Resizing NTFS partition under XP

  • Thread starter Thread starter kimiraikkonen
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kimiraikkonen

Hi,
I want to resize my existing NTFS partition under Windows using some
3rd party utilities like Partition Magic, but i want to know:

If i resize my existing (Primary or Logical), will my data be "LOST"
after resizing process?

Just want to know whether partition resizing results as data loss?

Thanks.
 
kimiraikkonen said:
Hi,
I want to resize my existing NTFS partition under Windows using some
3rd party utilities like Partition Magic, but i want to know:

If i resize my existing (Primary or Logical), will my data be "LOST"
after resizing process?
Click to expand...

Maybe. Maybe not.
It's actually a gamble. You are - after all - messing with where your data
is stored.
Your safest best is to ALWAYS backup before you do something major and to
periodically backup 'just because'.
Just want to know whether partition resizing results as data loss?
Click to expand...

Not usually - but there is no guarantee. You can get hit by the data loss
bus as well as anyone else at anytime - and you are even crossing the street
at an unmarked crossing area when you do what you plan to - increasing the
probability.
 
kimiraikkonen said:
Hi,
I want to resize my existing NTFS partition under Windows using some
3rd party utilities like Partition Magic, but i want to know:

If i resize my existing (Primary or Logical), will my data be "LOST"
after resizing process?

Just want to know whether partition resizing results as data loss?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Partition resizing using third party tools that are designed for that
purpose, such as Partition Magic or BootItNG, is non-destructive and
the partition contents should be preserved.

However any partitioning work is highly sensitive and Murphy's Law is
universally applicable. Therefore it is only prudent to ensure that
you have adequate backups of all important data on the drive before
you commence any partitioning work on it.

My own experience in this regard has been that if you ensure that you
have good backups of everything then all will go well and you will
almost never have to resort to the backups. However the first time
you say "this has worked flawlessly 100 times in the past and I am in
a bit rushed today so I won't bother with backups" then that is when
things go bad.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
kimiraikkonen said:
Hi,
I want to resize my existing NTFS partition under Windows using some
3rd party utilities like Partition Magic, but i want to know:

If i resize my existing (Primary or Logical), will my data be "LOST"
after resizing process?
Click to expand...

Check the documentation from the utility. They may say that it will or
won't, but it's always a good idea to make a backup to another physical disk
*first*.

Otherwise, what would be your plan if the process fauls and you do lose
data?

You'll probably find that the documentation gives at least a passing mention
to backup.
Just want to know whether partition resizing results as data loss?
Click to expand...

That can happen. That's why you make the backup to another disk. Then
you're just out a bit of time.

HTH
-pk
 
Partition Magic can do this without data loss, unless something unusual
happens during the resizing.

I have had no trouble doing exactly this on my PC running XP home with SP-2.
(It also worked with SP-1 and before SP-1 and on a PC running winows 98)

However, I always do a partition backup, before such a sensitive operation.
Remember Muphy's Law applies to computers.

Hints/tips:
(1) defrag both partition before you resize. It can speed up the process
significantly.
(2) if C: is one of the partitions, use windows cleanup tool to erase
temporary internet files and similar, before defragging.
(3) empty the recycle bin, before defragging
(4) run CHKDSK with the /F option on both partitions, before you run
Partition Magic. If the file system has any errors, Partition Magic may
refuse to run, or worse, if it runs some files might become corrupt.
Resizing partitions is NOT a way to fix file system or hard drive problems.
You might even want to run CHKDSK with the /R option, which also checks the
free space.
(5) do one operation at a time, such as resize C and D, assuming that they
are adjacent partitions. Then in a separate operation resize E and F, or
merge or split partitions, or change cluster size, etc.
 
Bob said:
Partition Magic can do this without data loss, unless something unusual
happens during the resizing.

I have had no trouble doing exactly this on my PC running XP home with SP-2.
(It also worked with SP-1 and before SP-1 and on a PC running winows 98)

However, I always do a partition backup, before such a sensitive operation.
Remember Muphy's Law applies to computers.

Hints/tips:
(1) defrag both partition before you resize. It can speed up the process
significantly.
(2) if C: is one of the partitions, use windows cleanup tool to erase
temporary internet files and similar, before defragging.
(3) empty the recycle bin, before defragging
(4) run CHKDSK with the /F option on both partitions, before you run
Partition Magic. If the file system has any errors, Partition Magic may
refuse to run, or worse, if it runs some files might become corrupt.
Resizing partitions is NOT a way to fix file system or hard drive problems.
You might even want to run CHKDSK with the /R option, which also checks the
free space.
(5) do one operation at a time, such as resize C and D, assuming that they
are adjacent partitions. Then in a separate operation resize E and F, or
merge or split partitions, or change cluster size, etc.
Click to expand...

I've used Partition Magic on new laptops under XP, to give half the HD to
Linux and half to XP, and a 8gb for a FAT32 partition for them to
communicate, and never lost anything. I usually defragged first, but
did all the necessary operations at once under PM with no trouble.

In effect I already had backups, since the laptop was essentially new, albeit
set up the way I wanted it. I could always do it over, in other words.

Nevertheless, the message is that it probably will be fine.
 
Thanks for the replies and taking care.
Yes, backup should be the first and most important thing to care.

I want to know this also:
Is there any 3rd party software/utility that collects all the "file
and directory path map, only paths info" in the drive before
partitioning. (I'm not meaning HDD image like Acronis or like
these!!!, just meaning path info)

For example, i just want to know which files/folders were existed as
name/paths of them before formatting, therefore a software collects
all the file/directory's "path eg: C:\Program Files\xxxxx"
information into a txt or html file as a text, thus i may remember
which applications and paths i've had before. Is there a software or
the easest way to take screenshot or write manually?

I hope you understood.

Thank you.
 
kimiraikkonen said:
Thanks for the replies and taking care.
Yes, backup should be the first and most important thing to care.

I want to know this also:
Is there any 3rd party software/utility that collects all the "file
and directory path map, only paths info" in the drive before
partitioning. (I'm not meaning HDD image like Acronis or like
these!!!, just meaning path info)

For example, i just want to know which files/folders were existed as
name/paths of them before formatting, therefore a software collects
all the file/directory's "path eg: C:\Program Files\xxxxx"
information into a txt or html file as a text, thus i may remember
which applications and paths i've had before. Is there a software or
the easest way to take screenshot or write manually?

I hope you understood.

Thank you.
Click to expand...


Well, if you install Cygwin, then

$ cd /cygdrive/c
$ find . -type f -print > filelist.txt

does what you want (almost everything is trivial in Cygwin's *nix-like
environment), producing filelist.txt in C:/filelist.txt

If you're at home in *nix, they you'll be at home in Cygwin under XP.
All the XP stuff still works, is the good deal.
 
kimiraikkonen said:
Thanks for the replies and taking care.
Yes, backup should be the first and most important thing to care.

I want to know this also:
Is there any 3rd party software/utility that collects all the "file
and directory path map, only paths info" in the drive before
partitioning. (I'm not meaning HDD image like Acronis or like
these!!!, just meaning path info)

For example, i just want to know which files/folders were existed as
name/paths of them before formatting, therefore a software collects
all the file/directory's "path eg: C:\Program Files\xxxxx"
information into a txt or html file as a text, thus i may remember
which applications and paths i've had before. Is there a software or
the easest way to take screenshot or write manually?

I hope you understood.

Thank you.
Click to expand...

It's very easy to do a full directory listing to a text file. However,
before you do this, it's a really good idea to clear out the temp and cache
folders as well, as those can contain thousands of files.

simply go to a command prompt, navigate to the root you want, and type "dir
/s > filelist.txt" . The > creates a new file. If you want to append to
an existing file, use two >>'s.

HTH
-pk
 
Well, if you install Cygwin, then

$ cd /cygdrive/c
$ find . -type f -print > filelist.txt

does what you want (almost everything is trivial in Cygwin's *nix-like
environment), producing filelist.txt in C:/filelist.txt

If you're at home in *nix, they you'll be at home in Cygwin under XP.
All the XP stuff still works, is the good deal.

--
Ron Hardin
(e-mail address removed)

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -
Click to expand...

Compatible with 2000 also?
 
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