mvp?....
Commercial software may be the only way to move the data around to re-partition. I have not found...or easily found...any freeware/opensource apps for disk management with full functionality as the commercial software out there for this.
Sadly, it looks like this HP was set up incorrectly, either by HP or someone else. Yes that should be reversed. If possible make a set of recovery discs. HP machines in the past and maybe currently, only allow 1 set to be made...and HP being the cheap a-holes they are may tell you they are out of discs to send you.
The HP partition is usually hidden...even if you enable it so you see it...chances are apps will not see it.
I did this and I suggest you guys do the same....make your own set up discs from the HP install. I was basically able to create a full unbloated, single disc XP disc from my HP drive.
There are many ways to do this and you should become really familiar with it, if you are a computer techie. Be AWARE that the version of WXP may or may not be a valid retail one. What I mean is, not that it is retail, oem, or volume license...but sometimes they actually used "beta" versions...or RTM versions.
If they are not REAL versions of WXP, the slipstreaming methods out there to build your windows may not work. In that event, you can still build a full WXP disc, but without the updates. Since this is WXP MCE...make sure to include the MCE components.
Practice with it using VPC so that you know the disc you are building is functional...given if this is your only fix. I much prefer my single WXP disc with ABSOLUTELY NO bloatware added, vs the HP recovery that might be on 8 discs.
KEEP in mind....you may need specific drivers from the HP installation.