Diskpart program, but it's just awfully awkward and Help is practically useless (it uses a lot of computer-jargon and most of the times I don't even know what it's talking about).

So, could those who know the ins and outs of partitioning give me some advice?

[fsi.scsi]

First, defragment your hard drive*.  This is absolutely essential.

When I was experimenting with Linux, I used the recommended utility Gparted (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/) to create and size the main, swap, and boot partitions.  I'd get the LiveCD (http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php) version so you can create a bootable CD.  Once you've downloaded and burned the ISO image (you will need a utility that can burn images - most can), pop the CD into your PC and restart.  If you've got your CD/DVD drive at the top of your boot priority, Gparted will start up.  I'm assuming you know how to change the boot priority if this isn't the case. 

Once you're in the program, it should be pretty intuitive and easy to use - everything is labeled, and there is even a Help section.  Fuller documentation is available at http://gparted.sourceforge.net/documentation.php.

EDIT: Oh, and one other thing: You'll have to select a filesystem for the new partitions; go ahead and make them NTFS.  After that, you will have to "mount" the partitions (i.e. make them recognizable to the OS.)  It's fairly simple, but weird stuff like '/dev/hd3/'  can be pretty intimidating at first.

Good luck!

*The Gparted LiveCD also  has a defrag utility, in addition to a ton of other cool stuff.  It's one of my essential bootable CDs

[Huggybaby]

Man that sounds complicated!

I've used Partition Magic several times with no problems. It works from within Windows too.

[Stealth]

you wouldn't need to "mount" partitions, using /dv/hd* anything... he's running Windows XP

[jr2]

... ever hear of GNU Parted?  What do you think?

[Huggybaby]

GNU Parted is not for Windows.

[TopAce]

It looks like it is not me that is stupid for this kind of stuff, but my HD that is kind of flawed. PartitionMagic says that my HD has a max capacity of 153 GB and 153 GB is used. It doesn't let me do anything under these circumstances. All the Operations are grayed out and Tasks like creating a partition or resizing one don't allow me to do anything.  "The selected disk contains one or more partitions which cannot be moved. " Also, PartMagic detects my HD's only partition as "dynamic" (this is most probably true), but lists its format as "Other" instead of NTFS, FAT32, or anything.

I think I messed up something right at the installation.

[jr2]

It looks like it is not me that is stupid for this kind of stuff, but my HD that is kind of flawed. PartitionMagic says that my HD has a max capacity of 153 GB and 153 GB is used. It doesn't let me do anything under these circumstances. All the Operations are grayed out and Tasks like creating a partition or resizing one don't allow me to do anything.  "The selected disk contains one or more partitions which cannot be moved. " Also, PartMagic detects my HD's only partition as "dynamic" (this is most probably true), but lists its format as "Other" instead of NTFS, FAT32, or anything.

I think I messed up something right at the installation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_disk
-Read the second paragraph under "Overview".      If you convert back to a Basic Disk, then you can play with the partitions.

GNU Parted is not for Windows.

- but it can resize Windows partitions, and comes with a boot disk / boot CD... find me a partition manager that can resize Windows' partition with Windows still running, (not after restarting to its own OS mode with Windows not running), and I'll eat my hat.   

[Huggybaby]

Hmm, well, it's been a while but I don't remember having to reboot with Partition Magic. I do remember having the same problem Top Ace did though, which I probablably solved the same way you recommended.

[G0atmaster]

Make sure you back up anything important.  Partition seem to have a knack resizing the wrong part of a partition and/or corrupting things.