Free Partition-Resizing Software (that won't delete my data)?

[2Cold Scorpio]

When I set up my new machine, I made partitions for XP (my gaming OS) ands Vista Ultimate (my multuimedia OS). Thing is...I seem to have made my XP partition to small, and I still have plenty of room to spare on the Vista partition. I'd like to take about 75 GBs off of the Vista partition and merge it with the XP one. I tried to do it within Vista's disk management console, and it had no problem shrinking that partition. THe problem is it would only allow me to merge that empty space with the Vista partition, not the XP one.

Is there any free software that will do thej ob without deleting my data? I know of PartitionMagic, but I'd hate to pay for soemthing I likely won't need to use again for a year or so. Help!

[directhex]

a recent linux install cd, e.g. an ubuntu 7.10 livecd.

just don't press reset whilst it's mid flow!

[2Cold Scorpio]

Do you mean GParted Live CD? Or am I thinking of the wrong thing?

[Splash]

Most recent linux livecds come with gparted.

[directhex]

i've actually had bad experiences with the gparted livecd, since it has a fairly old version on it

most livecds have gparted on there, and are more up to date

[2Cold Scorpio]

I had downloaded the newest GParted ISO on SourceForce (SourceForge.net: Files I assumed that was the newest one.

But if you guys think it'd be better to use an Ubuntu setup disk instead, I'll try that instead. If thats the case, how do I use it to resize my partitions without installing Linux? And it will leave my data intact, right?

[directhex]

I had downloaded the newest GParted ISO on SourceForce (SourceForge.net: Files I assumed that was the newest one.

But if you guys think it'd be better to use an Ubuntu setup disk instead, I'll try that instead. If thats the case, how do I use it to resize my partitions without installing Linux? And it will leave my data intact, right?

system, administration, partition editor. right-click on the xp partition, click "resize/move", and move it (partitions can only be resized to the right, so you need the free space to be on the right), then resize it to fill the empty space.

if the partition is marked as locked, you need to unmount it (places, computer, right click on the partition & click unmount volume)

and, for the love of god, DON'T PRESS RESET MID-FLOW. moving a partition is a VERY slow process, and resizing isn't much better. you WILL LOSE ALL YOUR DATA IF YOU REBOOT MID-FLOW.

[2Cold Scorpio]

Do you boot from the Ubuntu disk and do it from DOS, or do this from within Windows? And what do you mean by moving the partition? I currently have no unallocated space on my HDD; I'm going ot have to shrink the Vista partition to get it.

[directhex]

Do you boot from the Ubuntu disk and do it from DOS, or do this from within Windows?

boot the ubuntu cd, which has absolutely zero to do with MS-DOS.

And what do you mean by moving the partition?

the problem, as you describe it (and as you will reach) is that partitions are arranged in a line, like this:

|-----vista--------------------------------|--xp--|

and you want this:

|-----vista-----------------------|------xp-------|

this is a combination of several procedures, which need to be done in order.
1 shrink vista partition:

|-----vista-----------------------|  empty |--xp--|

2 move xp partition so free space is to the right:

|-----vista-----------------------|--xp--|  empty |

3 expand xp partition right:

|-----vista-----------------------|------xp-------|

like i said, you cannot expand a partition to the left, hence the need to move the partition.

I currently have no unallocated space on my HDD; I'm going ot have to shrink the Vista partition to get it.

so do it. shrinking partitions isn't hard with gparted.

[2Cold Scorpio]

I get it now; the procedure just seemed different than doing it with, say PartitionMagic (which I haven't used in years and unfortunately no longer have).

[peterb]

I have used gparted from within a Linux install, from a live cd and from a gparted boot CD. If you download the latest ISO (as I think you have) it will do the job and probably be the simplest solution...

HOWEVER - resizing or doing anything as fundamemtal as adjusting the partition tables carries some risk, so if your data is valuable

either

Clone you drive to a second one (you can use the dd command from a linux live CD to do it) so yopu have an exact image of the disk.

OR backup your data but accept that in the (unlikely-but-possible) event that something does go wrong you will have to reload and re-configure the OSs

and/or consider running the computer from a UPS if there is any risk of a power outage while you are doing this. As other havbe said, a reboot during the process will almost certainly bork your disk. (My incoming mains RCCB is prone to occasional tripping so I always run my computers off a UPS - gives enough time for me to get to the switch and reset it!)

[directhex]

I have used gparted from within a Linux install, from a live cd and from a gparted boot CD. If you download the latest ISO (as I think you have) it will do the job and probably be the simplest solution...

HOWEVER - resizing or doing anything as fundamemtal as adjusting the partition tables carries some risk, so if your data is valuable

either

Clone you drive to a second one (you can use the dd command from a linux live CD to do it) so yopu have an exact image of the disk.

OR backup your data but accept that in the (unlikely-but-possible) event that something does go wrong you will have to reload and re-configure the OSs

and/or consider running the computer from a UPS if there is any risk of a power outage while you are doing this. As other havbe said, a reboot during the process will almost certainly bork your disk. (My incoming mains RCCB is prone to occasional tripping so I always run my computers off a UPS - gives enough time for me to get to the switch and reset it!)

for reference, this risk is the same regardless of the app you use - if partition magic dies, it dies just as much as parted.

[peterb]

Absolutely - I wasn't implying (or didn't intend implying) that gparted is any riskier than any other application.

[2Cold Scorpio]

Thanks, guys; I was already aware of the risks. Its just been secveral years since I had to do this. lol

[subin]

I google partition manager find some freeware bellow:

paragon
I have not used,no comment!

easeus partition manager
I download from brother soft
It worked OK, but failed when i tried to merge partition. so i have to allocated the free space to another partition. Partition magic may merge two partitions which will cost you $69.95

cute partition manager
download from giveawayoftheday.

[peterb]

Subin - welcome to Hexus - however 6 months after the last post in the thread, I suspect the OP has solved the problem!