Patition resizing software - opinions

[- Bobb -]

I'm gonna install latest version of Vista so I need to resize a
partition.
I've got XP all alone on a 141gb partition and rather than image
it,repartition and reinstall, I just visited BootIt NG and UBCD
http://67.19.82.66/ubcd/website/index.html to check the free software.

Any opinions on freeware ?- good or bad - easy to use etc on any of
these:
BootIt NG
Ranish Partition Manager 2.40
TestDisk 6.2
Partition Resizer 1.3.4
Active@ Partition Recovery

Both drives are NTFS
Drive 1 has 2 installs of XP(C) and E (old XP install) and a
library(D).
Drive 2 = X64 ( E = 25 gb) and XP SP2 ( F= 141gb)
I want to resize F to be ~ 25gb and then make 2 new partitions on Drive
2 - Vista and a library. So I expect to use the program to resize F- get
the 2 new partitions on there and then I'm done with it ( so that's why
I didn't want to spend ~$50 for the solution).
I figured both X64 installs to go on the same drive. Drive 1 WAS a
standalone XP/ X64 drive that I'm reusing to see differences between X64
and Vista.
Plan B : I could use Norton Ghost to image F - save the install to
CD/DVD and when Vista trial is over, restore it there .

 

[Haggis]

I'm gonna install latest version of Vista so I need to resize a partition.
I've got XP all alone on a 141gb partition and rather than image
it,repartition and reinstall, I just visited BootIt NG and UBCD
http://67.19.82.66/ubcd/website/index.html to check the free software.

Any opinions on freeware ?- good or bad - easy to use etc on any of these:
BootIt NG
Ranish Partition Manager 2.40
TestDisk 6.2
Partition Resizer 1.3.4
Active@ Partition Recovery

Both drives are NTFS
Drive 1 has 2 installs of XP(C) and E (old XP install) and a library(D).
Drive 2 = X64 ( E = 25 gb) and XP SP2 ( F= 141gb)
I want to resize F to be ~ 25gb and then make 2 new partitions on Drive
2 - Vista and a library. So I expect to use the program to resize F- get
the 2 new partitions on there and then I'm done with it ( so that's why I
didn't want to spend ~$50 for the solution).
I figured both X64 installs to go on the same drive. Drive 1 WAS a
standalone XP/ X64 drive that I'm reusing to see differences between X64
and Vista.
Plan B : I could use Norton Ghost to image F - save the install to CD/DVD
and when Vista trial is over, restore it there .

BootIt NG has been recommended numerous times in these groups , can't say
on the rest

 

[Guest]

Hey Bobb, Just used BootIT NG as Haggis mentioned it's been referred to many
times. I have used it to fix quite a bit of partition problems. It's a good
program. It might be a little slow if you've used a lot of space on your
Hard Drive but it will do the job. Good Luck

Joe

Kemco IT Professional

 

[Charlie Russel - MVP]

of the non-free partition tools, I'm partial to Acronis Disk Director. And
it runs in XP x64. However, with all of these tools, you can use them to
change partition sizes and number, but then you should use Vista to recreate
and reformat any partition you're going to use for Vista. I've seen a number
of issues with folks who used one of these tools to non-destructively
rearrange their partitions, but then had boot issues when Vista was
installed into a partition that had been created with the tool. Using the
partition tool to do the re-arrangement, but then using Vista during the
installation process to drop and recreate the partition is a better bet.

 

[MICHAEL]

of the non-free partition tools, I'm partial to Acronis Disk Director. And it runs in XP x64.
However, with all of these tools, you can use them to change partition sizes and number, but
then you should use Vista to recreate and reformat any partition you're going to use for
Vista. I've seen a number of issues with folks who used one of these tools to
non-destructively rearrange their partitions, but then had boot issues when Vista was
installed into a partition that had been created with the tool. Using the partition tool to
do the re-arrangement, but then using Vista during the installation process to drop and
recreate the partition is a better bet.

I used Acronis to resize Vista's partition, I added more space.
I did this via WinXP.

Upon rebooting, I was told winload.exe could not be found
Was able to boot back to XP. Stuck in the Vista installation
disk and ran the cmd "d:\boot\bootsect /nt60 F:" That fixed
it for me.

Resizing partitions can be a scary thing.

-Michael

 

[John Barnes]

Interesting suggestion. My installation of Vista (you brought it up) only
offered to reformat the partition, and obviously did a quick format as it
took only seconds. No other options were presented to me. I had planned to
do as you recommend but was not available. I had my x64 and x86 drives
disconnected and the only partition on the drive was an old x86.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

If I remember correctly, click the advanced options button for 'remove' and
'new'.

 

[Charlie Russel - MVP]

yes, I brought it up. You should have had an option, but if there wasn't
anythig but a single drive/partition in the machine, that may have been the
reason.

I think it also differs depending on whether you start the install from a
DVD boot, or from within an existing Windows installation. Haven't played
around with it much, actually. Just know it can be a problem if you're not
careful.

 

[Charlie Russel - MVP]

Good information. And yes, it can be scary. But we all have current,
verified backups before we do such things, right? <g>

 

[MICHAEL]

Absolutely! Although, I learned that lesson the hard
way- a few times- before I got into the habit of making
backups.

-Michael

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Yes, more advanced options are available when booting from the dvd. I
suspect that is the underlying WinRE which you cannot see when having booted
XP. btw, if I'm right, Vista Home Basic and Premium users would not ever
see such advanced options. But then those systems are almost certainly
going to be preinstalled anyway.

 

[rbd]

In my initial attempts to install VISTA I used a UBCD boot CD and Ranish to
delete the active WINXP partition and installed VISTA in the unallocated
disk space. VISTA appeared to install properly, but kept getting "Windows
Boot Manager" "Windows did not install correctly" errors. Tried to
do Startup Repair with no success.

I was unable to install VISTA on my IDE0 drive until I cleaned off all
partitions on the drive let VISTA install on an empty drive.

Hope you are able to get VISTA to install without deleting your other
partitions.

 

[HeyBub]

I'm gonna install latest version of Vista so I need to resize a
partition.

Got $40? Get another disk drive.

 

[Charlie Russel - MVP]

Well, then ALL x64 versions should have the advanced options. While it's
possible that they may be launchable from within XP, they'll certainly
require a full, fresh, install - no direct upgrade is possible.

 

[Charlie Russel - MVP]

You'd be astonished at the number of people who don't.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

As I recall, WinRE is not in the Home editions.

Well, then ALL x64 versions should have the advanced options. While it's
possible that they may be launchable from within XP, they'll certainly
require a full, fresh, install - no direct upgrade is possible.

 

[- Bobb -]

OK, I no longer care about the space occupied by the old XP install.
To now wipe/format the space, ( to be re-used later when Vista expires -
maybe by XP x86) should I do so with XP SP2 x86 ?
In XP Disk mgmt - delete partition 2 on X64 drive - then setup the new
partitions - format the others, but leave the Vista chunk unformatted.
Then once I start Vista install, you're saying to THEN format that
space. ( to also save time)

Bobb

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I'm gonna install latest version of Vista so I need to resize a partition.
I've got XP all alone on a 141gb partition and rather than image
it,repartition and reinstall, I just visited BootIt NG and UBCD
http://67.19.82.66/ubcd/website/index.html to check the free software.

Any opinions on freeware ?- good or bad - easy to use etc on any of these:
BootIt NG
Ranish Partition Manager 2.40
TestDisk 6.2
Partition Resizer 1.3.4
Active@ Partition Recovery

BootItNG has never disappointed me, so I stopped looking at other
partition managers.


--

Bruce Chambers

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[Chad Harris]

Colin--

Win RE should be available on any Vista DVD whatever the "edition" as far
as I know. They won't withold that just for Premium users. If that's the
case I'm surprised and I doubt that would happen. What no one from MSFT
ever wants to see discussed is that OEM users who pay sometimes large bucks
for boxes from their 300 named partners are deprived of reaching Win RE from
either partitions or so-called Recovery Discs 99+% of the time, just as they
are denied doing repair install booting from the DVD in Win XP. Go on any
XP newsgroup are chat for a half hour and you'll see a parade of people who
have preinstalled OEM XP, no CD from MSFT and can't do diddly squatt with
what OEM brung 'em to dance with cryin' all over the place.

We're talking about more people on both OS's than can fit around the table
for a poker game--500 million to be specific.

CH

 

[Chad Harris]

Correction--what MSFT denies in XP to the OEM buyer is a valid CD and in
Vista they will deny a valid DVD.

XP on CD; Vista on DVD afik although I'm sure some people will find ways to
span CDs for Vista via prep methods.

CH