Delete empty partition

[bac0926]

I inherited a dual boot computer with several empty partitions how can I delete them and reclaim the space ??

OS Version: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional, Service Pack 1, 32 bit
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU 650 @ 3.20GHz, x64 Family 6 Model 37 Stepping 2
Processor Count: 4
RAM: 3253 Mb
Graphics Card: Intel(R) HD Graphics, 1402 Mb
Hard Drives: C: Total - 154654 MB, Free - 63373 MB; D: Total - 226933 MB, Free - 226803 MB; I: Total - 464938 MB, Free - 463171 MB;
Motherboard: Intel Corporation, DH55TC
Antivirus: Microsoft Security Essentials, Updated and Enabled

[jtdoom]

Hi,
is there a card reader installed in that computer?

There is a gap between D: and I: and that could mean there are two hard disks in that machine.
One containing C: and D:, and another with I:
(there is always some reserved space on a formatted partition, so it looks like you have two formatted empty partitions.)

Question two.
Has the dual boot loader been taken care of? In what manner did this machine dualboot anyway (by menu, or through choice in BIOS?)
IF it was set to choosing what to boot off in BIOS, there would not have been any bootmenu needed, and both hard drives would have a bootsector (a hidden partition)

Question 3
Is it worth risking losing everything to reclaim 100 megabyte? (or even 350megabyte?)

[jtdoom]

as an aside...

suppose it has two hard drives, and you want to make the two empty partitons a single letter (which can be done...), I would advise against it because if one drive fails the data in the shared space on the other drive gets also useless.

I mean, I do NOT like to use dynamic drives at all, no sirree. Burned once myself long time ago, and seen too many mishaps that required many hours of trying to get success with data recovery on machines I had to look at.

[jtdoom]

and for good measure...

It has a activated windows 7 32bit, and I would advise to make a record of the key.
Write it down.
Keyfinder may show a different key than what you see on the sticker if this machine was upgraded/tinkered with (a dualboot is tinkered with...) and you may NOT have the correct install disc for the keys you found.

The nitty gritty, more questions.
Windows disk manager apparently told you something, but does that agree with hardware properties?

Hey, a few screws loosened, and eyeballing the rig inside can tell you a LOT.
Does that match with what windows hardware properties tell you is there?

and please tell us if you would be able to do a clean install (the retrieved keys may match install media you have laying about, or with a legit fresh key if things do get south while you attempt to get rid of previous owner's tinkering.)

hehe, I oft used tinker in my signature or under avatars.
But I am a tinker, a real one (tinkerer, plumber, metals worker.)

[bac0926]

Same here...that's why I use one srtickly for backups