Partitions

[#1]

Not sure whether this should be in this section or the Hardware section, but here goes anyway:-
I have a large capacity hard drive from an old pc, which I want to use as an external drive on my present pc. This drive has two partitions. The Active partition has Win XP  and the other programs on it, and the second partition has loads of data files. Once this hard drive is mounted externally, I want to delete the Active drive (particularly so it doesn't think it is a bootup partition), and add the disk space freed up to the second partition.
I have Win 7 on my present pc. Any suggestions please how I could do what I have described above, without losing all contact with what is stored on the second partition?
Many thanks

[#2]

You will need some kind of caddy such as (random example) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sata-Hard-Drive-Caddy-Enclosure/dp/B003MVVPZI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1433085...
You can delete partitions using Windows Admin tools and you may also be able to resize the remaining partition.
Take a backup of your data first.

[#3]

My thanks to vilefox.
I have the hard drive in a caddy, and that is how I know there is a problem with it if it is powered up before I boot my pc - the pc doesn't know which boot to obey.
If I power the external hard drive up after I have booted up the pc, I can get into Computer Panel/Administrative Tools/Computer Management/Disk Management and see ALL of the partitions, including those on the internal hard drive of my pc, but it doesn't show unused space (all space on the external drive has been allocated to one or other partition).
If it is just a case of formatting the Active drive on the external drive to get rid of the Active drive (and the boot), then I don't know how to add that freed up space to the second partition.
Also I don't have anywhere to backup the data on the second partition to, but I need to do all of these changes without losing that data

[#4]

I find the Windows tools difficult plus they stop you resizing partitions under some circumstances.
There is a free version of Partition Magic / Partition Wizard (whatever the latest name is) available that works very well.

[#5]

I always keep a copy of UBCD (just google!) for such situations (and lots more)
Boot it and select what you want to do.
Phil

[#6]

I'm reasonably okay with using Partition Magic. I have installed the free version of Partition Wizard as recommended by Kremmen, and it looks very similar to Partition Magic.
The thing I need to know before I do anything is how do I get rid of the bootup from the external drive? Will reformatting the unwanted partition, which at the moment is the Active partition get rid of the bootup?
Do I actually need an Active partition? Once I have got rid of the bootup, if I needed an Active partition, I could start to move the files and the space from the second partition to what is at the moment the Active partition, then get rid of the second partition. If I don't need an Active partition, I could just get rid of it and move the space to the second partition

[#7]

Partiton Wizard is Partition Magic under a new name, the free v8 is rock solid, used it a few times.
I don't know,  but as you are guessing, I would think formatting what would now be a slave drive would allow you to set is as that.