SATA partitions - XP Drive manager reports non-existing extra partitions

It sounds like a case of "mixed" Primary and Logical partitions. Can you post screenshots of what DD shows and what Disk Management shows?

If that is the problem, there's nothing really wrong. Disk Management has problems correctly displaying that type of layout. Just make sure that you don't use it to make partitioning changes (use DD).

Yes, the Acronis support said the same: don't worry, be happy.
Otherwise, they said, please reformat your drive and repartition and reinstall - we could help you with this!!!!

So, why would I need Acronis at all? I could do the same with Windows.
Then, suppose I did that - why it would not happen again? I'd say, that with all the useful features, the Disk Director is a buggy program.
(Joining the chorus of the other disappointed users that I should have listened to before buying)

Hopefully, they will address this issue in future updates.

Attaching the screenshots - thanks for taking time to reply

The problem only happens when you place a Primary partition between two Logical partitions (you "split" the Extended Partition Container). This won't happen if you don't do this. Keep in mind that this "problem" only happens because of Windows being extremely strict in how it looks at the partitions.

In your case, I would suggest that you delete the F: partition and move the C: partition to the start of the drive (left side). Right now, it's in a much slower area of the drive. After that, you can recreate the F: partition. The final layout would be C:, F:, and J:.

It's recommended to create an Entire Disk Image backup before making any partitioning changes.

Thank you for the advice
I'll try and report what happened

BTW, I did not choose this partition intentionally in the middle
Not sure why it happened
The disc was new and unformatted
but Windows insisted booting from my old 120 GB drive,
then I deleted that drive's partition and proceeded with the installation
while choosing the disk format before the installation.
Why the system ended up there in the middle, no idea

thanks again

When looking at a drive cloned with DD11, DD10 shows unallocated space between some partitions. There was some note about DD11 aligning to the recommended partition boundaries for the operating system of choice and it appears to accommodate this sector padding has been thrown in as I see it. Even though I selected an AS IS clone partitions were realigned to effect this.

See my comments in other threads in DD11 failing to provide a bootable clone in XP.

So I am trying to solve the problem by running a backup with True Image (now Backup and Recovery). Then I will have to reformat and repartition. Simple enough.
Unfortunately Backup and Recovery is also less than reliable: it gave me a destination list different from the source list.
My USB drive that I intended for backup is not there! NOT in the destination list. But it is in the source list (I am allowed to bak it up ... funny)

At the moment I am running backups using the old (and true) True Image. It's working fine.

But now I am reluctant to keep using Disk Director 11, as well, especially after the last poster's comment.

Both new products failed me. (reading all the negative reviews, I think Acronis should do a recall. Isn't this kind of emergency software similar to a bursting tire?)

MudCrab wrote:

In your case, I would suggest that you delete the F: partition and move the C: partition to the start of the drive (left side). Right now, it's in a much slower area of the drive. After that, you can recreate the F: partition. The final layout would be C:, F:, and J:.

Do I have to reformat the drive ?

Would it work if I make the F: partition (at the beginning of the disk) unallocated, then copy the c: partition into it, and then do some splitting and resizing?

My concern with moving the active partition is the boot record. Is it going to be rewritten in any case?

Thanks for advices, evrybody

My update:
good news - the problem solved
bad news - this was done by reverting to the Disk Director 9.

The steps: created unallocated space on one of the disk's partitions, copied the system partition into that space, resized the old system partitions to include the unallocated space, changed the c: to o:, changed the f: to c:, let the DD 9 to do it's job - done!
The Windows Disk Manager won't show no ghosts.
Only the system slowed down considerably - I noticed that the old partition is designated as "system" and the new one as "boot" - meaning that it booted from c:, but worked from f:!

Therefore I went back to DD and changed the "active" status to the new partition c:.

Thanks, Acronis 2005-2006! Shame to Acronis 2010!
(I have similar issues with the new True Image Home - also had to revert to the version 8)