[robgina]

Greetings all,

Just a quick question. I am trying to set up a partition on my Windows Vista Home Premium operating machine. I am quite happy with how to do this the only problem is that when I go to shrink volume to create the partition it still wants to keep about 135gbs for the C: disc on which the windows Vista OS is installed. Reading around most reckon 40gb is more than generous for this so how come it not allowing me to shrink the volume more and is there anyway I can overcome this ?

Also on the hard drive it has a recovery partition D then the C; drive with windows OS.. Am I right in saying that if I have to use the recovery process it will only effect the C drive and not the data on any new partition created?

Thanks for any help you can give on the above.

[SnyperTodd]

As I understand it, partitions can't be shrunk down beyond a point where any unmovable files are placed. They also need to be on a continuous part of the hard drive. In other words, if you have three partitions, the first is physically on the outside (fastest moving part) of the drive, the second will be just inside the first, and the third will be on the inner part of the drive. However, data may not necessarily be placed in each partition in such an organized way- it's usually somewhat scattered throughout the partition. If, for example, you have a 200GB C: partition and Windows places any files that it uses and can't be moved at the 135GB point, you won't be able to shrink it past that point. I've tried third-party partition managers with no success either, though someone may know of one that is capable of moving those unmovable files. The surest way that I know of to get the partitions set up the way you want them is to format the drive and set up the partitions with the Windows installer. You may be able to use a product like Acronis True Image and backup your current C: partition and restore it on your new C: partition after you get it sized how you want it.

As for the recovery partition, I believe it only will affect the C: partition, but I'm not positive. Some of the recovery programs on pre-built machines may do things differently than others. I don't use them unless someone specifically wants all the OEM bloat back on their machine. Usually, I remove the recovery partition and do a clean install of Windows and give them back the 5GB or whatever was allocated to the recovery partition.

[jimj]

If you wish to create an additional segment, then I suggest you do it now, for in a week or two you likely will find that the Windows disk segmenting program is unable to shrink the C volume to any extent and will be unable to provide another volume of any significant size. Vista contains a huge collection of mediocre features, and the disk segmenting feature is one of those features. The problem is some special files (things like the MFT, or Master File Table) that Windows likes to automatically place near the end of the C volume, and the Windows disk segmenting program cannot move these files. Use of a third party program to do the segmenting is the only practical solution for most normal PC users, and I haven't tried any of those. Perhaps others have and can recommend which to use.

[smax013]

SnyperTodd said:

As I understand it, partitions can't be shrunk down beyond a point where any unmovable files are placed. They also need to be on a continuous part of the hard drive. In other words, if you have three partitions, the first is physically on the outside (fastest moving part) of the drive, the second will be just inside the first, and the third will be on the inner part of the drive. However, data may not necessarily be placed in each partition in such an organized way- it's usually somewhat scattered throughout the partition. If, for example, you have a 200GB C: partition and Windows places any files that it uses and can't be moved at the 135GB point, you won't be able to shrink it past that point. I've tried third-party partition managers with no success either, though someone may know of one that is capable of moving those unmovable files. The surest way that I know of to get the partitions set up the way you want them is to format the drive and set up the partitions with the Windows installer. You may be able to use a product like Acronis True Image and backup your current C: partition and restore it on your new C: partition after you get it sized how you want it.

While I have not done it often, I believe that PartitionMagic can do some of that. I do not know if it works with Vista...I believe it is only good for XP or lower (i.e. I do not believe that Symantec updated it for Vista).

I want to say it can also "span" partitions too, but not completely sure.

With the Windows Vista partitioning, the only possibility might be to run a disk optimizer/defragger and hope that it moves those "unmovable" files further into the C: partition so that you could shrink it more.

Quote

As for the recovery partition, I believe it only will affect the C: partition, but I'm not positive. Some of the recovery programs on pre-built machines may do things differently than others. I don't use them unless someone specifically wants all the OEM bloat back on their machine. Usually, I remove the recovery partition and do a clean install of Windows and give them back the 5GB or whatever was allocated to the recovery partition.

As to recovery partitions, I would agree...I suspect that it only effects the C: drive, but I do not know for sure.