Partitioning software

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
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I've used Partition Magic 7 for years but last time I did I had a very nasty meltdown (on an XP laptop).

Someone suggested that there are some fine freeware partitioning tools. Don't remember anything specific.

I've just installed a 180GB Intel 330 SSD on one of my laptops (Lenovo T60), Windows7 Home Premium, done my Lenovo and Windows Updates, installed MSE, done little else. I want to add a partition for data, keep maybe 60GB (?) for the OS + apps partition. This to make it easy to back up the OS + apps. Once I've done that I intend to make an image of the OS + apps partition before restoring my Easy Transfer file from the Windows XP I had on the 60GB HD on the machine prior to installing the SSD over the weekend.

Poking around I see that Windows 7 evidently included a hidden 100MB system partition (didn't get a drive letter) on installation. How will this impact my backup scenario?

Can I get recommendations? Thanks!
 
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ignatzatsonic

Senior member
Nov 20, 2006
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Partition Wizard is a good partitioning tool for Win 7, but the built-in Diskpart can do simple partitioning operations. Aomei Partition Assistant also seems to work well.

You need to make an image of that small 100 mb partition. It contains your boot files. You can include it in the same image file as C, or you can make a separate image file for it alone. But it has to be restored when the time comes.

You can avoid that small partition completely during installation if you want to. I don't use it. Without it, all of your boot files will be on C and C is all you'd need to make an image of. You can also get rid of it post-installation by copying boot files to C with a program such as Easy BCD.

I wouldn't have a lot of faith in Easy Transfer; not quite ready for prime time in my experience.
 
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Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,343
9,229
136

I just installed this (the program looks good, it looks very similar to Partition Magic 7) and set up the change, the program protested other programs were interfering and even after closing what I saw open. It said it would do the changes on a restart, and I did that but now Win7 is stalled at the Starting Windows splash screen (the Microsoft pennant doesn't show up). Whoops! I should have made an image of the OS partition before attempting this... whether it works or not I blew it. Um, well, I may have to go back to square one on this...
 
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Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,343
9,229
136
Go here and get "pw422".

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=b0a22789320e3247&id=B0A22789320E3247!215

This is an older version of Partition Wizard that you run off a bootable disk, before Windows loads. Just burn this ISO to a disc. It works for any operation I've ever tried and you might find it more flexible as it avoids Windows.

You might also try to "undo" any changes you made with the Windows version.
Thanks for all the ideas. Well, at the moment the machine appears to be locked at the Starting Windows splash screen (no MS pennant appeared). It's been at that static screen for over an hour. I suppose there's nothing to do now but pull the plug and go from there. I will try the quoted suggestion above, creating a bootable disk and see if I can fix things, undo changes (if any). Presumably the bootable version will give me an option to "undo?"
 

ignatzatsonic

Senior member
Nov 20, 2006
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0
I don't know whether the bootable version would recognize any changes made by the Windows version. It does have an undo function, but it may not acknowledge that you had previously used another version of the program.

It's handy to keep regardless as there are some things it does better than the most recent version.
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,343
9,229
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I downloaded and burned to CDRW the linked older version of Partition Wizard and was about to attempt to boot from it (after unplugging the locked machine and replugging it), and got a hunch and decided to instead see what would happen if I tried to start normally. Got past the previous screen, Windows pennant appeared and I was given the option to repair (recommended) or start normally. Now, after installing Win7 a couple of days ago I was going through what appears to be similar if not the same scenario, and it's not been determined why I got the hangs, but on unplugging and restarting and starting "normally" it boots. This is what appears to be happening now and Partition Wizard is proceeding right now with the changes, and I anticipate it will succeed. I don't know what's up with this system. My theory was that the GPU was overheating but others think that likely not the cause:

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=113587&p=730207&e=730207

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2375189&goto=newpost

http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=113587&p=730207&e=730207
 

Muse

Lifer
Jul 11, 2001
39,343
9,229
136
I don't know whether the bootable version would recognize any changes made by the Windows version. It does have an undo function, but it may not acknowledge that you had previously used another version of the program.

It's handy to keep regardless as there are some things it does better than the most recent version.
Thanks, I will keep it. Looking in Windows Explorer in this my XP desktop machine, I see no files on the CDRW, perhaps they are all hidden. I have no idea if it will boot. Can always just try it and see if I get something. Right now, as detailed in my last post, PW (windows version) is making the changes so looks like I will be OK. I really should have imaged my OS partition before doing this! ;)

Edit: Came back to the laptop just after posting this reply and everything was done, the drive partitioned just as I asked, everything appears fine. Will I get lockups on reboot at least occasionally, TBH I'll be surprised if I don't. Hopefully, the fix (well, workaround) will be as simple as unplugging, replugging and restarting. It wasn't that simple with I had XP on the machine, I often had to leave the machine for a long spell before retrying. It would lock at the Windows XP splash screen, which was about 1/5th the brightness that it usually is. :confused:

Now I have a ~65GB OS_Apps C partition and a ~102GB D data partition. The 100MB hidden system partition is no doubt there but you don't see it in Explorer. The first time I installed Win7 (64bit Ultimate) I did it without the hidden 100MB hidden system partition, but the next time I didn't bother doing that, IIRC. I suppose I could do it on this SSD. I think I'll just try to image that partition along with (and probably separate from the OS_Apps partition). Don't know that I could glom them both together with Ghost 2003, which I'm going to try about now to my Cavalry 500GB external USB HD (Ghost 2003 can't see my 3TB USB external HD, at least not as a write-to drive).
 
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blankslate

Diamond Member
Jun 16, 2008
8,735
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EASUS Partition Master has a freeware version that works very well for most common partitioning tasks.

It's easy to use, but as far as I know, doesn't have a bootable version.


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