Laptop harddrive

[Brownlow]

I bought an Acer laptop, a few months ago, with a 30GB hard drive, which was quite sufficient for me. However, I've just noticed that it is divided into two drives, (Acer (C) and AcerData (D), both with approximately 12.5GB. Drive (D) is empty.
So, not only have I 5GB less than I thought I had, but I can only access about 40% of the 30GB drive.
What must I do so that I only have one drive?

[Ethel]

You can remove the partition but I think it is a good idea to keep it the way it is.
You can use D drive - it's just that you haven't, yet.

Save your documents, photos, music and so on to D - also games programs and that sort of thing. It doesn't slow your computer down in any way.

Messing about with the partitions of a hard drive - either creating or removing, is not for the faint hearted. Have a read of this:

http://www.pcanswers.co.uk/tutorials/default.a sp?siteid=8§iontypeid=7&subsectionid=606&p agetypeid=2&articleid=6046&page=1

[Brownlow]

Thanks Ethel.
I wanted to install programmes on to drive 'D', but they always default to drive 'C'.
So, I'll have to spend a bit of time filling drive 'D' up with the things that I don't access, on a daily basis, such as those that you mentioned.

[rojash]

An easy way to get the computer to default to saving most of your stuff on the D drive is as follows:
Right-click the "My Documents" folder on the desktop
Choose Properties
Click the Move button
In the browse window, double-click "My Computer":
Double-click the D Drive
Click Make new Folder and give it a suitable name
Click OK
Click OK again

All the files in your Documents folder, plus its sub-folders (My Pictures, etc) will be moved to the D drive, and most programs will assume that this is where they should save their data in the future.

[Brownlow]

I don't seem to have a 'Move' button to press. Tthere are 7 menus, in 'Properties: General, Computer Name, Hardware, Advanced, System Restore, Automatic Updates and Remote. I can't see 'Move' in any of those.

[rojash]

That's because you right-clicked "My Computer"!
Yuo need to right-click "My DOCUMENTS"

[Brownlow]

Sorry, Rojash, I meant to say that there was nothing in 'My Documents' except 'General' and 'Shortcut' and only the ones that I mentioned in 'My Computer', which is what I thought you must have meant.
So, I'm still no nearer.

[rojash]

Sounds as if you are clicking on a shortcut. Try this:
Right-click on it asw before, and choose properties
On the Shortcut Tab, click Find Target
That should open a window with the "My Documents" folder highlighted.
Right-click the highlighted "My Documents" folder and choose properties.
Now you should have 3 tabs, of which the first is "Target"
Click the Move button and follow my previous instructions.

[Brownlow]

Thanks, that's got me there. Couldn't I just have opened 'My Computer' and done that?