Increasing size of my OS partiton?

[Terry Pinnell]

I'd appreciate some advice on increasing the size of my OS partition
(C please. Not only is it getting a bit short of working space, but
for some reason it appears I have significant 'unallocated' space.

This is the state at present:

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s247/terrypin999/Discussion/Drives-11Oct2007.gif

I'm going to have to take this slowly, because it's years since I used
Partition Magic 7 to set up the partitions shown in that screenshot.
I'll have to re-learn some basics. (As an aside, note that the
exception is that external 160 GB Iomega drive I:, which my son gave
me recently. As I'm still on XP SP1, it's incredibly slow. After doing
a major backup of about 110 GB, taking around 38 hours, I don't
actively use it. It has its own power supply, so presumably it's not
affecting my system in any way?)

Anyway, back on topic, I'm a bit nervous after just doing a few hours
googling, and reading of various unhappy results some users have had
with PM. Even the later version, PM8, which I gather is supposed to be
better with XP than my version. Yet some other users praise it highly.

What's the consensus from the experts please? Can I reliably use PM 7
for this, despite C: being my active partition? Should I first use the
other PowerQuest program I have, Drive Image 2002, to make a fresh
identical COPY (not an image) of C: onto E:? The copy on it at present
is *very* old, as it's not a trivial job making it. So that in the
event of disaster I could boot from that instead.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated please.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I'd appreciate some advice on increasing the size of my OS partition
(C please. Not only is it getting a bit short of working space, but
for some reason it appears I have significant 'unallocated' space.

This is the state at present:

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s247/terrypin999/Discussion/Drives-11Oct2007.gif

I'm going to have to take this slowly, because it's years since I used
Partition Magic 7 to set up the partitions shown in that screenshot.
I'll have to re-learn some basics. (As an aside, note that the
exception is that external 160 GB Iomega drive I:, which my son gave
me recently. As I'm still on XP SP1, it's incredibly slow. After doing
a major backup of about 110 GB, taking around 38 hours, I don't
actively use it. It has its own power supply, so presumably it's not
affecting my system in any way?)

Anyway, back on topic, I'm a bit nervous after just doing a few hours
googling, and reading of various unhappy results some users have had
with PM. Even the later version, PM8, which I gather is supposed to be
better with XP than my version. Yet some other users praise it highly.

What's the consensus from the experts please? Can I reliably use PM 7
for this, despite C: being my active partition? Should I first use the
other PowerQuest program I have, Drive Image 2002, to make a fresh
identical COPY (not an image) of C: onto E:? The copy on it at present
is *very* old, as it's not a trivial job making it. So that in the
event of disaster I could boot from that instead.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated please.

PQMagic programs are very reliable and it is very unlikely
that something goes wrong. However, accidents do happen
and if you want to be absolutely sure that things go to plan
then you must take an image file before you go ahead with
the resizing.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

PQMagic programs are very reliable and it is very unlikely
that something goes wrong. However, accidents do happen
and if you want to be absolutely sure that things go to plan
then you must take an image file before you go ahead with
the resizing.

Thanks. Given my setup, can you advise where would be best partition
to place such an image of C: please? Would that be better than doing
as I suggested, and as I did before, namely making a COPY of C: onto
E: ?

 

[dobey]

Thanks. Given my setup, can you advise where would be best partition
to place such an image of C: please? Would that be better than doing
as I suggested, and as I did before, namely making a COPY of C: onto
E: ?

--

Your drives look like a pigs breakfast

I wouldn't classify myself as an expert, But I've had very good results with
BootitNG.
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html

It's a bootable disk with partition tools for non destructive moving,
resizing, sliding of partitions.
It cost's nothing to use the partition management tools, but the boot
manager has a 30 day trial if you install it, but you don't need to if you
only want to manipulate the partitions.

When you create the bootdisk, just select Partition work.

You could delete the E: partition and copy then paste your C: partition to
the space as a backup, no need to create the partition or format first - all
you would need to do is set the boot partition active if you needed to boot
into your backup,

How old is the computer? I assume the external drive is working at USB 1
speeds, since it seems slow. If you have a older processor it could take a
while.

Free up some space on C: and run disk defragmenter, check for malware etc..
Any particular reason you are not using SP2?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Thanks. Given my setup, can you advise where would be best partition
to place such an image of C: please? Would that be better than doing
as I suggested, and as I did before, namely making a COPY of C: onto
E: ?

If you want to play it safe then you must do this:
- Park the image on a disk other than Disk 0.
- Disconnect all disks other than Disk 0.
- Resize the system partition.
- Reconnect the other disks.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Terry

Move the contents of 'MyMusicBU' drive F to anywhere but D.

Having done this, disconnect all drives, but leave Disk 2 (200gb) connected
as master.

Re-install Windows and all of your programs into a newly created 40gb
partition, and then create a second partition (or maybe 2 partitions) on the
drive to take up the rest of the space.

Reconnect the other drives and jumper appropriately.

Move the contents of Movies BU to one of the newly created partitions on the
200gb drive, and ensure that you recover all important stuff of what is
presently your System drive, like e-mail etc.

Now delete all of the 'System' and 'Movies BU' partitions, and repartition
into two parts, this time without leaving bits behind.

The copy of your present OS installation can go, and what is now on your
'Backup' partition can be moved to a partition on the 200gb drive (not the
partition where the OS resides.

Now delete the partitions on the 'Copy/Backup' drive and repartition and
format to taste, again without leaving bits behind.

Rename the partitions on the two 60gb drives to something meaningful, and
move your music and movies to wherever.

There is a little bit of work here, but it will leave you better organized
and you may well get a faster installation, having given the OS more room
and installed it on the disk that is faster by default..

In future, allow the OS some room to move. There is no benefit to be had by
squeezing it into a corner.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Why should the OP re-install Windows? AFAIR, his only problem
is lack of space on the System partition. Starting from scratch
appears to be rather over the top, like buying a new car when
running out of petrol.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Not really..

It would be better to have the OS on the first partition (and a more
reasonably sized partition at that) of the largest drive, and the best way
to get it there is a clean install. From that point on, the system will
probably work better and the freed space on the 200gb drive would enable
everything to be moved around and sorted better than it is.

While PQ is good, things can go wrong, and the partition sizes are not at
optimum anyway for the use being made of them.

My personal opinion only..

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

The OP already has his OS on drive C: (first partition) and if
I understand him correctly he wants to leave it there but increase
the size of that partition.

Not really..

It would be better to have the OS on the first partition (and a more
reasonably sized partition at that) of the largest drive, and the best way
to get it there is a clean install. From that point on, the system will
probably work better and the freed space on the 200gb drive would enable
everything to be moved around and sorted better than it is.

While PQ is good, things can go wrong, and the partition sizes are not at
optimum anyway for the use being made of them.

My personal opinion only..

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Drive C is presently on a 60gb drive. Surely it would be better to have the
OS on the larger, faster drive?

 

[Rod Speed]

I'd appreciate some advice on increasing the size of my OS partition
(C please. Not only is it getting a bit short of working space, but
for some reason it appears I have significant 'unallocated' space.

It isnt really all that significant, <2% with the only one that matters.

This is the state at present:

I'm going to have to take this slowly, because it's years since I used
Partition Magic 7 to set up the partitions shown in that screenshot.
I'll have to re-learn some basics. (As an aside, note that the
exception is that external 160 GB Iomega drive I:, which my son gave
me recently. As I'm still on XP SP1, it's incredibly slow. After doing
a major backup of about 110 GB, taking around 38 hours, I don't
actively use it. It has its own power supply, so presumably it's not
affecting my system in any way?)

Anyway, back on topic, I'm a bit nervous after just doing a few hours
googling, and reading of various unhappy results some users have had
with PM. Even the later version, PM8, which I gather is supposed to be
better with XP than my version. Yet some other users praise it highly.

Thats inevitable with any system that works some of the time
and at other times turns the drive into an unusable mess.

What's the consensus from the experts please?

That PM should never be used without a full backup of the drive being changed.

Can I reliably use PM 7 for this, despite C: being my active partition?

Nope, not without a full backup of the drive being changed.

Should I first use the other PowerQuest program I have, Drive Image 2002,
to make a fresh identical COPY (not an image) of C: onto E:? The copy on
it at present is *very* old, as it's not a trivial job making it. So that in the
event of disaster I could boot from that instead.

Yes, nothing else makes any sense at all.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Terry

Move the contents of 'MyMusicBU' drive F to anywhere but D.

Having done this, disconnect all drives, but leave Disk 2 (200gb) connected
as master.

Re-install Windows and all of your programs into a newly created 40gb
partition, and then create a second partition (or maybe 2 partitions) on the
drive to take up the rest of the space.

Reconnect the other drives and jumper appropriately.

Move the contents of Movies BU to one of the newly created partitions on the
200gb drive, and ensure that you recover all important stuff of what is
presently your System drive, like e-mail etc.

Now delete all of the 'System' and 'Movies BU' partitions, and repartition
into two parts, this time without leaving bits behind.

The copy of your present OS installation can go, and what is now on your
'Backup' partition can be moved to a partition on the 200gb drive (not the
partition where the OS resides.

Now delete the partitions on the 'Copy/Backup' drive and repartition and
format to taste, again without leaving bits behind.

Rename the partitions on the two 60gb drives to something meaningful, and
move your music and movies to wherever.

There is a little bit of work here, but it will leave you better organized
and you may well get a faster installation, having given the OS more room
and installed it on the disk that is faster by default..

In future, allow the OS some room to move. There is no benefit to be had by
squeezing it into a corner.

Thanks Mike, appreciate your going to that trouble. But that sounds
pretty daunting! As I will probably upgrade to a newer/bigger PC
within the next 6-9 months, and as I have *hundreds* of programs
installed, many tweaked and tuned, I really don't want to re-install
Windows and all my programs.

I was hoping to do something less ambitious, simply altering partition
sizes and making use of that unallocated space.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

It isnt really all that significant, <2% with the only one that matters.

Hi Rod. Not sure where you get that figure? I make the unallocated
space about 9%, i.e. 1.18/(11.71+1.18), or just over 10% of the 11.71
currently used - quite worth having if I can work out how to do it
with 100% safety.

Thats inevitable with any system that works some of the time
and at other times turns the drive into an unusable mess.


That PM should never be used without a full backup of the drive being changed.


Nope, not without a full backup of the drive being changed.


Yes, nothing else makes any sense at all.

OK, I'll do that as my next step. BTW, I'm interested that you haven't
suggested an IMAGE, as both Pegasus and Mike hall have done?

 

[Terry Pinnell]

PQMagic programs are very reliable and it is very unlikely
that something goes wrong. However, accidents do happen
and if you want to be absolutely sure that things go to plan
then you must take an image file before you go ahead with
the resizing.

Why not a COPY as per my suggestion?

If I make an image, should I use PM 7 for that? And what's the best
place to locate it please?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Why not a COPY as per my suggestion?

If I make an image, should I use PM 7 for that? And what's the best
place to locate it please?

- It depends on what you mean by "COPY". Please supply full
details of how you intend to make such a copy.
- I said in my previous reply that PM7 is a reliable program.
- I also said in my previous reply where you should park the image file.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

Your drives look like a pigs breakfast

I wouldn't argue too much ;-) But in mitigation, they have sort of
evolved over several years. And my over-riding aversion to
re-installing had been a major factor.

I wouldn't classify myself as an expert, But I've had very good results with
BootitNG.
http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/bootitng.html

I have it somewhere, but never got around to using it. I'll dust it
off and try a few tentative experiments. Seem to vaguely recall I
found its UI a bit unfriendly?

It's a bootable disk with partition tools for non destructive moving,
resizing, sliding of partitions.
It cost's nothing to use the partition management tools, but the boot
manager has a 30 day trial if you install it, but you don't need to if you
only want to manipulate the partitions.

When you create the bootdisk, just select Partition work.

You could delete the E: partition and copy then paste your C: partition to
the space as a backup, no need to create the partition or format first - all
you would need to do is set the boot partition active if you needed to boot
into your backup,

I'll have to re-read that a few times, as I don't really follow what
you mean. What steps using what programs are needed? What 'space' are
you suggesting I paste into. And in what sense can you 'paste' an OS
partition?

How old is the computer? I assume the external drive is working at USB 1
speeds, since it seems slow. If you have a older processor it could take a
while.

Yes, it's a MESH Athlon 1800, about 5 years old. Keep postponing an
upgrade because of the daunting prospect of re-installing and
re-tweaking etc.

Free up some space on C:

Do you mean uninstall some programs, or are you talking about that
unallocated 1.18 GB? If the former, that's not a trivial job. I've
been installing all new programs in D:\Program Files for about 3
years, and the hard core still in C:\Program Files would have to be
uninstalled and then re-installed. Stuff like Office, etc.

and run disk defragmenter, check for malware etc..

I'm pretty clean on all the routine stuff. Defragment and run CCleaner
daily (sometimes more often), AdAware and Spybot regularly, plus other
utilities occasionally.

Any particular reason you are not using SP2?

Bad experience a year or so ago. Had to revert. Been putting off a
re-attempt ever since. And frankly can't see much motivation to do so.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

- It depends on what you mean by "COPY". Please supply full
details of how you intend to make such a copy.

As mentioned, using PQ Drive Image 2002. I'll have to study the
instructions very carefully because, as I said, it's years since I
made E with it.

- I said in my previous reply that PM7 is a reliable program.
- I also said in my previous reply where you should park the image file.

OK, missed that, now understood - anywhere other than Disk 0.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

As mentioned, using PQ Drive Image 2002. I'll have to study the
instructions very carefully because, as I said, it's years since I
made E with it.


OK, missed that, now understood - anywhere other than Disk 0.

Use the latest copy of PQDI you have, then make an image
file or a copy - it does not really matter. I prefer image files
because they do not require a whole partition. They can be
parked anywhere.

 

[Mike Hall - MVP]

Not so much daunting as time consuming. Having said that, one gets to clean
out the stuff that never gets used but exists just in case. Good luck with
PQ. Most of the time it works ok. Some of the time it fails but returns
everything back the way it was. Occasionally, it leaves you with a job like
I suggested you do..

 

[Rod Speed]

Hi Rod. Not sure where you get that figure?

Thats the amount of unallocated space as a percentage of that physical drive.

I make the unallocated space about 9%, i.e. 1.18/(11.71+1.18),

Even thats not all that much whe its still only 1G unallocated.

or just over 10% of the 11.71 currently used - quite worth
having if I can work out how to do it with 100% safety.

I doubt it with the boot partition.

OK, I'll do that as my next step. BTW, I'm interested that you haven't
suggested an IMAGE, as both Pegasus and Mike hall have done?

I assumed you explicitly excluded an image because you
wanted to be able to boot the copy if the shit does hit the fan.

Certainly using an image instead means that you dont need as much space to put it on.

And I'd personally use Acronis Disk Director Suite instead
of PM, just because it screws up drives a lot less often,
but I'd still only redo a drive after a full backup of the drive.